Hearst Health and the Thomas Jefferson University’s College of Population Health have announced the three finalists for the 2020 Hearst Health Prize, including the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute.
The $100,000 prize is sponsored by Hearst Health to recognize organizations and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in managing or improving population health.
The three finalists will present at Jefferson College of Population Health’s 20th Annual Population Health Colloquium in Philadelphia on March 30. On March 31, the winner of the $100,000 award will be announced at the event and the other two finalists will each receive $25,000.
“We are excited to help provide a national platform for these organizations to share their expertise and best practices behind the successful programs they have built to improve the health and quality of life of their communities,” said David Nash, M.D., M.B.A., a member of the panel of judges and dean emeritus of the Jefferson College of Population Health, in a statement. “The Hearst Health Prize recognizes and supports the organizations and their programs that are leading by example for the rest of the country.”
Here are descriptions of the three finalists:
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for American Indian Health – Family Spirit: Working in partnership with Native American communities, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health has developed, implemented and evaluated promising solutions to reduce health disparities facing Native Americans through its Family Spirit program. It is currently the largest, most rigorous and only evidence-based home visiting program designed for pregnant and parenting Native American families. The program has been proven successful across three randomized controlled trials to improve parenting knowledge and self-efficacy; reduce parenting stress and maternal psychological risks that could impede positive parenting; and improve children’s social, emotional and behavioral development.
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families: Launched from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the program examines and addresses the impact of Neighborhood Effect Syndrome in the South Side community of Columbus, Ohio. It works to create positive health outcomes for children by targeting affordable housing, education, health and wellness, safe and accessible neighborhoods, and workforce development. It has improved the health status and reduced unnecessary health utilization and costs for neighborhood children. Relative to two propensity matched neighborhoods, those in the program experienced greater decreases in rates of emergency department use and probability of inpatient admission, as well as a smaller increase in the average length of stay for those admitted.
• Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute – Project Dulce: The Project Dulce program is designed to improve health and access to care for underserved, ethnically diverse people with diabetes. It provides interpersonal and digital clinical management support while trained peer educators deliver culturally appropriate diabetes self-management education and support. Studies evaluating the program have demonstrated positive effects on clinical, behavioral and cost outcomes, including greater improvements in hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure across 10 months relative to standard care. Project Dulce has served more than 20,000 ethnically diverse (65% Hispanic) patients in San Diego County. Alameda County Public Health Services and Adventist Health in Central Valley have successfully replicated the model in California.
Hearst Health Prize applications were evaluated by Jefferson College of Population Health faculty and a distinguished panel of judges. The applications were scored based on the program’s population health impact or outcome demonstrated by measurable improvement; use of evidence-based interventions and best practices to improve the quality of care; promotion of communication, collaboration and engagement; scalability and sustainability; and innovation. The three finalists were the highest scoring based on these criteria.
