18 community health projects get financial backing

Seven organizations scored $250,000 over two years to expand their projects while 11 organizations received $75,000 to start budding projects.

With the huge need for community-based services that meet more of a patient's health needs closer to home, a coalition of consultants and philanthropists is backing 18 health systems that are making those a reality.

The BUILD Health Challenge, started by the Advisory Board Company, the de Beaumont Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, the Kresge Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,  is awarding seven organizations $250,000 over two years to expand their projects, and eleven organizations received $75,000 to start budding projects.

The organizations, receiving a collective $8.5 million, are asked to rethink how to serve low-income neighborhoods in cities with populations greater than 150,000 -- to address problems like recreation for children and access to fresh food. The Advisory Board and others supporting the BUILD challenge offer the participating hospitals, nonprofits and community organizations technical assistance on data and evaluation and information support on evidence-based health policies. 

1. In the southern California city of Ontario, the Healthy Ontario Initiative is trying to address the region's high rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases by expanding access to healthy and affordable food and "safe places to be active." It's led by Partners for Better Health, the County of San Bernardino Department of Public Health, and San Antonio Regional Hospital.

2. In northern California, the San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative is going to promote economic development as a way to tackle social disparities in healthcare outcomes. This is led by the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, Alameda County Public Health Department, and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, a part of Sutter Health.

[Also: California using healthcare dollars to run housing for homeless]

3. East of California, a project called Addressing Healthcare's Blindside in Albuquerque's South Side will try to expand access to healthy food and equip healthcare providers to refer patients to a service hub for assistance on social and economic needs. It's led by Adelante Development Center, Bernalillo County Office of Health and Social Services, and Presbyterian Healthcare Services.

4. In Pasadena, Texas, a group featuring major health systems, called Improving Health through a Sustainable Food System, is going to develop a "community-supported food system" to fight obesity and its downstream impacts of diabetes and heart disease. It's led by Houston Food Bank, Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, CHI St. Luke's Health, and Memorial Hermann Health System.

5 . Healthy Homes East Bank of Des Moines, Iowa, is working to collaborate to reduce asthma-related hospital visits by improving "social and environmental factors," such as moldy carpets and pollution exposure.. This is led by Polk County Housing Trust Fund, Polk County Health Department, Broadlawns Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, and UnityPoint Health.

6. In Cleveland, the Engaging the Community in New Approaches to Healthy Housing is targeting the basic issue of secure shelter. The project, led by Environmental Health Watch, Cleveland Department of Public Health, and the MetroHealth System, is going to remediate substandard housing in the Brooklyn Center neighborhood to address lead poisoning, asthma and the association with heart disease.

[Also: Cleveland Clinic charity care down 40% since Medicaid expansion]

7. In New York, the Bronx Healthy Buildings Program is going to try to improve housing conditions and energy efficiency for low-income residents in five neighborhoods, also a way to address high rates of asthma and preventable hospitalizations. This is led by Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Montefiore Medical Center

These 11 organizations scored grants to start planning.

8. The Youth Driven Healthy South Los Angeles is led by the National Health Foundation, LA Public Health and Dignity Health's California Medical Center. The project wants to "engage youth leaders to create a community with healthy food and inviting urban spaces while engaging promising area youth in leadership development to foster a sustained movement towards health, safety, and wellness."

9. Just east of Denver, a project called Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Screening and Support in Aurora is going to try to "help connect families to a network of both clinical and community-based resources to address needs." This is led by Together Colorado, Tri-County Health Department, and Children's Hospital Colorado.

10. In Colorado Springs, Project ACCESS is going to "assess health data and research, engage community members, and mobilize the community to improve neighborhood safety and reduce violence," led by YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, El Paso County Public Health, and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services.

11. Also in Colorado, Northeast Denver Unified, a group of the Civic Canopy, Denver Public Health, and Denver Health's Community Health Services, wants to develop "solutions to the social, environmental, and economic factors that have the greatest impact on child health and wellness."

12. In Chicago, Health Forward/Salud Adelante is hoping to integrate legal, medical, and public health services to to better serve new immigrants in the New City and East Garfield Park neighborhoods. This led by Legal Assistance Foundation, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Cook County Health and Hospital System.

13. In Baltimore, the community groups, the City Health Department and the University of Maryland Medical Center are trying to launch "Healing Together: Preventing Youth Violence in Upton/Druid Heights." This will try to develop "a comprehensive youth violence prevention plan for the Druid Hill and Upton Heights neighborhoods.

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14. In western Massachusetts, far from the beacon of Boston, the Healthy Hill Initiative of Springfield wants to improve public safety and "spur economic development." This is a project of HAPHousing, Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, Baystate Health System, and Sisters of Providence Health System.

15. In Detroit, the Chandler Park Healthy Neighborhood Strategy is hoping to address housing, proposing to revitalize blighted neighborhoods surrounding Chandler Park "to create job opportunities, improve access to healthy food, strengthen transit infrastructure, and reduce crime." This led by Eastside Community Network, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, and St. John Providence Health System - Community Health Investment Corporation

16. In Seattle, the Chinatown-International District Healthy wants to "improve economic development and housing in the city's International District," through the collaboration of the InterIm Community Development Association, Public Health Seattle and King County, and Swedish Medical Center

17. In Portland, Oregon, the Oregon Public Health Institute, Multnomah County Health Department, Providence Health and Services, Kaiser Permanente NW, Legacy Health and Adventist Health are all collaborating to try to reduce health disparities "by expanding access to affordable housing, green spaces, and healthy food."

18. Finally, in Florida, a coalition called the Building a Healthy and Resilient Liberty City wants to collaborate to "reduce violence and more effectively assist trauma victims in their recovery." This led by Florida Institute for Health Innovation, Florida Department of Health - Miami-Dade County, and Jackson Health System.

Twitter: @AnthonyBrino