Showcasing Capabilities to Gain Exposure to Policymakers and Stakeholders

Challenge A non-profit client needed to maximize a very small grant to showcase its capabilities to perform community needs assessments (CNAs) with a goal of developing new revenue streams through grants and contracts to conduct community needs assessments.

Situation CNAs are a fairly new tool utilized by the US federal government to make a variety of healthcare-resource decisions. For example, a CNA is a required part of an application for designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Also, US federal healthcare reform law requires all non-profit hospitals and healthcare centers seeking to retain their tax-exempt status to conduct community needs assessment by 2014. The client had conducted a community needs assessment for a local hospital that enabled the hospital to pursue additional sources of Medicaid funding, and is driving development of a new FQHC. The client wanted to showcase its capabilities to hospital and health center decision makers but has few opportunities within such a limited budget.

Solutions In a large field of non-profit and for-profit organizations seeking to advertise their CNA capabilities, Martha Harbin identified a unique and differentiating aspect of the clients approach that renders a street-level community assessment. This highly localized analysis drills down below the zip-code level, typically the most localized level of health statistics. The clients approach uncovers pockets of unmet needs within zip codes, helping to strengthen a health centers application for special designation. The client led the development of a network of human services providers in the area in which the assessment was conducted. The cooperation and information sharing among this network was a key factor in the clients ability to generate such hyper-localized data. Policy Wisdom recognized this network is in itself a unique capability and a best practice developed by the client. The strategic solution focused on publicizing the clients network-building as a best practice for health providers, utilizing the highly detailed community needs assessment as one of the positive outcomes of building local networks. This more novel approach helped set the client apart and secured its place in publications and venues its target audiences utilize for professional development.

Results The client was selected to present a case study of developing a local human services provider network and its application to healthcare reform and policy making at the annual conference of the American Public Health Association. An article authored by the client on developing a local human services provider network and its application to healthcare reform and policy making was accepted for publication in the American Public Human Services Association bi-monthly magazine Policy and Practice. The Nations Health, the monthly magazine of the American Public Health Association, is considering a feature article on the client, the network and its utilization in meeting federal healthcare reform requirements and other public policy challenges. A paper developed on the client and its successes was developed and presented to state executive and legislative branch decision makers.