The grant abstract summary information shown below was originally provided by the applicant. However, HRSA has edited it to remove any phone numbers and email addresses that were included. The summary you see is from the most recent submission.
Project Name: Supporting Healthy Start Performance Project (UF5)
Applicant Title: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CHILDRENS HEALTH QUALITY INC
Abstract Text: • Address: 308 Congress St, Fl 5, Boston, MA 02210 • Project Director: Kenn Harris • Phone Numbers: xxx-xxx-xxxx (voice), xxx-xxx-xxxx (fax) • Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx • Website: www.nichq.org • List all grant program funds requested in the application: $17,500,000 over 5 years The US faces unacceptably high rates of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, especially among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. To address the social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) fueling these poor outcomes, communities need responsive, direct, and enabling services that facilitate access to quality health care and community services. Three HRSA-funded programs: Healthy Start (HS), Healthy Start Enhanced (HSE), and Catalyst for Infant Health Equity (Catalyst) work to address this need, however these programs’ grantees require support to enhance and strengthen their service delivery; equip them to address the SDOH impacting their communities; and bolster their capacity to collaborate with partners to cultivate robust systems of community care. The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) will lead the Supporting Healthy Start Performance Project (SHSPP) to deliver training and technical assistance (TA) to HS, HSE, and Catalyst grantees to support them in eliminating maternal and infant health disparities in their communities. Central to our approach and woven throughout all activities are our core values: authentic engagement, community-rooted partnerships, creativity and innovation, data to action. Importantly, we will utilize a SDOH-centered approach, to develop and deliver innovative training and TA to HS, HSE, Catalyst grantees. Specifically, through the SHSPP Technical Assistance and Support Center (TASC) will: • Gather input from grantees, HS consumers, HRSA, and experts to ensure that TASC support is relevant to and reflective of the community’s needs, support the uptake of evidence-based strategies, and target the SDOH driving poor outcomes; • Identify the best mechanisms to fulfill grantees’ needs from various innovative TA and training structures including both individualized TA (e.g., consultation with a subject matter expert) and group opportunities (e.g., workshops, webinars, Communities of Practice, mentorship program); • Develop and implement TA and training offerings in partnership with grantees, consortium member(s), subject matter experts, or partner organizations. Among the many anticipated offering topics are preventive screening services and prenatal care, recruitment and retention of HS/HSE participants, and the CAREWare data system; • Lift up and disseminate information about TASC offerings and grantees’ successes through various channels for grantees and external parties (including via the Healthy Start website, social media, and conferences); • Design and host convenings of grant recipients including Annual Grantee Meetings, Regional Meetings and Conversations with the Division; • Coordinate field-building activities to elevate the work being done by grantees and HRSA, and promote alignment and synergy between the HS, HSE, and Catalyst communities and the broader maternal and child health field; • Support and attend grantee site visits NICHQ will work closely with a Community-based Consortium whose membership will represent a breadth and depth of diversity in terms of race, ethnicity and geography, as well as program expertise such as lived experience, group-based education, fatherhood, breastfeeding, QI, research, and evaluation. The Consortium will advise on TA and training offerings; provide input on resources and tools for grantees; and suggest content for meetings. A program evaluation will focus on evaluating methods to facilitate continuous cycles of improvement and assessing how to enhance success throughout the project; and a performance outcomes evaluation will focus on the extent to which project objectives and process measures are met.