Improving Maternal and Child Health Care
A Blueprint for Community Action in the Pittsburgh Region
Community leaders in the Pittsburgh region have long recognized the critical importance of the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and young children and have made intensive efforts to develop effective community-based early childhood interventions and support services. Despite these efforts, in several key areas, mothers and young children in this community are not receiving the health care services they need, and the result is premature illness and preventable death. In 2002, The Heinz Endowments commissioned the RAND Corporation and the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Department of Health and Department of Human Services in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to establish a learning collaborative of local stakeholders to (1) catalyze new thinking around the best evidence and practice for maternal and child health care; (2) assess the strengths, weaknesses, and barriers to improvement in the current system; (3) identify targets for local policy reform; and (4) develop a blueprint for action. This report provides an overview of the community-based approach through which this work was undertaken, highlights key study findings, and outlines a vision, strategy, and action plan for achieving systemwide improvements in maternal and child health care processes and outcomes.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 78
- List Price: $20.00
- Price: $16.00
- ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-3717-X
- Document Number: MG-225-HE
- Year: 2005
- Series: Monographs
Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Mobilizing a Community Collaborative for Change
Chapter Three
Barriers and Issues Faced by Families in the Community
Chapter Four
Barriers and Issues Faced by Local Providers and Program Staff
Chapter Five
Lessons Learned from Promising National and Local Programs
Chapter Six
Potential Policy Levers for Enhancing Local Improvement Efforts
Chapter Seven
A Blueprint for Community Action
Appendix A
Members of the Learning Collaborative
Appendix B
Local Providers and Payers Interviewed
Appendix C
Model National and Local Programs Interviewed
The research described in this report was sponsored by The Heinz Endowments conducted by RAND Health.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
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