Center for Community Health and Evaluation
The Center for Community Health and Evaluation (CCHE) designs and evaluates health-related programs and initiatives throughout the United States. Much of CCHE's experience comes from its evaluation of multi-site community-level interventions with an emphasis on implementation and outcomes. Formerly the evaluation team of the Group Health Community Foundation, CCHE is now part of the Group Health Research Institute.
CCHE specializes in matching evaluation strategies to the needs of stakeholders, including the community, program staff, clinicians, and policy-makers. Highly interdisciplinary, CCHE has designed health promotion interventions, evaluated both large and small health-related initiatives, organized national conferences, and published widely.
Recent CCHE work has focused on chronic disease prevention and assessment of sustained, broad-based community participation. Clients include foundations, local, state and federal government agencies, national voluntary organizations, universities, and community-based nonprofits.
CCHE News
CCHE will evaluate Kentucky Social Innovation Fund grant
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky was one of 11 organizations nationwide awarded a federal Social Innovation Fund grant from the Corporation for National & Community Service. The award will support the Foundation’s Kentucky Healthy Futures Initiative (KHFI), which builds on its Local Data for Local Action initiative. The Foundation will provide grants to organizations in 6–10 low-income communities in Kentucky to improve access to needed health services, reduce health risks and disparities, and promote health equity. These grantees will test innovative strategies to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, curb smoking and other unhealthy habits, and increase access to health services. CCHE will be evaluating the overall success of the KHFI and will be working with the grantees to develop rigorous evaluation plans to assess the impact of their individual efforts. For more information about the Social Innovation Fund, see www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/
innovation_grantees_2010.asp.
CCHE is evaluating $25.5 million Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative in King County
In spring 2010, Public Health–Seattle & King County (PHSKC) was awarded two highly competitive federal grants as part of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW). CPPW supports policy, systems, and environmental changes that reduce obesity and tobacco use, the main contributors to premature illness, death, and health care costs locally and nationally. PHSKC has awarded nearly $9 million to local nonprofit and government organizations to improve nutrition and physical activity and reduce tobacco use and exposure. Examples of projects are ensuring access to fresh fruits and vegetables at corner stores, establishing bike paths and sidewalks, and implementing smoke-free parks policies.
CCHE is evaluating the initiative with PHSKC’s Assessment, Policy, Development, and Evaluation unit. CCHE is responsible for convening the CPPW evaluation team, evaluating the functioning of the CPPW partnerships, assessing environmental and policy changes that result from 20 of the individual projects, and determining the cumulative impact of the CPPW interventions. For more information about King County’s CCPW initiative, go to www.kingcounty.gov/health/
cppw.
Bekemeier B, Jones M. Relationships between local public health agency functions and agency leadership and staffing: a look at nurses. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2010;16(2):E8-16. PubMed
Hsu C, Bluespruce J, Sherman K, Cherkin D. Unanticipated benefits of CAM therapies for back pain: an exploration of patient experiences. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(2):157-63. PubMed
Jones M, Hsu C, Pearson D, Wolford D, Labby D. An alternative to pay-for-performance: one health plan's approach to quality improvement. J Healthc Qual. 2010 Jun 22. [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract
Paige S, Jones M, D'Ambrosio L, Taylor W, Bonne D, Loehr M, Stergachis A. Strengthening community partnerships with local public health through regional pandemic influenza exercises. Public Health Rep. 2010;125(3):488-93. PubMed
Reid RJ, Coleman K, Johnson EA, Fishman PA, Hsu C, Soman MP, Trescott CE, Erikson M, Larson EB. The Group Health medical home at year two: cost savings, higher patient satisfaction, and less burnout for providers. Health Aff (Millwood). 2010;29(5):835-43. PubMed