Building Healthier Communities Award

Growing an appreciation for the culture of health care quality in Minnesota

As a nonprofit organization guided by an independent community-based board of directors, Stratis Health is committed to being a responsible and engaged community member. The Stratis Health Board of Directors has dedicated a portion of our reserves to activities that that will help grow a culture of improvement in health care. Our goal in this new community benefit program is to serve as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation by funding initiatives that can help build a culture of health care quality in our community, and through which Stratis Health can leave an ever growing program legacy.

Nominations for the award are made by Stratis Health Board or staff members. Award nominees must align with Stratis Health's mission and vision, advance Stratis Health's work and relationships, benefit the community, and focus on Minnesota.

Past recipients

CardioVision 2020. The award provides CardioVision 2020 funding to establish and update Web-based community education, awareness building, and social networking "heart healthy" resources for Olmsted County, Minnesota, with the secondary purpose of serving as a model and resource for other communities across Minnesota to implement similar locally-based health and prevention programs. CardioVision 2020 aims to reduce cardiovascular disease burden in Olmsted County to the lowest levels in the US by 2020, by promoting healthy lifestyle habits as well as appropriate therapies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Through this award, Stratis Health joins with other community partners-Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Minnesota, and others in Olmsted County community partners-that support CardioVision 2020. (March 2009)

Evidence to Practice Program. Winona State University, in partnership with Benedictine Health System (BHS), will use its award to support the Evidence to Practice program, adding to the quality and best practices knowledge for long-term care facilities that is available through an online information clearinghouse. Stratis Health will help shape the content and promote the resource statewide. (July 2008)

Institute for Nursing Quality. The goal of this institute is to serve as a resource for practicing nurses to more fully understand quality improvement concepts. The institute plans to provide further education and resources via a Web site, newsletter, and a bibliography with timely updated nursing improvement resources. (October 2007)

Minnesota Diabetes Collaborative. The award provided a matching grant to develop and disseminate "Control Your Diabetes for Life," low literacy patient education materials. This project will promote consistent patient education diabetes messages across settings aimed at people with limited language skills and those who prefer visual instruction aids. (July 2008)

Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership. This new coalition of health care consumers and literacy groups, together with the state’s health and social service agencies and provider organizations, to educate providers and consumers about health literacy. With the Building Healthier Communities award, the partnership plans to work statewide to provide a greater awareness of health literacy—both with health care consumers and providers. (October 2007)

Perham Memorial Hospital and Home. Since implementing a household model of care to improve the lives of those living and working in nursing homes, Perham Memorial Hospital and Home has fielded numerous requests from nursing homes and other long term care stakeholders wanting to emulate its success. The organization will use its award to create innovative approaches to sharing information about its experiences with others. Stratis Health's nursing home and culture change experts will assist with the project. (July 2008)

Results

The first recipients of Stratis Health’s Building Healthier Communities award in October 2007 have reported back the achievements they’ve made with their award funds.

Institute for Nursing Quality. This nascent institute moved from a concept to an advisory council of nursing educators, nurse executives, and staff nurses who laid out a two-phase work plan for which it will seek funding:

• Conduct an environmental assessment of available evidence-based nursing practices on the topics of pressure ulcers, depression, and care coordination
• Build capacity for nursing leadership in the areas of quality and evidence-based practice by advancing research projects that have direct and immediate implications for nursing practice
  

Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership. This coalition of individuals and organization striving to educate providers and consumers about health literacy used its award funds to develop:

• Health literacy training package for health care providers
• Health literacy training program for consumers
• Identity and governance structure for the organization