Health Working Group

>About the group (.pdf) To join the Health Working Group or learn more, e-mail WG Vice President Carolynn Mambu.

From WG Daily:

Uniting funders, providers, government officials and consumers to reform the safety net health care system in the National Capital Region, and building partnerships to push a common health agenda.

2010
The social and economic determinants of health--among them safe and supportive communities, affordable housing, educational achievement, available and affordable fresh food, poverty and structural racism--directly affect the physical and mental health of adults and children across all income levels. The Health Working Group believes that engaging "non-health" funders in understanding the interconnection of these issues lead to better outcomes for the region's residents. The group will continue building relationships with local public officials and engaging in policy activities as appropriate.

Chair: Pat Mathews, Northern Virginia Health Foundation
Vice Chair: Rachel Wick, Consumer Health Foundation

Here's what HWG has been working on in the last few months...

Health Impact Assessment
HWG convened members together with public officials and nonprofit leaders to learn more about using Health Impact Assessments (HIA). HIAs are positioned to inform policy makers across a variety of sectors (e.g. community development, transportation, land use) through considerations of health consequences in proposed policies. As a result, HWG is discussing opportunities for working with the Health Impact Project to further the use of HIAs in the region.

Read a full event recap here.

Council of Governments Health Officials Committee and Health Indicators Work Group
HWG continues its collaboration with the Council of Governments to use its Community Health Status Report, resources, and lessons learned from earlier convenings to broaden the constituency working to advance health equity and improve the health of communities and residents.

Co-occurring Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders
HWG learned about new evidenced-based integrated treatment approaches for co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders. Clients of these approaches show measurable results in stable housing, employment, reduction of hospitalization and incarceration, and increased frequency and duration of sobriety compared to national norms.