Improving Public Health Infrastructure
Request for Statements of Interests
Public Health for the Next Generation: Investing in Healthier Communities
Who should respond: Local and tribal health departments
Purpose of Project: Northwest Health Foundation wishes to support and encourage local health departments to become accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board. NWHF recognizes that the path to accreditation may also enable local and tribal health departments (departments) to effectively engage with Coordinated Care Organizations with the result that together they can build and support healthy communities.
What we request from local and tribal health departments:
A letter stating your interest that includes a brief response to these questions:
- Is the Local Board of Health or the Board of County Commissioners supportive of the local health department’s accreditation efforts? Briefly explain the nature of the support. (120 words max.)
- Please explain why your department is pursuing accreditation. (200 words max.)
- What have you done to date toward accreditation? Specifically, where is the department in the process? (250 words max.)
- What do you need to complete accreditation? (200 words max)
- Has your department engaged with other stakeholders to create a local or regional coordinated care organization? If yes, what is the nature of that engagement? Examples of engagement between a local health department and a potential CCO may include agreements to conduct a Community Health Assessment and a Community Health Improvement plan; agreements to implement population-level interventions to prevent tobacco consumption or to promote physical activity; or collaboration to affect a policy or systemic change that would promote the well-being of the community. (300 words max.)
- Has your department engaged in other organizational models intended to improve efficiency of quality of health service delivery? Examples of such models may include a regional approach to service delivery, or collaboration with other local health departments. (300 words max.)
- Please briefly describe the funding streams that make up your health department’s budget. Include what proportion of budget comes from the County general fund as well as other sources of local funding. (150 words max.)
- To help us better understand your particular situation; please provide some basic background that describes the social and demographic context of your community and the population health needs you have identified as priorities. (150 words max.)
Background
The State of Oregon is in the middle of restructuring how health care services are delivered for Oregon Health Plan members. A central feature of this restructuring is the integration and better coordination of medical services with a greater focus on prevention. Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) will be accountable for the improved integration and coordination of services, as well as the improved health of the population.
Despite the stated goal to improve population health and to emphasize “prevention,” Coordinated Care Organizations may lack the capacity to implement population-level prevention and health promotion interventions. Moreover, there is no legal prescription for “emphasizing prevention” so CCOs may be left to their own understanding of what constitutes effective prevention and may settle for a clinical-based approach, e.g. increased cancer screenings.
Based on current evidence, Northwest Health Foundation believes that health promotion and chronic disease prevention efforts at the population level will be cost-effective when fully integrated with delivery of medical care. At the same time, the process of accreditation will require health departments to prepare a Community Health Assessment and a Community Health Improvement Plan, both of which are also requirements of Coordinated Care Organizations, and a Strategic Plan for the department. This provides a unique opportunity for health departments to engage with CCOs at a level that is most strategic and valuable for the department, i.e. working within the CCO’s Governance Board, Community Advisory Council or as a contractor for performance of specific tasks.
Review Process:
NWHF will provide financial and technical support to up to 9 health departments. Awards may range from $20,000 to $50,000 for up to 18 months. Funds may be used to help defray accreditation application fees. In addition to grant awards, NWHF may provide technical assistance to departments and extend an invitation to departments to participate in a Learning Collaborative composed of other departments.
Letters of interest will be evaluated as received. Health departments will be selected for a site visit by program staff. Based on site visits staff will make recommendations for support to a committee of the NWHF board.
NWHF will give preference to departments that demonstrate they are using the formal accreditation process to engage with entities forming a coordinated care organization or to explore promising models for providing essential public health services to the community, county or region.
Timeline:
April 10th: Release Request for Statements of Interest.
April 27th: Intent to apply deadline
April 27th – June 1st: First round of site visits
May 11th: First round of Statements of Interest due by 5 p.m.
Letters received after May 11th will be considered for the second round of awards.
June 15th: First round of awards announced
June 29th: Intent to apply deadline
July 13th: Second round of Statements of Interest due by 5 p.m.
July 23 – August 31 – Second round of site visits
September 21 – Second round of awards announced
Instructions for submitting your statement of interest:
STEP 1
The Northwest Health Foundation manages all of its grant programs within an online platform. If you determine that a match exists between your project idea and the funding priorities of this request and you would like to be considered for the first round of awards, please submit your intent to apply no later than April 27, 2012 by 5:00 p.m.. Submitting your intent to apply only takes a few minutes, and does not require you to define your project title, ask amount, or write a narrative.
STEP 2
Once we verify that your organization meets the eligibility requirements, an email will be sent to the lead project contact with a link along with a username and password that will allow you to submit your statement of interest and answer the required questions on-line. Please allow up to two business days to receive these instructions. Statements of interest will be due by 5:00 p.m. on May 11, 2012.
Once you are ready to submit your statement of interest, please note the following special instructions:
The online application will require you to complete several sections (tabs) including standard organization details, contact information, demographic details, and a project budget (Attachment Tab). In order to answer the questions in the statement of interest, please skip the LOI tab and go directly to the Full Proposal Tab. Please note that in order to complete a section or tab, you must answer every field in the section. If a question does not apply to your organization, please type “N/A.”
Under the Demographics Tab, the “Activity Type” field should be answered “Other” and you must type “Accreditation Plus” in the field.
If you would like to be considered for the second round, please submit your intent to apply no later than June 29, 2012 by 5:00 p.m. and your statement of interest by 5:00 p.m. on July 13, 2012.
Questions?
Please contact Alejandro Queral at 971-230-1288, or at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you have any questions about this grant opportunity.