Prevention

The hallmark of the Academy’s work in prevention in New York City and across New York State is bringing policy to practice. We do this by working across sectors that impact health—from housing, transportation, education, and economic development, to health care and public health. The Academy plays an instrumental role in obesity prevention and health care reform initiatives, from the DASH-NY obesity prevention policy center and coalition to Prevention Agenda implementation and the New York State Department of Health Population Health Improvement Program (PHIP).

DASH-NY – Convening Partners to Reduce Obesity and Chronic Disease

The Academy houses DASH-NY, New York State’s obesity prevention policy center and coalition funded by the New York State Department of Health. DASH-NY focuses on policy, systems, and environmental changes that will lead to equitable community environments where healthy eating, active living, and access to preventive health care services are a reality for all New Yorkers. To this end, DASH-NY convenes more than 100 partners from multiple sectors, like transportation, agriculture, economic development, planning, education, academia, health care, and more, to develop sustainable, cross-cutting strategies for reducing the burden of obesity and chronic disease in New York’s communities. DASH-NY includes a multi-sector coalition, steering committee, and five topical workgroups. DASH-NY’s second annual Coalition Conference in Rochester in March brought together more than 100 partners from across the state to share strategies for the long-term success of healthy eating and active living initiatives.

Advancing Prevention Across New York State

The Academy was a founding partner in the development of the New York State Prevention Agenda 2013-2017, the state’s innovative blueprint for mobilizing public and private sector resources toward improving population health and reducing health disparities. In 2014, with support from the New York State Health Foundation, the Academy launched the Advancing Prevention Project to support local-level implementation of the Prevention Agenda. The project offers technical assistance to local health departments in 57 counties and hospitals around the state to help build their capacity to implement actionable Prevention Agenda plans. The Academy is providing the health departments with a mix of learning opportunities, including technical assistance, learning collaboratives around commonly chosen intervention categories, and trainings that address widely-held questions and challenges of the local health departments.

Community Health Needs Assessments

A cross-departmental group of policy and research staff at the Academy worked with performing provider systems (PPSs) across New York City to conduct comprehensive community needs assessments to help guide the selection of evidence-based system transformation projects to support the Triple Aim of improved care, reduced costs, and improved health for all. Required as part of New York State’s Medicaid Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, The Academy conducted this work for seven PPSs in Brooklyn, four in the Bronx, and supported primary data collection activities on behalf of three PPSs in Queens and two in Manhattan, including the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation. To accomplish this work, the Academy conducted more than 50 key informant interviews, held more than 60 focus groups, and collected more than 2,000 community resident surveys in nine languages, in addition to analyzing more than 70 existing data sets and producing nearly 200 unique maps to elucidate the community’s health status and needs.

New York State Population Health Improvement Program

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) Population Health Improvement Program (PHIP) award for NYC went to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in partnership with the Academy and United Hospital Fund. The goal of the PHIP is to promote the “Triple Aim” of better care, better population health, and lower health care costs. The DOH selected the PHIP contractors, which will convene meetings of local stakeholders and provide a neutral forum for identifying, sharing, disseminating, and helping to implement best practices and strategies to promote better health outcomes, reduce disparities, and strengthen primary care across the five boroughs.

National Quality Forum Action Guide

The National Quality Forum (NQF) selected DASH-NY as one of ten groups to field test the NQF Action Guide 1.0, a handbook designed to assist groups working together to improve health across a population, at the local, regional, state, or national level. The Guide, which was developed by an NQF-convened, multi-stakeholder committee and the public, is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to stimulate effective collaboration to improve the nation’s health.