We wanted to let you, our partners, know about their upcoming event to kickoff a series of conversations about reforming health care. You can Register Here.

This guest blog post was written by Rosie Gallant, Program Manager at reSET.

Connecticut communities are facing some really tough healthcare challenges: access, quality, and equity – just to name a few. Our healthcare system is deeply entrenched; there is opportunity for innovation in patient engagement, information technology, and increasing access to under served communities.

Could some unusual suspects shake out some unusual solutions?

Entrepreneurs have an important role to play in developing solutions to social problems. reSET is an organization that is committed to helping entrepreneurs leverage the power of the free market to create public good. Overcoming our healthcare crisis will take a village; reSET aims to help social entrepreneurs engage with the issues, and develop business models for change through our upcoming Social Enterprise Design Lab: Healthy Communities.

Our Design Lab is meant to spark ideas through a community conversation. The Lab kicks off on May 28^th, with a free screening of the documentary, Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare at the Connecticut Science Center.

At this event, engaged members of both the business and health care communities will connect, learn, and join in discussion. While the film raises important issues that concern us all, it doesn’t leave us with a feeling of hopelessness — it inspires us to change the conversation from problem to solution.

About the Event

This event is totally free and open to all. It’s an opportunity to connect and to be a part of the conversation. Please register here.

Following the film, reSET will facilitate a community conversation to spark ideas and cultivate innovation.

The Escape Fire Kick-Off is only the beginning…..

reSET’s Social Enterprise Design Lab is a series of events in which  healthcare professionals, community organizations, and established or aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to connect and work together to improve our healthcare system through business. Guest speakers will highlight the role of entrepreneurship in the current state of our healthcare system through discussion on the major trends, challenges, and market entry points. The following workshops are just a few events we have planned for this summer;

• Creating Access: June 4^th  A workshop to explore how health focused community organizations are developing business models to both serve and engage CT residents.
• Developing Leadership in Health Care Quality & Equity: Dates TBD This roundtable discussion will feature a conversation on health equity.
• Food for Thought: June 11^th A workshop to highlight how regional food distribution, nutrition, and community health interact and how entrepreneurs can play an important role.
• Innovator Forum: Dates TBD A series of roundtable discussions for health and wellness focused entrepreneurs to learn from business experts, from each other, and to work hands-on.
• Student Design Lab: Date TBD A University student led challenge to develop ideas for healthier campuses and a healthier world.

For more information about these events and our Social Enterprise Design Lab: Healthy Communities, please visit our website: www.socialenterprisetrust.org

Who we are

reSET is a community of entrepreneurs, educators, innovators, investors and policy makers. We believe that it is possible to generate both purpose and profit through business.

We support social enterprise -businesses that are both sustainable and make a positive social impact. We also support social entrepreneurs-entrepreneurs who are passionate about solving problems, finding solutions, and positively impacting their community, our state, and the world.

Join us May 28^th from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the CT Science Center

Click here to Register Here

Last Monday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Health Equity Roundtable hosted a workshop, “Achieving Health Equity via the Affordable Care Act: Promises, Provisions, and Making Reform a Reality for Diverse Patients” at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT. The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) was a sponsor of the workshop.

The Hartford Guardian recaps the highlights from the event. You can read that article here.

Today’s post was written by Patricia Baker, president & CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation.

In March, the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) lost a valuable member of our staff, Linda Stewart.  This death took all of us by surprise which has heightened our sense of grief, but in no way diminishes the important contribution Linda made to the foundation.

Linda Stewart was a woman of great depth and made the foundation better for her presence.  For me Linda was the closest example I have of “grace.”  She was quiet and wise, funny and loving, gracious and welcoming, a calm presence that always made things better.

If you had a chance to hear her sing, your soul was lifted by her beautiful voice. She was a leader in her church, a loving mother and grandmother, and an efficient smart staff member that made sure we did not lose our way.

I owe so much to her and know that much of what I have accomplished over the last years is due in great part to Linda.  She is missed, and we are all better for knowing her.

Today’s post was written by Yolanda Caldera-Durant, senior program officer at the Connecticut Health Foundation.

The task of connecting 334,000 uninsured Connecticut residents to health care is fast approaching. How can we in health philanthropy assist in meeting that challenge?

Although I am an experienced grant-maker I’m new to health grant-making. One of the first things that I did when I joined the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) in January 2013 as Senior Program Officer was to register for the 2013 Grantmakers in Health (GIH) Annual Meeting held from March 12 through 15 in lovely San Francisco. Perfect timing.

Here are my top 4 takeaways from GIH that will help me to work towards the CT Health Foundation’s broader mission and vision.

1. Big Ideas to Blueprints: For health grant-makers, the passage and upholding of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an especially exciting opportunity. Getting people covered for health care will help all of us be more effective in improving health at a national level. But as the conference title, “From Big Ideas to Blueprints” suggests, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and plot out how we can effectively roll out the ACA nationally and in our respective communities. It was reaffirming to see how many partners CT Health has in the GIH network to support us in carrying out this important and daunting work to improve the health of all CT residents.
2. Transforming Health Care by Meeting Patients’ Basic Needs: Rebecca Onie, co-founder and CEO of Health Leads, spoke candidly about the major stressors and health problems patients experience due to not having adequate food and affordable housing. Sadly, Onie stated, many health care providers have a “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” when it comes to the challenges that their patients face. Providers are aware of the basic needs that their patients have but don’t know how to help them.  Rebecca’s talk hammered home the need for holistic health care delivery to truly help people to become and stay healthy.
3. Public-Private Partnership: Opportunities and Health Care Reform: The Affordable Care Act presents us with a major opportunity to achieve health equity. At the Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) meeting on Public-Private Partnership: Opportunities and Health Care Reform I learned that about 2 million people of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent nationally will have access to health insurance coverage. However, 1 in 3 people in this group have limited English language proficiency. The task of ensuring that these individuals enroll in health care coverage is significant. Only with public-private partnerships will sufficient numbers of this population obtain health care coverage. I learned that a culturally and linguistically appropriate training module is being created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for distribution to the federal and state exchanges to effectively reach AAPI families. It was heartening to know that at CT Health we have robust public partnerships and have the ability to help make the connections to community providers that serve large numbers of people of color including African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians so that these populations access health care coverage in significant numbers.
4. Quality Time with CT Health Foundation Colleagues: It wasn’t all work for me at the GIH annual meeting! I had the opportunity to spend time with my CT Health colleagues—Pat Baker and Elizabeth Krause—and a small group of our board members—Sanford Cloud, Marilyn Alverio, Margarita Torres and Bob Schreibman. What I discovered is that they love to eat good food, share stories about their loved ones, dance Salsa and watch the beautiful San Francisco sunset.

Attending the GIH annual meeting was a true gift. I deepened my professional knowledge in health grantmaking, met many colleagues in the field nationally, spent quality time getting to know my CT Health colleagues, and enjoyed the beauty of San Francisco in the spring.

What are your ideas on how we go from the big idea of the ACA to a blueprint for health equity for Connecticut?

Today’s guest post was written by Alison Johnson, consultant to the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health).

It is often said that a state budget document is a statement of priorities. Show me the budget, and I’ll show you what Connecticut values as a public community. But let’s pause to consider one aspect of how those priorities are arrived at — stories.

We start with the budget narrative outlined by the Governor, and then legislators listen to stories told by those affected by the budget. Stories from mayors, from hospital executives, from small business owners, from large corporations, and from everyday people.  Of course, relevant numbers are shared, and charts are presented, but stories are often cited as the most powerful and long lasting testimony at the Capitol. Legislators, being human, often look to the details from that testimony – those stories – to help them reach the best possible plan for how we  raise and spend our precious tax dollars.

But here’s the catch:  there is a noticeable, and persistent, disparity in what information we ask to be revealed publicly, and by whom. When it comes to health and humans services, we expect recipients of state-funded human services to come testify before the Appropriations Committee in a grueling yearly dance. We ask them to reveal intimate details about their medications, disabilities, mental health struggles, failures with their children. And they do, in what has become a heart wrenching annual ritual.

By contrast, what do we ask of recipients of tax credits and exemptions? Representatives typically come before the Finance Committee to make their case – most often just once. The presumption is that a tax exemption, once passed, has lasting value. The story of an industry’s need for tax relief is typically not replayed each year.

Yet “real people”, as recipients of services are often called, come to the Legislative Office Building and wait for hours to share the details of their personal stories – details that in a physician’s office would be protected by HIPAA. Legislators often do their best to cushion the impact of testifying in such an intimidating atmosphere, but the parade of misfortune continues, year after year.

The need for legislators to understand state funded programs and services is real, as is the need to understand the justification for a tax exemption. Is there a better way to gather information from the public in support of human services? And how can we increase respect for “real people” and their stories while ensuring accountability across the board?

Photo from fotolia.com.

Research commissioned by the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) is at the heart of a story on yourpublicmedia.org today: “Medicaid Changes Lead To Massive Dental Gains For Connecticut Children.“  CT Health researchers found that changes to dental provider reimbursement rates and reduced administrative burden led to twice as many children on Medicaid in CT receiving dental care over a five year period.

You can read and listen to the story here.

For more details, you can read our blog post, “How Connecticut Got More Kids Smiling,” here.

In the conversation, our Fellows reminded us of the seven common traits we see across people who are accepted to the program:

1. PROUD to be an active part of a network of leaders in CT who are passionate about advancing health equity in CT.
2. EAGER to ACT on their passion for health equity and immerse themselves in an intense year of leadership learning, connection and engagement.
3. WILLING to commit personal development time to take themselves to the next level of leadership capacity.
4. OPEN to learning about leading in new ways – not just managing in old ways.
5. INTERESTED in increasing their visibility as a leader committed to health equity.
6. FOCUSED on promoting effective collaboration as a leadership strategy.
7. INFORMED about the current issues and ways to stay on top of relevant information and events.

This marks the last week of recruitment for the Class of 2014 Health Leadership Fellows. Applications are due Monday, April 1, 2013. What do you say? Could this be you?

If yes, apply here today.

Today’s post originally ran on March 29, 2012.

Today’s guest post was written by Heang Tan, Project Manager of HealthJusticeCT.org (a grantee of the Connecticut Health Foundation) and Fellow Class of 2008.

Want to be a health justice super hero?  Become a health leadership fellow.  As a fellow you will harness your inner powers to do more on the quest for health equity.

I know that everyone has the capacity to be a super hero in the fight for health equity and this program can make a real difference. Here are top seven reasons why you should become a fellow:

1. X-Ray Vision: Gain the miraculous ability to see through challenges in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. As a fellow you are not only expected to address challenges but to also develop solutions by working on a group project. My group project connected community health centers and community organizations to increase access to care for Cambodians living in the Danbury area.
2. Super Bonding Powers: Create a lifelong network of super hero friends, because no hero has to fight alone.  This is the true meaning of fellowship; I now have a network of partners that I can collaborate with on specific projects such as the Health Justice CT initiative.
3. Feast like a king:  All super heroes need super fuel. Expect to be fed well at each monthly meeting and weekend retreats.
4. Get a Super Suit: Find out what color unitard best suits you, and get INSIGHTS® into who you are as a super leader. This assessment helped identified my leadership strengths and opportunities for growth.
5. Super Hero Sanctum: Superman had his Fortress of Solitude. Every super hero needs some time from  saving the world and the opportunity to think deep super hero thoughts.  I cherished the safe and inviting environment in which the program provided for pause and reflection.
6. Roll like a Super Hero:  For ten months, you’ll have a team of senior superheroes helping you, guiding you and listening to your super hero thoughts.  The leadership coaching and peer-to-peer support made a big difference in my leadership development.
7. Learn and Practice: Albeit not very super hero sounding but the people who are making me write this blog would be annoyed if I didn’t say that you will be given learning and practice opportunities to enhance your current leadership capacity so that you become an effective health leader. (You really will!) I learned that active listening is just as important as speaking.

I have since graduated from this program nearly four years ago and have come into my own super powers.  From becoming a more effective leader to strengthening my network, I have to say the lessons I’ve learned from the program still profoundly impact my work as a health advocate.

I would love to hear from fellow fellows who have graduated or who are currently enrolled in the program. What super powers have you gained?

To those who are considering becoming a fellow, what questions do you have for me?

Previously, we’ve highlighted numerous aspects of the program, the successes of participants who completed the program – all with the goal of convincing you why you should apply if you’re interested in advancing health equity.

Today, however, we want to try something different. We thought we’d tell you why you might not want to join our program. We want to support your decision process.

As Lead Facilitator, Heidi Brooks really believes in this program and its potential for action on the topic of health equity for people of color.

But she also knows that the program, as exciting, interesting, and valuable as it is, may not be for you.

Would you watch this video, and let us know what you think of this approach? Did it help you decide if you want to apply to the Leadership Fellows Program?

Image from fotolia.com.

I’m a dentist, so of course I think good oral health care is important. It’s not just something I know through my training. I know it because every week, I see the effects of untreated dental disease when I’m caring for patients.

Some startling facts:

• Across the country an estimated 4 to 5 million children have dental problems severe enough to wake up with a toothache—or fail to sleep because of one.
• Dental decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease – five times more common than asthma.
• Increasing evidence supports observations that poor oral health can have wide effects on overall health problems, ranging from premature delivery to cardiac disease.

And yet, oral health disease is highly preventable through early and consistent interventions. Kids don’t need to suffer.

Low-income children are much more likely to suffer oral health disease but are also much less likely to obtain dental care.* Historically in Connecticut, a significant barrier to care for kids on HUSKY A (Healthcare for UninSured Kids and Youth), the state’s Medicaid program for low-income families, was low private dentist participation. Many providers cited low reimbursement rates and cumbersome program administration as obstacles to treating children insured under HUSKY.

Most people were sure that increasing those reimbursement rates would result in more children enrolled in HUSKY receiving dental care. Based on 2008 lawsuit settlement agreement, those reimbursement rates increased significantly. The agreement also addressed other barriers to care.

With the rates raised, did it result in kids getting the dental care they needed? In 2011 we announced a partnership with the CT Department of Social Services to analyze utilization data and shared the preliminary finding that yes, more kids went to the dentist. You can download the brief itself here: “Impact of Increased Dental Reimbursement Rates on HUSKY A-Insured Children: 2006-2011.”

If you too want low-income children to have good oral health, please share this post with your social networks.

*http://www.cthealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Oral-Health-Report-2001.pdf