Posts Tagged ‘Allina Health Systems’
Evaluation & Learning
Understanding and sharing our results is a critical component of the BYI. The BYI created an evaluation team that consists of contracted evaluators, the CWC and an evaluation community fellow team to provide objective evaluation for the Backyard”'s resident engagement activities. The Evaluation team worked with the Community”'s Commission to develop a strength-based approach to monitoring and evaluating CHAT health promotion projects. The majority of the work has focused on helping residents develop their own tools for collecting information and understanding their work. A year-end template was developed in conjunction with the Assessment Team and Commission to allow CHATs to report their progress and challenges. The evaluation team also completed a review of several hundred articles in the fields of community building and mobilization for health promotion. The review demonstrated that the BYI is unique among national health improvement projects because in the BYI, the [...]
Engagement with Organizations
Under the leadership of Hope Community, the BYI organizational team implemented a plan to research the interests and needs of community organizations in the Backyard area. Hope Community held one to one interviews and listening circles with 34 organizational leaders representing 31 organizations to provide an update about the BYI and hear their issues. Several key themes emerged: Support for the BYI definition of health and its focus on social connectedness as an important strategy to improve health. Organizations feel “silo- d” and isolated as immediate demands and inadequate funding make it difficult to take on new projects. Organizations are overwhelmingly interested in continuing to be involved in the work of the BYI if it is productive and action-focused. In response to resident”'s request for better understanding of available resources from organizations, the first ever comprehensive inventory of non-profits in the Backyard was completed. The [...]
Health Care Access
The BYI partners with Portico Healthnet, an organization that assists uninsured Minnesotans access affordable health care and coverage. Portico works to improve community health by enrolling uninsured individuals into Minnesota Care, Medical Assistance and other public programs. Those who are ineligible for public programs are enrolled in the Portico Coverage program. A full-time English-Spanish speaking Community Health Worker is stationed at Andersen Community School in the Backyard to facilitate access to Portico services. In 2011, 436 residents accessed health insurance through public programs. An additional 116 residents were able to access primary and preventive care services through the Portico coverage program. Due to a partnership between Portico and the BYI, Backyard residents have immediate access to the coverage program. There is typically an 18 month wait period for the program.
