Sustaining Health Care Improvement Initiatives through Policy

Many foundations now recognize their own responsibility and the opportunity to improve the sustainability of grant projects by taking active roles in advocating for important public and private policy changes. By partnering with grantees and by capitalizing on their unique roles, foundations can work with policymakers to continue successful programs through ongoing policies that sustain transformative efforts. A case study of how this can be achieved is the Maine Health Access Foundation’s (MeHAF) strategy of sustaining quality integrated behavioral health and primary care by embedding it into ongoing systemic health care reform and quality improvement policies and initiatives.