Bellin Health’s Live Algoma Coalition Named IHI SCALE Awardee
Selected as a pacesetter community to join national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation aimed at accelerating the improvement of health and well-being
Algoma, Wis. — The Live Algoma Coalition, a partnership between Bellin Health, the Algoma School District, community agencies and local employers and government, today announced it has been named a final awardee and will receive funding from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to support promising community-based work on health improvement. The grant is part of the Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation (SCALE) initiative.
Made possible by a $4.8 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SCALE is led by IHI, Community Solutions, Communities Joined in Action, and the Collaborative Health Network. The initiative will help communities further their capability to improve the health of targeted populations and develop ways to share and spread community-driven approaches across the country.
SCALE is designed to jumpstart an unprecedented community-to-community learning system right out of the gate in that the initiative matches four “mentor communities” — those with a recent track record of achieving better health — with 20 “pacesetter communities” seeking to accelerate their pace of change. The Live Algoma Coalition has been named a pacesetter community and will use its grant funds to further the work of Live Healthy, Live Well, Live Algoma, a comprehensive initiative designed to improve the overall health of the community and address workforce wellness needs.
“After reviewing hundreds of impressive applications, we are pleased to welcome these 24 communities to the SCALE initiative and to bring them together to deepen their ability to create effective improvement and to generously share what’s currently working in various locales,” stated Soma Stout, MD, MS, Principal Innovator in SCALE, and Executive External Lead, Health Improvement, IHI.
“Bellin Health is proud to be part of the Live Algoma Coalition, and we are so pleased to receive the pacesetter grant funds to further our Live Healthy, Live Well, Live Algoma initiative,” said Pete Knox, Bellin Health executive vice president. “The Live Algoma framework shows the power of collaboration in creating a true sustainable community model — and this is only the beginning. We are eager to learn from the SCALE mentor communities and use these funds to move this exciting program forward.”
SCALE communities will seek to obtain improved health outcomes, spread effective best practices as quickly as possible in order to realize improvements in health, and become beacons and resources for any community, anywhere, striving to obtain the best health possible – especially those communities most vulnerable to poor health due to poverty, violence, or lack of social supports. The initiative will tap into the expertise of Abraham H. Wandersman, PhD, from the University of South Carolina, who will lead a team of experts in formative evaluation across institutions.
SCALE marks the first community-based program of the recently announced global initiative, 100 Million Healthier Lives, led by IHI and 140 founding partners. Through unprecedented collaboration, this initiative aims to achieve an audacious goal: 100 million people living healthier lives by 2020. To date, nearly 500 patients, community members, leaders, organizations, and implementers across the domains of public health, community health, health care, policy, academia, business, and financing have joined the 100 Million Healthier Lives initiative, with additional members welcome to join here.
About the Live Algoma Coalition
The Live Algoma Coalition is a partnership of Bellin Health, the Algoma School District, community agencies and local government and employers, including Precision Machine, Inc. It is the driving force behind Live Healthy, Live Well, Live Algoma, a comprehensive initiative designed to improve the overall health of the community and address workforce wellness needs.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.
About the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
IHI is a leading innovator in health and health care improvement worldwide. For more than 25 years, we have partnered with visionaries, leaders, and front-line practitioners around the globe to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. Recognized as an innovator, convener, trustworthy partner, and driver of results, we are the first place to turn for expertise, help, and encouragement for anyone, anywhere who wants to change health and health care profoundly for the better. To advance our mission, IHI’s work is focused in five key areas: Improvement Capability; Person- and Family-Centered Care; Patient Safety; Quality, Cost, and Value; and Triple Aim for Populations. Learn more at ihi.org.
About Community Solutions
Community Solutions is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that helps communities solve the complex problems facing their most vulnerable, hard hit members. We work from eight locations to assist communities throughout the United States and internationally. http://cmtysolutions.org/
About Communities Joined in Action
Communities Joined in Action (CJA) is a private, non-profit membership organization of nearly 200 community health collaboratives – each of our members being committed to improving health, improving access, and eliminating disparities in their communities. Our mission is to mobilize and assist these community health collaboratives to assure better health for all people at less cost. http://cjaonline.net
About Collaborative Health Network
Collaborative Health Network is a vibrant network that connects diverse stakeholders and trusted groups who are working to improve community health and healthcare, especially those taking a multi-sector, collaborative approach. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and led by the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), the Collaborative Health Network is designed to accelerate the adoption of what is working locally, and to identify the next generation of challenges. http://www.nrhi.org/collaborative-health-network