Summary
Compiled by Prevention Institute (with support from the Kresge Foundation), the following eight profiles demonstrate how states are moving beyond silos to partner within and outside of state governments to support innovative initiatives that advance population health. These profiles were prepared in response to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation's interest in the important role of states in facilitating collaborations and comprehensive efforts that improve community environments. The initiatives highlighted represent a variety of states and diverse health issues and risk factors, and feature efforts where significant improvements in health are foreseeable. Despite this diversity, a few common themes emerge:
- Effective partnerships is key: while the state public health agency was often the lead or originating agency, close collaboration with other state, city, and county agencies, as well as community organizations, was a critical component of these programs.
- Partnerships should move beyond health: the inclusion of non-health sectors is a key ingredient to success. Multi-sector partnerships enhance the long-term sustainability of efforts.
- Developing internal capacity is critical: people drive the process, especially those that involve multiple stakeholders and issues. Resources are needed to build organizational capacity and the dedicated staffing necessary to carry out activities.
- Appropriate benchmarks and indicators lead to success: substantive change takes time, and it is key to have clear goals and ways of measuring success. Establishing phased outcomes and expectations (short-, medium-, and long-term) is important for maintaining momentum and communicating success. Because many of the initiatives originated from grant funding, it is critical that benchmarks be realistic in order to make the case for sustained funding.