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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Heather Clark, MSPH, CHES, James N. Burdine, DrPH, Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH, Angela Alaniz, BA, and Amber Schickedanz, MPH. Center for Community Health Development, School of Rural Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1266, 979-845-5774, mwendel@tamu.edu

In September of 2003, the Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), a regional health partnership serving the Brazos Valley was selected as a national Healthy Communities Access Program (HCAP) by the Health Resources Services Administration. The BVHP is working to improve access to care for the uninsured and underinsured residents of the six rural counties of the Brazos Valley. The major goals of the project are to improve the capacity of the rural communities by leveraging existing resources and to facilitate creative partnerships among service providers. The major activities of the partnership are to integrate and coordinate services through co-location and centralized case management; to provide medication assistance; and to develop a transportation system for low-income residents. While addressing fragmentation of the health care delivery system, the ultimate goal is to assist individuals and families to reach self-sufficiency.

Included in the project is a complex evaluation of the process and activities to determine the impact of BVHP activities on the community. Several key datasets have been identified for the evaluation, using both qualitative and quantitative measures. Aggregate utilization data, client satisfaction, leadership emergence, network linkages among organizations, knowledge of available resources, improvements in health status and partnership processes are included in the evaluation of this project. The data gathered will be used to aid the BVHP in planning for future activities and in shaping of local and state national policy.

Further, attention will be directed to the impact of this intervention on the political and relational interactions among service providers.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the value of using multiple evaluation methods to assess effectiveness of programs.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methodologies.
• Apply the methodologies discussed to other community-based participatory research projects.

Keywords: Evaluation, Service Integration

Related Web page: www.bvhp.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation