Reaching Kids: Partnering with Preschools and Schools to Improve Children's Health [ May 27, 2009 ]

Grantmakers In Health’s upcoming Issue Dialogue Reaching Kids: Partnering with Preschools and Schools to Improve Children’s Health, to be held on May 27 at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, DC, will bring together grantmakers, public health leaders, and experts from the field to explore how the U.S. education system intersects with and influences children’s health and development outcomes across the lifecourse. Participants will discuss promising approaches to “reaching children where they are” through school-based and school linked services for children and explore how these efforts both contribute to children’s health and developmental improvements and serve as the foundation for broader educational system reform.   

National Meeting on Community Engagement and Effective Health Grantmaking [ May 18, 2009 ]

The Maine Health Access Foundation and Grantmakers In Health invite you the 2009 National Meeting on Community Engagement and Effective Health Grantmaking, which will take place May 18-19, 2009, in Portland, Maine.  

Improving Health through Greener Hospital Environments [ May 13, 2009 ]

This audioconference explored efforts to create more environmentally responsible and ecologically sustainable health care facilities. Participants learned how the growing movement to "green" hospitals and other facilities can directly impact workers safety and quality of patient care, as well as address broader community health concerns.

Sponsoring Educational Opportunities for State Legislators and their Staff [ May 4, 2009 ]

Health funders can legally engage in a wide variety of advocacy activities, including supporting educational opportunities and informational materials for elected officials on broad policy-relevant issues. This audioconference explored the educational needs of state legislators and their staff and examined the various ways health funders have sought to address these needs.

GIH Audioconference on Diversity in Philanthropy [ April 30, 2009 ]

This GIH audioconference will explore the Diversity in Philanthropy Project and its efforts to increase field-wide diversity through open dialogue and strategic action.

Grading the States 2009: Measuring America's Health Care System for Adults with Serious Mental Illness [ April 29, 2009 ]

This audioconference discussed the Grading the States 2009, a national assessment of the U.S. mental health care system released by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In addition to summarizing their results, NAMI outlined future policy recommendations, discussed the challenges and limitations of state-level measurement and assessment, and framed the report's findings in the context of the current economic crisis.

Social Determinants of Health and Equity: The Impacts of Racism on Health Disparities [ April 15, 2009 ]

As research continues around the health outcomes of individuals and groups, there is acknowledgement that effective efforts to reduce disparities must also pay attention to the social determinants of health. Additionally, the antecedents of racial and ethnic disparities in health are multifaceted and rooted in historic and contemporary inequities.

Recommendations of the RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America [ April 7, 2009 ]

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America has released 10 recommendations for changes the country can make outside health care to improve the health of all Americans. The commission's recommendations call for changes in schools, at home, in communities, and in the workplace. On this audioconference we discussed the recommendations, heard about successful programs from across the country, and explored next steps for philanthropy.

Presentations from the 2009 Annual Meeting on Health Philanthropy [ March 18, 2009 ]

2009 Annual Meeting on Health Philanthropy [ March 18, 2009 ]

Seeing the Future with 20/20 Vision, Grantmakers In Health’s 2009 Annual Meeting on Health Philanthropy in New Orleans, Louisiana, will explore social trends projected to shape our future such as population shifts, increasing economic inequalities, climate change, growing health care expenditures, and the uncertainties of our financial markets and the global economy.

Health Impact Assessments: A Promising Tool for Public Policy Decision-Making [ February 25, 2009 ]

The term Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is commonly used to describe structured, multi-disciplinary methods and processes that judge the potential health effects of a specific policy proposal.  Based on a broad model of population health that incorporates economic, political, social, psychological, and environmental influences, HIAs have been widely performed in Europe and Canada through both regulatory and voluntary mechanisms. Interest in these tools is growing rapidly in the United States and health funders have played a pivotal role in nurturing these developments. This audioconference considered how HIAs can be used to infuse health-related concerns into public policy debates and explored opportunities for health funders to advance the development and application of this emerging tool. 

Pediatric Obesity Prevention: Trends, Strategies, and Challenges [ February 20, 2009 ]

On this audioconference, Dr. David Kaelber of Case Western Reserve University discussed recent trends in pediatric obesity diagnosis and offered his perspective on the challenges and disincentives physicians face in their efforts to combat childhood obesity. We also heard from Jim Alexander and Scott Allen, who highlighted a number of pediatric-focused obesity prevention initiatives currently underway in Chicago as part of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children.

CHIP Reauthorization: Details and Implications [ February 13, 2009 ]

On February 4, President Obama signed into law H.R. 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization bill that will result in over 4 million otherwise uninsured children receiving health coverage. On this audioconference, grantmakers participated in a discussion of the GIH Funders Network on Expanding Access for Kids, an informal collaborative of foundations supporting work related to children’s coverage and care. Cindy Mann of the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University reviewed the details of the legislation and discussed the implications for states and funders.

Accelerating Results, Strengthening Leaders: Aligning Actions for Results and the Leadership in Action Program…An Approach to Making Measurable Improvements in Health [ January 30, 2009 ]

The Leadership in Action Program (LAP) of The Annie E. Casey Foundation is designed to build the capacity of local leaders to achieve measurable improvements in the well-being of families, children, and communities.  LAPs have influenced policy, practice, and funding in a variety of settings.  The audioconference speakers described the philosophy underlying LAP and how it is being applied in Baltimore in a program called “Babies Born Healthy.”  This LAP aims to improve birth outcomes and reduce birth disparities in high-risk Baltimore neighborhoods by teaching local public and private leaders how to work collaboratively and use data to make better decisions. 

Reducing Health Disparities by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health [ January 27, 2009 ]

On this audioconference, David Williams, one of the leading experts on socioeconomic and racial variations in health, highlighted research evidence that documents that tracking the social determinants of health can lead to improvements in health and reductions in social disparities in disease.

Philanthropy's Role in Health Care Reform [ January 22, 2009 ]

On this audioconference, funders heard the highlights of a new report that traces the complex history of health care reform efforts in Massachusetts, focusing on the significant roles that philanthropy played as the political landscape evolved and new strategies and alliances emerged. Special attention was paid to lessons for foundations across the country about affecting health care reform at the state and national levels.

School-Based Health Care: Creative Approaches and Partnership Opportunities [ December 16, 2008 ]

Over 1700 school-based health centers (SBHCs) currently deliver primary preventive and early intervention services to approximately 2 million children of all grade levels in urban, rural, and suburban schools across 44 states. SBHCs are instrumental in improving access to health care among many of America’s school-aged children and youth.

This audioconference call explored the topic of school-based health centers (SBHCs) and strategies state and regional funders are using to support the services provided by these entities. Currently, more than 1700 SBHCs deliver primary preventive and early intervention services to approximately 2 million children of all grade levels in urban, rural, and suburban schools across 44 states. SBHCs are instrumental in improving access to health care among many of America’s school-aged children and youth. A number of state and regional foundations across the country are finding creative ways to support this critical model of child and adolescent health care.

Improving Care and Reducing Costs for Frequent Users of Health Services [ December 10, 2008 ]

On this audioconference funders discussed two initiatives designed to improve the care and reduce the costs of frequent users of health services: chronically ill, underinsured or uninsured individuals who struggle with mental illness, alcohol or substance use disorders, and homelessness and repeatedly use emergency rooms and hospitals for medical crises that could be prevented with more appropriate ongoing care.

GIH Public Health Working Group Webinar: Workforce [ December 4, 2008 ]

Join your grantmaking colleagues to explore the workforce needs and challenges facing the public health system, as well as specific strategies funders may consider as they engage on this issue.

Post-Election Briefing for Grantmakers [ December 2, 2008 ]

Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce; Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families; and GIH invite you to attend a Post-Election Briefing for Grantmakers. This timely briefing will inform grantmakers about the priorities of the new Administration and Congress and provide funders with an opportunity to help inform, shape, and influence agenda that advance philanthropic work.