Search Results: MCH Organizations

Annotation: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is a nonprofit, interdisciplinary organization working to improve the health of underserved populations by supporting and enhancing the development of the health care clinicians serving these populations. ACU offers access to information relevant to clinical practice; provides networking and training opportunities; and promotes research to increase understanding of underserved practice.

Keywords: Professional societies, Resources for professionals, Underserved communities

Annotation: The Best Babies Zone (BBZ) Initiative is a multi-sector approach to reducing infant mortality and racial disparities in birth outcomes and improving birth and health outcomes by mobilizing communities to address the social determinants that affect health. The uniqueness of this national initiative lies in the fact that not only is the approach zonal, but it is comprehensive – addressing four critical sectors – economics, education, health, and community – in order to strengthen environments that support better and healthier outcomes. BBZ is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and is being implemented in three cities – Cincinnati, Ohio; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Oakland, California.

Keywords: Barriers, Cities, Communities, Community action, Environmental influences, Infant mortality, National initiatives, Public private partnerships, Racial factors, Risk factors, Socioeconomic factors

Annotation: The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) funds Health Centers in underserved communities, providing access to high quality, family oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care for people who are low-income, uninsured or face other obstacles to getting health care.

Keywords: HIV, Homeless persons, Immunization, Migrant health, Primary health care, Public health programs, Public health services, Public housing, Underserved communities

Annotation: The California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that raises awareness about critical public health issues and mobilizes communities to promote the establishment of effective state and local health policies. Recent work has primarily addressed the growing epidemic of childhood obesity by advocating for state and local public policies that promote healthy eating and physical activity. The center currently focuses on three main policy strategies: (1) physical education in public schools, (2) expanding access to healthy food in communities, and (3) assuring implementation of school nutrition standards. Activities also includes analyizing and publizing important health information for policy makers and the general public, supoorting community advocates in promiting local policy reforms, and keeping advocates informed about state legislation.

Keywords: Advocacy, California, Children, Communities, Health promotion, Obesity, Pulic health, School health

Annotation: The California Endowment is a private, statewide health foundation whose mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Guiding the endowment's work is a multicultural approach to health, which is defined not only by race and ethnicity, but financial status, cultural beliefs, gender, age, sexual orientation, geographic location, immigration status, and physical or mental abilities. This approach seeks to mobilize the talents, cultures and assets of California's diverse populations to improve the quality of our health systems and to promote health at the level of communities. A wide variety of publications covering topics such as access to care, mental health, cultural competence, and disparities in health can be downloaded in pdf format from the endowment's Web site.

Keywords: . Program improvement, Access to health care, California, Cultural competence, Cultural diversity, Foundations, Underserved communities

Annotation: The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) was established in 2002 to identify factors that lead to oral health disparities in children and families in Appalachia. The Center represents a collaboration from several sites including the University of Pittsburgh West Virginia University, University of Michigan, University of Iowa, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the people of Bradford and Burgettstown in Pennsylvania and the people of Nicholas and Webster counties in West Virginia.

Keywords: Barriers, Geographic regions, Health promotion, Oral health, Research, Strategic plans, Underserved communities

Annotation: Since 1988, the Center for Schools and Communities has been committed to improving outcomes for children and families through training, technical assistance, program evaluation, research, and resource development. The center's work focuses on prevention and intervention initiatives operated by schools, organizations, and agencies serving children, youth, and families. The website provides information about professional development, initiatives, and right-to-know compliance.

Keywords: Children, Communities, Families, Intervention, Prevention, Program evaluation, Research, Schools, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: Communities In Schools is a nationwide network of professionals dedicated to keeping kids in school and helping them succeed in life. CIS positions site coordinators inside schools to assess students' needs and provide resources. CIS coordinates with local businesses, social service agencies, health care professionals, and volunteers and provides food, school supplies, health care, counseling, academic assistance, and positive role models.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Communities, Education, Educational attainment, Public schools, Students

Annotation: The Community Preventive Services Task Force was established to identify population health interventions that are scientifically proven to save lives, increase lifespans, and improve quality of life. The task force is an independent, nonfederal, unpaid panel of public health and prevention experts that provides evidence-based findings and recommendations about community preventive services, programs, and policies to improve health. The task force produces recommendations (and identifies evidence gaps) to help inform the decision making of federal, state, and local health departments, other government agencies, communities, health professionals, employers, schools, and research organizations.

Keywords: Communities, Community health, Decision making, Health policy, Life course, Model programs, Prevention programs, Prevention services, Program improvement, Research

Annotation: Essential Hospitals Institute, formerly the National Public Health and Hospital Institute, researches and promotes evidence-based best practices and specializes in programs that promote the health of vulnerable people and underserved communities. The Institute uses data analysis and lessons learned to help members and the broader health care community achieve high-quality, cost-efficient care for all people. Key topics of study include patient safety, quality improvement, care disparities, and other issues important to hospitals that serve high volumes of vulnerable patients. In addition to conducting research, the Institute educates and trains senior administrators and clinical leaders. It accomplishes this work through a Research Center and the Transformation Center, a catalyst for innovative change to improve quality and safety. Established in 1988, Essential Hospitals Institute is the research arm of America’s Essential Hospitals.

Keywords: Health policy, Public hospitals, Underserved communities

Annotation: Forefront develops and disseminates innovative, evidence-based approaches to suicide prevention. Forefront provides trainings to peers wishing to support individuals newly bereaved by suicide, people wishing to work on state policy initiatives and who want to engage with traditional news media, health professionals, campuses and schools, communities, and groups of journalists and journalism students. Forefront is a collaboration of the University of Washington School of Social Work, Communication, School of Nursing, and College of Education.

Keywords: Communities, Health occupations, Schools, Suicide prevention, Training

Annotation: The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that exists to inspire, strengthen and expand philanthropic leadership and funders’ abilities to support organizations working to improve communities through better development decisions and growth policies. It brings together foundations, nonprofit organizations and other partners to address the range of environmental, social, and economic problems caused by development strategies that fail to consider the big picture.

Keywords: Communities, Housing, Planning, Urban environment

Annotation: Hesperian is a non-profit publisher of books and educational materials that help people take the lead in their own health care and organize to improve health conditions in their communities. Herperian collaborates with health workers, grassroots groups, and community organizations around the world to develop books that are practical, accessible, and appropriate across varied conditions and cultures. The books are written to be understood by people with little formal education. The foundation's "open-copyright" policy encourages organizations to reproduce, translate, and adapt the materials for distribution on a not-for-profit basis. All materials are published in both English and Spanish, and the foundation's Translations Fund give small grants to help organizations translate Hesperian's books and newsletters into other languages. Their website has numerous links to useful organizations in its Action for Health section.

Keywords: Community programs, Cultural sensitivity, Foundations, International organizations, Public health, Spanish language materials, Underserved communities

Annotation: The Latino Medical Students Association (LMSA) strives to promote the recruitment, retention, academic success and support of Latinos in health profession careers that will help improve the delivery of health care services to Latinos and other medically underserved populations. The association promotes the development of a communication network for Latino medical and other health care students; fosters students' interests in improving health care for underserved communities; and offers educational enrichment programs for the recruitment of Latino medical school applicants. LMSA sponsors an annual conference and publishes an annual journal and a quarterly newsletter.

Keywords: Hispanic Americans, Medical education, Medical students, Minority health, Underserved communities

Annotation: The Health Promotion Resource Center (HPRC) at the Morehouse School of Medicine has developed a health promotion and disease prevention model for underserved populations. The center's philosophy is to increase health promotion efforts that are likely to be more successful in those populations where the community at risk identifies its own health concerns, develops its own prevention and/or intervention strategies, and forms a decision-making coalition board to make policy decisions and identify resources for program implementation. Health promotion, prevention, education, training, and information dissemination efforts are concentrated in, but are not limited to the areas of substance abuse, parenting, maternal and child health, cancer, and violence. Services to consumers include publications.

Keywords: Health promotion, Model programs, Rural population, Underserved communities, Urban population

Annotation: The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) addresses the lack of access to basic health care by providing a unified voice and common source for research, information, training, and advocacy for a network of health centers and state and regional primary care organizations. The association produces a magazine on news and issues surrounding health care delivery to the medically underserved and the community-based health professionals who serve them. NACHC also produces topical newsletters on developments in the legislative and policy arenas.

Keywords: Advocacy, Community health centers, Primary care, Rural health, Underserved communities

Annotation: The National Civic League (NCL), founded in 1894, is a nonprofit membership advocacy organization that vigorously promotes the principles of collaborative problem solving and consensus-based decision making in local community building. The organization's mission is to transform democratic institutions by strengthening citizen democracy. The league offers community assistance and health community technical assistance, referrals, training, publications, research, and programs, including the All-America City Award Program.

Keywords: Advocacy, Communities

Annotation: The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) is an affiliation of the 14 Telehealth Resource Centers funded individually through cooperative agreements from the Health Resources & Services Administration, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. The goal of the NCTRC is to increase the consistency, efficiency, and impact of federally funded telehealth technical assistance services. This was made possible by 14 Telehealth Resource Centers and administered through grant #G22RH30365 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.

Keywords: Cost effectiveness, Policy development, Regional programs, Resources for professionals, Technical assistance, Telehealth, Underserved communities

Annotation: The National Dental Association HEALTH NOW™ initiative provides resources and services to underserved communities and works to increase health care access, eliminate disparities, increase health literacy, and promote prevention. The initiative also features and promotes the interest of inter-professional health teams (including dentists, physicians, optometrists, nurses, dental assistants and physician assistants); partnerships with community organizations, academic institutions, faith-based entities; and affiliations with community health centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, schools and senior citizen communities. NDA-HEALTH NOW™ programs are active in Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, and New York.

Keywords: Access to health care, Oral health, Professional societies, Underserved communities

Annotation: The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) builds healthy communities by supporting qualified health professionals working in areas of the United States with limited access to care. NHSC is a federal government program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Clinical Recruitment and Service that provides scholarships and loan repayment to primary care health professionals in NHSC-eligible disciplines. NHSC providers, in turn, commit to serving for at least two years at an NHSC-approved site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area.

Keywords: Community service, Health personnel, Infant mortality, Poverty, Substance abuse, Primary health care, Underserved communities