Although there is now national consensus on community health worker (CHW) core roles and skills, and health care reform has led to the recognition of community health workers’ role in improving health outcomes and reducing costs, most CHWs in the Commonwealth are not paid living wages. This key finding of a report commissioned by the… Read more »
Sixty years after our founding, Health Resources in Action continues to carry out its original mission to support medical research and health education – albeit in terms and approaches that continue to evolve with the times. HRiA was originally founded in 1957 as “The Medical Foundation of Metropolitan Boston” by founding partners including the Massachusetts… Read more »
Recently we wrote about the changing health care landscape brought on by multiple factors, including payment reform and provisions of the Affordable Care Act and IRS regulations. Until a few years ago, hospitals and health systems had been charged with monitoring and improving the health outcomes of their patients, as measured by disease rates, morbidity,… Read more »
In our daily work with young people, we know that youth today are concerned with everything from college admissions to climate change, and prom dates to politics – but where does public health and tobacco prevention fit into their world view? For those youth involved in The 84 Movement, advocating for healthier communities and policy… Read more »
Boston Medical Center is embarking on a groundbreaking four-year initiative to increase housing stability in Boston in partnership with multiple organizations and agencies throughout Boston, including Health Resources in Action, the Boston Alliance for Community Health (BACH), and the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service (CCHERS). Recognizing that stable housing is a significant… Read more »
The Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, along with the GE Foundation, HRiA, Epicenter Experience, and The Herren Project, launched the website and registration for Project Here on October 30. The public-private initiative will provide educational resources to schools to protect young people from substance use and address the opioid epidemic. HRiA serves as fiscal… Read more »
This summer, HRiA became the fiscal home for the Massachusetts Alliance of Community Health Workers (MACHW). HRiA is pleased to support the important work of Community Health Workers and a mission that aligns with our own, and welcomes Lisette Blondet. Over its 17-year history, MACHW has advocated for policies and programs that promote best practices… Read more »
HRiA was awarded a contract with the State of Illinois to run their Opioid Assistance and Recovery Services (OARS) Hotline – the first of its kind in the state. Like the rest of the country, Illinois has experienced an upward trend in opioid-related emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and overdose deaths, while administration of naloxone… Read more »
Health Resources in Action has received a five-year, $1.25 million Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand its LEAH STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education program for Boston and Cambridge public high school students. Health Resources in Action (HRiA), in… Read more »
To say it is a pivotal time for health care in the United States is no overstatement. An emphasis on the triple aim of improving population health and quality of care while reducing health care costs is bringing about a paradigm shift in health care and public health spheres. To meet this demand, it is… Read more »
Several years ago, I attended a meeting about providing home visitors and other supports to young parents and their children. During the break, the charismatic leader of a wonderful program talked to me about her frustrations: Her staff spent their days with the young families screening for problems like domestic violence, depression, drug and alcohol… Read more »
In the last few years, striking data visualizations have demonstrated what many already knew: The places where people live, work, learn, play, and pray impact the health of communities. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities states that when it comes to… Read more »
Spending even a moment watching the news, scanning social media, or reading a newspaper will reveal a new story about the potential policy and budgetary directions of public health and health care. It is an uncertain time and even more essential now for organizations committed to population health to be innovative, flexible, and nimble while… Read more »
PCORI is seeking Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for Tier A projects through their Pipeline to Proposal (P2P) Awards Initiative. This program supports the development of research ideas and proposals designed by partnerships of patients, caregivers, and other healthcare stakeholders. The deadline for submitting a letter of inquiry is Thursday, April 20, 2017. Full details are available… Read more »
Public health professionals have long understood that controlling health care costs is largely dependent on improving the health of communities. Healthcare organizations, while supporting the principle that community health improvement is good for society, have played less of a role in addressing issues that impact the public’s health. There are many reasons for this, including… Read more »
Organizations and community partnerships know strategic planning is critical to better performance, engagement, and quality improvement. Yet many face the reality that planning is time consuming and costly. HRiA’s FAST approach to Facilitating Alignment and Strategic Thinking builds consensus, uses data to inform collective action, and aligns efforts to maximize impact. FAST is an intensive… Read more »
In June 2016, HRiA facilitated a FAST rapid strategic planning process for the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA). WWCMA is a membership organization offering resources and networking opportunities to help members cultivate and sustain a culture of health and wellness for employees and their families across Massachusetts. HRiA worked with the WWCMA board to… Read more »
“It’s the job of public health to tell the truth about what creates health.” Conference keynote speaker, Jeanne Ayers, the Chief Health Equity Strategist for the Minnesota Department of Health inspired the room full of professionals. On December 8, 2016, over 100 people came together at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston for an important… Read more »
I am thrilled that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced yesterday that it is requiring all public housing in the country to be smoke-free within 18 months. The rule prohibits lit tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, or pipes) in all living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices, and all outdoor areas within 25… Read more »
OK, it may not exactly have the drama of a Red Sox game or the glamour of the Emmys, but scientific peer review does have a charm all its own. Fall is always a busy season for The Medical Foundation (TMF) at HRiA: it seems like every week this fall we convened a scientific review… Read more »
There are stark gaps in life expectancy, disease incidence, and health status among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. While social determinants of health play an undeniably large role in both race and class discrepancies, HRiA’s new Policy & Practice Report explores another contributing factor. Developing a Racially Diverse Biomedical Research Workforce… Read more »
Health Resources in Action’s Asthma Regional Council (ARC) has been awarded the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative project. ARC was one of only four awardees nationally. ARC established the New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative (NEAIC) in 2012 with a Centers for… Read more »
HRiA has recently engaged in two new projects with young people related to the opioid crisis striking the state. Peer Leadership Preventing Substance Abuse Justice Resource Institute has hired Health Resources in Action to train youth in the Peer Leadership Preventing Substance Abuse curricula. The youth will be coming from five of JRI’s youth group… Read more »
Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a national leader in public health consulting services and medical research, announced today that Steven Ridini, Ed.D., has been appointed as its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2016. Dr. Ridini’s selection and appointment follow an extensive national search. He succeeds Ray Considine, HRiA’s former President and… Read more »
What is health equity? How is it different from health disparities? Health equity is attainment of the highest level of health for all people – valuing everyone equally by focusing on societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities. Health disparities are differences in… Read more »
Does this sound familiar? You walk into your organization’s onsite cafeteria and the first thing you see is the daily special. It’s a Giant Spicy Beef Burrito topped with Monterey Jack Cheese and served with chips and a medium drink for $5.99. As a member of your wellness committee you think about the recent results… Read more »
Men Scientists Received More Than Twice the Startup Funding of Women A study by Health Resources in Action’s Medical Foundation published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that women received significantly less financial support from biomedical research institutions than men early in their careers. The study, focused on a group… Read more »
Despite its proven effectiveness at promoting oral health in a safe, cost-effective, and equitable manner, water fluoridation cannot win on its scientific merits alone. Unfounded claims and half-truths promoted by a very small but vocal, well-organized minority opposed to water fluoridation have prompted a longstanding, heated political discourse. Health Resources in Action (HRiA) has piloted… Read more »
In evaluation efforts, Health Resources in Action (HRiA) employs a vigorous scientific approach while also building the capacity of organizations to integrate evaluation into their work. This is true for HRiA’s newest project, a $2.75 million evaluation of SÍ Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas. SÍ Texas, based in San Antonio, is sponsored by the… Read more »
Since 1996, HRiA has operated the Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline, providing free and confidential information and referrals for alcohol and other drug abuse problems. The Helpline is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, and is staffed by experienced, certified Information and Referral Specialists with access… Read more »