Behavioral Health Data Added to Health Equity Tracker
The Health Equity Tracker, supported by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDC Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Google.org, and AARP, recently announced the creation of a behavioral health category and the addition of six indicators related to mental health and substance use.
Older Adults’ Mental Health Needs
A new report from The Commonwealth Fund compares older adults’ mental health needs and access to treatment in the United States and other high-income countries to better understand coverage gaps and opportunities for improvement.
New York State Health Foundation Brief Examines Food Scarcity’s Influence on Mental Health
A new issue brief authored by the New York State Health Foundation, “Food Scarcity’s Influence on Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York State,” builds of previous analyses foundation analyses that documented increased rates of poor mental health and food scarcity among New York residents. Using national research as the basis, this new report explores the association between experiencing food scarcity and poor mental health during the pandemic.
New Archstone Report Reflects on 30 Years of Palliative Care Investment
For three decades the Archstone Foundation has focused investments on improving the care and experience of people with serious illness. Their portfolio has championed numerous palliative care and end-of-life initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. Reflecting on this body of grantmaking, the foundation has released a new legacy report that examines this work, grantee achievements, and the enduring impact of this investment.
Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System
The Bipartisan Policy Center, deBeaumont Foundation, and the Public Health Forward Coalition has just released Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System, a five-year roadmap for public health. The report provides practical, bi-partisan actions to modernize and repair the nation’s public health system. Key recommendation for policy makers and public health departments include addressing: financing; data and information technology; workforce; public health laws and governance; partnerships; and community engagement.
Sustaining Changes in Foundation Practices
A new report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy explores how foundation practices have shifted in the last 18 months and whether those changes will be sustained in the future. Foundations Respond to Crisis: Lasting Change? documents shifts in how foundations identify applicants, reductions in administrative burdens for grantees, increases in unrestricted funding, and new efforts to advance racial equity.
Understanding Power Building Ecosystems
This study offers analysis of the conditions and strategies that enhance or stymie power-building in relation to three ballot initiative issues, each of which has the potential to improve community health outcomes: Affordable Housing, Medicaid Expansion, Criminal Justice Reform.
New Resources for Investing in Farm to Early Care and Education
Farm to early care and education initiatives work across systems, linking health, education, and agriculture to support young children’s cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development; improve community nutrition; and build sustainable local food systems. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has released a set of new resources based on the learnings from their five-year, five-state (Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) investment in farm to early care and education.
State Population Change Reports
HaystaqDNA has created state reports, available through the Redistricting Data Hub, containing visualizations detailing the changes in total population and population by race and ethnicity for congressional districts, state senate districts, and state house/assembly districts.
Moving from Intention to Impact: Funding Racial Equity to Win
In a joint report, Moving from Intention to Impact: Funding Racial Equity to Win, PolicyLink and The Bridgespan Group examines commitment to funding for racial equity work in the US. In the last year, donors across the spectrum from foundations to corporations have made unprecedented commitments to advancing racial equity. Two key takeaways from the report to encourage funders to make real impact in racial equity is the need for transparent reporting and being responsive to the needs of movement leaders.