The Health Foundation of South Florida is seeking to identify, foster and fund several health equity collaboratives in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties, each comprised of leaders from healthcare and community-based organizations. The mission of each collaborative should be to develop and test new ways to integrate social needs and clinical care with the goal of improving health outcomes among low-income and racial and ethnic minorities.
INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR ON HOW TO APPLY: October 20, 2022 at 11:30 am (ET)
PRELIMINARY APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 18, 2022 by 12 Noon (ET)
THE BACKGROUND
There is an overwhelming amount of evidence demonstrating that having access to stable and affordable housing, healthy food, and steady income can have great impact over people’s ability to live healthy lives—even more so than access to healthcare itself. Indeed, having unmet social needs is the principal driver of health inequity and is directly associated with higher a prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and elevated cholesterol; emergency department visits and doctor appointment no-shows; premature births, low birth weights and delivery complications for mothers; and depression, anxiety and worsened mental health.
As a result, policy makers, insurance payers, health plans and healthcare providers have begun to recognize the importance of broadening medically focused care programs to include elements that address social needs. In fact, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Health Equity Framework is compelling healthcare organizations to make health equity a priority, and accrediting bodies are supporting this with new health equity-focused standards.
However, in South Florida, efforts to address unmet social needs—whether in or out of health care settings — are largely uncoordinated, with organizations often working in silos. Operational, technological, financial and systemic barriers prevent payers, providers, and community-based organizations from coordinating the care of patients in a scalable and/or sustainable manner.
THE OPPORTUNITY
As a means of breaking down these silos, the Health Foundation of South Florida is seeking to identify, foster and fund several health equity collaboratives in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties, each comprised of leaders from across the healthcare and social services sectors as well as community-based organizations.
The collaboratives can be existing partnerships or ones established for this project, but in all cases their mission should be to develop new ways to integrate social needs and clinical care with the goal of improving health outcomes among low-income and racial and ethnic minorities. The collaboratives should be ideally focused on one the following core areas:
- chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, and asthma);
- access to healthcare; and/or
- Black maternal and infant health.
Additionally, the Health Foundation is open to other areas of focus or issues that are identified by applicants as important to address.
The Health Foundation will select several collaboratives to participate in a four-part planning and development workshop. Attendees will receive technical assistance to design a potentially fundable pilot program that is both community-informed and outcome-based. The workshop will be led by Health Management Associates, a nationally recognized research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation.
THE CRITERIA
Each collaborative should be comprised of at least one healthcare organization or health insurance provider and at least one community-based or social service organization. Participants may represent any of the following sectors:
- hospitals;
- safety net providers / federally qualified health centers;
- community-based clinics;
- health insurance plans/payers;
- community-based social service organizations;
- behavioral health providers; and/or
- public health departments.
The pilot programs the collaboratives wish to develop should also demonstrate:
A focus on identified population and/or health conditions based on public health, Community Health Needs Assessment, and/or other data showing a racial, ethnic, or other health disparity. Approaches must be data driven and metrics will be developed as part of the planning phase to demonstrate impact and value.
An understanding of evidence-based strategies and plans to utilize effective strategies to create impact. Approaches must be evidence-based, evidence-informed, or promising practices that address identified health disparities.
A commitment to equitable engagement and processes and plans to implement inclusive strategies and acknowledge power imbalances to foster equitable engaged processes.
Technology-enabled solutions and approaches that leverage technological innovations to expand the reach and impact of proposed work.
Plans for sustainability and early thinking about sustainability and long-term adoption.
FUNDING & BENEFITS
This initial phase of the funding opportunity will provide up to $17,500 per collaborative to support their participation in the workshop as well as other pilot development and planning activities.
After participating in the workshops and designing the pilot, the collaboratives will have the opportunity to apply for a multi-year implementation grant from the Health Foundation in 2023.
PRELIMINARY APPLICATION
Click here to fill out the Health Equity Collaboratives Preliminary Application. Deadline to submit is November 18, 2022 at 12 noon (EST).
For additional information on this opportunity, or if you have questions about the Preliminary Application, please attend our special Health Equity Collaborative Funding Webinar on October 20, 2022 at 11:30 am.
Click here to register to attend the webinar.
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ABOUT THE HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA
The mission of Health Foundation of South Florida is to invest in and be a catalyst for collaborations and policy and systems changes that improve the health of South Florida communities, with a focus on vulnerable, low to moderate-income populations. Established in 1993, the foundation has awarded more than $131 million to nonprofits that provide programs and services in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. For more information, visit www.hfsf.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthSFL.
