Ten Groups will Test and Enhance NQF Population Health Guide 

Washington, DC – Ten groups in communities located across the country will collaborate to further improve the health of their populations by field-testing the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Action Guide 1.0. Selected from a pool of 40 applicants, the groups will provide on-the-ground testing of the Guide over the next 18 months, including applying the content of the guide to their new or existing population health improvement projects, to determine what works and what needs enhancement, and offer ideas for revised or new content based on their experiences.

The 10 selected field testing groups are geographically and substantively diverse and include:

• Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) – Denver, CO
• Community Service Council of Tulsa – Tulsa, OK
• Designing a Strong and Healthy NY (DASH-NY) – New York, NY
• Empire Health Foundation – Spokane, WA
• Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement – Charleston, WV
• Mercy Medical Center and Abbe Center for Mental Health – Cedar Rapids, IA
• Michigan Health Improvement Alliance – Alma, MI
• Oberlin Community Services and The Institute for eHealth Equity – Oberlin, OH
• Trenton Health Team, Inc. – Trenton, NJ
• The University of Chicago Medicine Population Health Management Transformation – Chicago, IL

The Action Guide is based on research and information from experts about what works to improve population health. It was developed earlier this year by an NQF-convened, multistakeholder committee. Both the Guide and its field testing are part of a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stimulate effective collaboration to improve the nation’s health. The project is intended to be a two-way learning process that ultimately may impact regional and national population health resources, such as data sources and measures, so that they can be used more easily and effectively.

Community efforts and interventions to improve social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health are priorities of the HHS’s National Quality Strategy. Evidence suggests that effective programs and policies that promote health can prevent disease and yield billions of dollars in savings for the U.S. healthcare system.

“We are eager to begin working with our field test groups and learn from them about how best to support and further their efforts to improve population health,” said Christine Cassel, MD, President and CEO of NQF. “Their input is critical to ensuring that NQF ultimately provides a nationwide resource that will inspire and guide communities across the country toward better health and improved quality of life.”

The NQF Action Guide 1.0 and additional information about NQF’s Population Health Framework project are available online.

The National Quality Forum leads national collaboration to improve health and healthcare quality through measurement. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.