DC Health Matters Collaborative
2019 Community Health Improvement Plan
Progress Tracker
In the 2019-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), the DC Health Matters Collaborative will address nine strategies through system change “sprints” and an ongoing policy agenda. We have shifted the way we approach the community health improvement plan (CHIP). In the prior CHIP cycles, we worked in priority area work groups for three years to address the issues identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This time, we will meld the frameworks of Scrum and Collective Impact to increase stakeholder engagement and allow flexibility. Scrum, borrowed from the field of software development, is a framework within which we can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value. Important components of Scrum, are sprints, or short, time-bound projects that the entire collaborative works on together at the same time. Here you can track our progress for each sprint.
Sprint 1 Overview: DC Health Matters Connect
The goal of this sprint is to educate stakeholders on the use and benefit of DC Health Matters Connect, an online directory to search and connect with social service programs. Connect is a free online tool for healthcare providers, residents, social workers, school counselors, and anyone else that directly connects people to social services through referrals and closed-loop communication. In this tool you can search for thousands of free or low-cost resources by ZIP code. This sprint is our response to the need for better care coordination, identified in the CHNA. Below is a snapshot of our progress throughout the sprint.
Sprint 2 Overview: Health Literacy
The goal of this sprint is to collaborate with community stakeholders, including faith-based health ministers, to expand health education efforts within communities with greatest health disparities. This sprint is our response to the need for data on health literacy, identified in the CHNA. Below is a snapshot of our progress throughout the sprint.
Sprint 3 Overview: Mental Health
The goal of this sprint is to educate policymakers on the mental/behavioral health system and services in DC and its impact on the community. This sprint is our response to the need for improved access to mental health services and a better understanding of the system, identified in the CHNA. Below is a snapshot of our progress throughout the sprint.
Sprint 4 Overview: Mental Health
The goal of this sprint is to improve both DC Council Offices’ and the community’s understanding of the pervasiveness of behavioral health needs in DC, the importance of integrating behavioral health services into non-traditional spaces (like schools, primary care clinics, homeless services), the need for workforce expansion, and the value of interagency collaboration. Through a series of listening sessions and roundtable discussions, we hope to bring key players together on these topics and, ultimately, advocate for ways to increase access to care. View the summary here.
