Foundation for Healthy Communities

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Master Trainers educate a cohort of New Hampshire trainers on how to facilitate interactive learning opportunities to improve organizational and staff cultural competency.

The Foundation for Healthy Communities worked with the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation on this initiative. Harvard Pilgrim invested significant technical assistance and funds over a three year period beginning in 2012 as part of a multi-stakeholder collaboration to move the needle on diversifying New Hampshire's healthcare workforce, improve the capacity to provide culturally effective care, and investigate the education needs for improving inter-professional team based care.

A Learning Collaborative on Culture was established with nine colleges and universities in NH to support their capacity to train a diverse health care workforce that is prepared to work inter-professionally and across cultures. The NH Medical Society in partnership with the UNH Institute for Health Policy and Practice produced a series of CME podcasts to educate clinicians on population health with specific emphasis on taking action to address health disparities. This podcast series will be available beginning April 1st on the NH Medical Society's website.

Key partners in this initiative in addition to the Foundation and Harvard Pilgrim included the New Hampshire Medical Society, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Southern NH Area Health Education Center, the Endowment for Health, and the NH Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and Refugee Affairs.

Additionally, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation's Culture InSight program trained over 32 facilitators between 2012 and 2015 to

facilitate interactive learning opportunities for staff within their organizations to sustain and improve capacity for the provision of culturally effective healthcare. In 2015, these facilitators provided over 60 trainings to more than 825 individuals. Facilitators are available upon request for training opportunities. To request a training on behalf of your organization please contact Rebecca Sky at (603) 415-4277 (direct dial) or at [email protected] .

HEAL NH Releases 5 Year Outcomes

Middle school students from the Upper Valley Region participated in HEAL's local Safe Routes to School initiative which aims to improve pedestrian access and promote physical activity from a young age.

Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) NH has released its HEAL/Healthy People Healthy Places Plan Outcomes which includes key accomplishments of network partners in policy, systems, and environmental changes between 2009 and 2014 in the areas of active transportation, recreation, and healthy food. The report also includes the progress made on 2014-2019 target outcomes.

Overall, from 2009 through 2014 the HEAL NH Community Network has leveraged over $3 million towards local HEAL Community and Active Transportation grantees. These HEAL partners are implementing strategies to improve equitable access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities in geographic areas encompassing over 850,000 NH residents (or 63% of the population).

Policy Highlights:

HEAL's Active Living Coordinator, Nik Coates, is the past chair and a current member of the NHDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Advisory Committee. This committee works to advance policies and implement strategies that support active transportation in NH.
NH Farm to Plate law enacted which officially announces that local agriculture and fishing are vital interests to the state and future legislation.

Environmental Highlights:

HEAL Walkability Bikability Assessment released and is currently being used by 3 HEAL communities to create environments more supportive of active lifestyles.
Healthy People Healthy Places Active Recreation committee is conducting a recreation inventory to identify opportunities and challenges to accessing recreation in NH's highest need communities.
NH Department of Health and Human Services first Municipal Survey is completed to better understand municipal environments as they relate to HEAL.

Systems Highlights:

HEAL principles adopted in Granite State Future plans.
HEAL participates in Food Solutions New England Summit.

"I wish to thank HEAL NH for the $5,000 Active Transportation Grant. This grant from a respected statewide organization like HEAL was a key factor in our $125,000 CDFA tax credit award to support our work."

David S. Topham

Co-Chair & Treasurer

Friends of Salem Bike-Ped Corridor

For more information on HEAL visit healnh.org or

healthynh.com

Foundation's Marketplace Assisters Continue to Enroll and Assist Clients

During the second Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment period, from November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015 the Foundation's Marketplace Assister (MPA) Program helped more than 400 New Hampshire residents to enroll in a Marketplace plan. Assisters provided information to adults seeking coverage whose household income could make them eligible for the NH Health Protection Plan, NH's expanded Medicaid Program, which began in August 2014.

The Foundation's eight certified Marketplace Assisters, four of whom are bilingual, actively collaborated with hospital and health care providers as well as community organizations throughout the state. They partnered with them to provide consumer information about the Marketplace or the new Health Protection Plan and, as requested, to offer one-to-one enrollment assistance to the individuals and families these organizations serve.

Now that the open enrollment is over, the MPA staff continue to work with these partner organizations to provide Marketplace information or to support year-round enrollment for specific circumstances. For example, some individuals and families have life circumstances (e.g. moved from out of state, loss of employer-based coverage, birth or adoption) that qualify them to enroll in Marketplace coverage outside the open enrollment period.

In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently announced a tax season special enrollment opportunity from March 15-April 30 for individuals who paid the "shared responsibility payment" in their 2014 taxes as a penalty for not having credible health insurance and who now may be interested in seeking coverage through the Marketplace.

For more information about the Foundation's Marketplace Assister Program, e-mail Ann Walls or call (603) 415-4299.

New Falls Prevention Project

Every 15 seconds, an adult age 65 and older is treated in a New Hampshire hospital emergency room for a fall-related injury. Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for New Hampshire older adults and a leading cause of 911 calls according to the NH Injury Prevention Program at the Division of Public Health Services (2014).

The Foundation for Healthy Communities has received a two year grant from the US Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AoA) to run a Community Falls Prevention Program. The intent of this funding is to support partnering organizations in Coos and Carroll counties, and the city of Nashua to establish evidence-based falls prevention programs offering classes to community members to reduce falls and falls risks experienced by older adults. The project will offer two ongoing classes:

A Matter of Balance, an eight session community-based workshop designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels is one of the two evidence-based programs that organizations will implement.
Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, is a research-based balance training regimen designed for older adults and people with balance disorders.

Increasing public and health provider awareness of falls prevention programs is important to the success of this work. For more information, contact Rebecca Sky, Project Director, at (603) 415-4277 (direct dial) or by email at [email protected]. New partner organizations are welcome!

Nominations Open for 2015 Clint Jones New Hampshire Nursing Award

The Foundation for Healthy Communities is accepting nominations for the 2015 Clint Jones NH Nursing Award. This award recognizes a registered nurse, new to the profession of nursing, who exemplifies the practice of high quality nursing care and demonstrates an exceptional commitment to the nursing profession. The deadline for nominations is March 27, 2015 .

Click here to find out more about the award, the man it honors, and to download the nomination form.