status: Past Project

Andover and North Andover Joint Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

HRiA engaged the towns of Andover and North Andover in a joint CHA and CHIP process for their communities. While each community ended up with its own CHIP, the assessment and planning process emphasized identification of shared priorities and strategies to build on the existing close relationship between the two towns. The process was guided… Read more »

Partnership Best Practices to Address Health-Related Social Needs

In 2020, MassHealth (a combined agency of the Massachusetts Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program) launched the Flexible Services Program (FSP), a three-year initiative to pilot evidence-based approaches that address a member’s social needs around food insecurity, housing instability, and homelessness. The goal of the FSP is to address the health-related social needs of MassHealth… Read more »

Fight All Flavors – Massachusetts Flavored Tobacco Campaign

In July 2019, HRiA received funding from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to build grassroots understanding of the impact of flavored tobacco products on young people and the impact of menthol tobacco products on communities in Massachusetts, in particular on Black, Latinx and LGBTQ. This resulting campaign helped Massachusetts to become the first state in… Read more »

Community Health Improvement Project in Bowdoin Geneva

Funds were made available to support innovative, small scale Community Health Improvement (CHI) projects in the Bowdoin Geneva community. Funding for this opportunity comes from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Community Benefits Program and Determination of Need Community Health Initiatives, which are overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This RFP was designed to… Read more »

Local qualitative health needs assessment on substance abuse prevention and response/opioid misuse prevention assessment

St. Mary’s County, Maryland has been transitioning from a predominantly rural and agrarian community to one that also includes higher-income residents affiliated with a local naval air base. With a 22% increase in population over the previous 10 years (2005-2015), St. Mary’s County has seen many changes in its community. It is with this lens… Read more »

Massachusetts State Health Assessment of 2017

Working with North Passage Associates, HRiA co-led the development of the Massachusetts State Health Assessment report for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 2017. The State Health Assessment report is being used by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to secure accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board. HRiA supported the Massachusetts Department of… Read more »

Formative Assessment, Adaptation, and Evaluation of Breast and Cervical Health Curriculum of Foreign-Born Muslim Women in Massachusetts

The Women’s Health Network Care Coordination Program (CCP), a prevention and early detection program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), engaged HRiA to adapt an educational breast and cervical health curriculum, Helping You Take Care of Yourself, for the Muslim community in Massachusetts using an iterative community engagement process. This process was guided… Read more »

Strategic planning to support the employment of youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions

During a day–long summit facilitated by HRiA and staff from University of Massachusetts Medical School, representatives from multiple disability serving agencies in Delaware met to develop a strategic plan to improve the education and employment outcomes of youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. The planning session was based on a strengths, weaknesses,… Read more »

Advancing Health in South Texas Engagement Series

Methodist Health Ministries (MHM) was awarded the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award to implement this project. The goal was to improve the coordination of patient-centered research among four groups in the 20 counties in southern Texas: consumers, managed care organizations, academic institutions, and public health systems. These groups were chosen because of their robust research… Read more »

The New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation awarded HRiA a four-year Health Care Innovation Challenge grant to establish, develop, manage, and ongoingly improve the New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative (NEAIC). The goal of NEAIC was to improve asthma outcomes, quality of care, and health care costs of Medicaid and CHIP-enrolled children by advancing home-based asthma… Read more »

Project Here

Project Here is a public-private collaboration funded by the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and the GE Foundation to make substance use prevention education available to every public middle school in Massachusetts to promote social-emotional learning and empower students to make healthy decisions. To this end, Project Here provides every public middle school in… Read more »

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Strategic Implementation Plan

HRiA facilitated the pre-planning and development of the community benefit strategic implementation plan (SIP) for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), a partnership among Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and University of Washington Medicine to lead the world in translating scientific discovery into the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer. Working with local stakeholders, HRiA facilitated a… Read more »

Memorial Hermann Health System Strategic Implementation Plans

HRiA prepared thirteen community health needs assessments for Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS), the largest non-profit health care system in Southeast Texas.  Memorial Hermann’s 13 hospitals and numerous specialty programs and services serve the Greater Houston area, the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States. HRiA conducted two phases of work for each hospital:… Read more »

Evaluation of the Massachusetts Children at Play (MCAP) Initiative

Massachusetts Children at Play (MCAP) is part of a broad-based, statewide initiative to reduce childhood obesity and prevent its complications in childhood and, later, in adulthood. MCAP provides guidance for child care providers to create healthier child care environments across the state. The MCAP initiative began in 2010, and was co-sponsored by the MA Department… Read more »

St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children: Strategic Planning

HRiA facilitated a one-day, rapid strategic planning process for the St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children (Dorchester, MA) which offers innovative and family-centered programs for women and children who have experienced trauma and are living in poverty. The strategic planning process included participation from a wide variety of stakeholders from St. Mary’s staff and Board…. Read more »

Hartford Childhood Wellness Alliance: Strategic Planning

The Hartford Childhood Wellness Alliance is a group of community organizations, working across multiple sectors, to improve the overall health and well-being of children in the City of Hartford by promoting healthy eating and active living.  HRiA facilitated a half-day rapid planning retreat with Alliance members to refine key elements of their strategic framework, including… Read more »

Technical Assistance for Massachusetts Children at Play (MCAP)

Massachusetts Children at Play (MCAP) is part of a broad-based, statewide initiative to reduce childhood obesity and prevent its complications in childhood and, later, in adulthood. MCAP provides guidance for child care providers to create healthier child care environments across the state. HRiA provided technical assistance to help MCAP engage stakeholders and promote the program, with… Read more »

National Head Start Association Board Retreat Facilitation

In 2013, HRiA facilitated a two-day retreat for the National Head Start Association to reorient board members to the changing structure and vision of the organization, and to develop goals and strategies for: Board orientation and development (including board member expectations and competencies) Committee engagement, outreach, and expectations Governance structure State affiliate engagement Fundraising The… Read more »

Mayerson Center Strategic Plan and Implementation Support

The Mayerson Center (Cincinnati) is involved in strategic investments in the community, promoting the ability of primary care and specialty medical services to identify, address, and ameliorate toxic stress that affects children in the community. HRiA facilitated a rapid strategic planning process to engage diverse community leaders and stakeholders, including health care providers, in the development… Read more »

CDC’s Community Health Improvement Navigator

In collaboration with the National Network of Public Health Institutes, HRiA worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the development, use, and refinement of the Community Health Improvement Navigator, a technical assistance tool for hospitals, health care institutions, health departments, and community organizations to collaborate and align efforts for community health assessment,… Read more »

Worksite Wellness Council of MA

In June 2016, HRiA facilitated a “FAST,” rapid strategic planning process, for the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts. This statewide body is a membership organization that provides a range of resources and networking opportunities to help participating members cultivate and sustain a culture of health and wellness for employees and their families. The all-day planning… Read more »

The Drama Free Life teen pregnancy prevention campaign

Reaching a savvy teen audience requires an approach that feels authentic and creates a sense of “discovery” of the campaign and message rather than a prescriptive approach. As part of a CDC-funded multi-strategy initiative to reduce teen birth rates, HRiA developed a social marketing campaign targeting Latina and African-American youth in two communities in Western Massachusetts… Read more »

State Rehab Council (SRC) EOHHS Strategic Plan

Following an analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats (SWOT) gathered via an online survey, HRiA staff facilitated a day-long planning retreat with this constituent-based membership Council, which serves as an advisory body to the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), to update the strategic plan that was created four years prior. Themes… Read more »

St. David’s Medical Center Strategic Implementation Plan

HRiA was contracted to provide services for the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) process for The St. David’s Foundation. This included a regional SIP for the Foundation and four targeted SIPs for each of its member hospitals. The CHNA was data-led, evidence-based, and reflective of key community partnerships. The SIP… Read more »

Paso del Norte Health Foundation Regional Health Improvement Plan

In early 2012, HRiA completed a regional strategic planning process for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation in El Paso, Texas. This process involved three days of intensive planning in three cities and two countries served by the Foundation (El Paso, TX; Las Cruces, NM; and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico). In the facilitated, interactive sessions,… Read more »

Partnership for a Healthier New York City (PHNYC) Strategic Plan

HRiA worked with the Partnership for a Healthier New York City- a coalition of five New York boroughs- to develop goals, strategies, metrics and timelines for a sustainability plan upon conclusion of the Partnership’s CDC Community Transformation Grant funding. The plan explored options for reorganization, funding, and program redesign. This was done through an interactive, intensive,… Read more »

North Shore Community Health Network (NSCHN) Organizational Assessment and Development

HRiA worked with the Steering Committee of the North Shore Community Health Network to identify structure, roles, decision-making authority and membership engagement to support a three-year strategic plan. The process included key informant interviews and facilitated discussions to inform and guide a revised structure, position descriptions, and decision-making and accountability at all levels.

New Hampshire State Oral Health Plan

HRiA contracted with the HNH Foundation, Endowment for Health, and Northeast Delta Dental to facilitate the development of a statewide Oral Health Plan for New Hampshire, the state’s first in more than a decade. Working with the funders and a core group of oral health stakeholders that comprised a 13-member Planning Committee, HRiA analyzed key documents, interviewed over… Read more »

Mercer County CHIP

HRiA facilitated a complex multi-sector, multi-stakeholder process in Mercer County, New Jersey, to develop the Greater Mercer Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) in 2012.  The Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership (GMPHP) developed with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The GMPHP is comprised of 14 nonprofit organizations. This includes 4 hospitals (Capital Health Medical… Read more »

Massachusetts State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

HRiA facilitated the State Health Improvement Planning (SHIP) process for Massachusetts which included formation of an Advisory Committee, a SHIP Planning Coalition, and an update of the existing State Health Assessment (SHA). The Massachusetts State Health Improvement Planning Coalition, a body of 65 representatives from diverse local, regional, and statewide entities whose policies and activities… Read more »

Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Services (MCPHS) Strategic Planning & Organizational Development

HRiA worked with the Massachusetts School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Physician Assistant Studies to help cultivate leadership among three distinct campuses (two in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire). With HRiA as the facilitator, the school sought to focus on building a shared context for organizational development and growth; learning about each other… Read more »

Connecticut State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)

HRiA completed a 22-month statewide assessment and planning process as the contracting organization for the Connecticut Department of Public Health on their State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), titled Healthy Connecticut 2020.  For the assessment, HRiA worked with hospitals, local health departments, professional associations, and community groups around the state to… Read more »

HRiA and Allegheny County Health Dept, Allegheny County, PA

Allegheny County Health Department, Allegheny County, PA, Organizational Assessment and Development, Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Development, and Strategic Planning HRiA worked with the new Director of Public Health to assess organizational structures, roles, and competencies; outline a plan for developing executive and management level leadership teams; define and recruit deputy positions; and provide leadership… Read more »

Community Investment Tax Credit Health Impact Assessment (CITC HIA)

Health Resources in Action, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to inform the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as it developed a new funding opportunity for community development corporations (CDCs): the Community Investment Tax Credit Grant… Read more »

Health Care Reform in MA: A Case Study

In May 2013, Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of the Associate Director for Policy commissioned the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) to develop a case study of Chapter 58, the health reform law in Massachusetts that transformed the state’s health insurance landscape, expanded public programs, and impacted the public’s health through… Read more »

Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Health Impact Assessment

Health Resources in Action conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) on Massachusetts House Bill 4026, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights (BoR). This legislation, introduced in January 2013, would amend state labor law to guarantee domestic workers (including, but not limited to, nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers) basic work standards and protections…. Read more »

Healthy Communities Approach to Increase Pedestrian Safety

The Safe States Alliance (SSA) is a national non-profit organization and professional association whose mission is to strengthen the practice of injury and violence prevention at the state and community level. HRiA was funded by the SSA to provide a unique, extended training program for four statewide multi-sector Action Teams. These teams were to maximize… Read more »

Bexar County Community Health Assessment

HRiA completed the Bexar County Community Health Assessment over a 14-month period – working with the Health Collaborative of Bexar County, TX in 2013. This was the second assessment and planning project that HRiA has conducted for The Health Collaborative (first project in 2010). This collaborative entity includes seven area hospitals and the San Antonio… Read more »

Greater Mercer Community Health Assessment

HRiA worked with the Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership (GMPHP) to conduct a community health assessment and community health improvement plan in Mercer County, NJ. The GMPHP is a collaborative of four hospitals, eight health departments, and the United Way, with a 60+ member Community Advisory Board. Using a participatory approach and guided by the… Read more »

Connecticut State Health Assessment

HRiA led the Connecticut State health assessment and and health improvement planning process for the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The project was entitled Healthy Connecticut 2020. For the assessment, HRiA worked with hospitals, health departments, professional associations, and community groups across the state to gather and analyze data on a range of health issues… Read more »