The Forum's Opening Video
Anthony Iton, MD, JD, MPH, Senior Vice President of Healthy Communities at the California Endowment, was the forum’s keynote speaker. In a powerful presentation, he discussed the profound impact of social inequities on the health of communities, noting that the ratio of social spending to health spending is significantly associated with better health outcomes.
In breakout sessions, participants identified obstacles and indicators of success and explored strategies for engaging policymakers, busting silos among program partners, and encouraging cross-sector collaborations.
The forum’s second day was dedicated to the topic of defining meaningful metrics for evaluating community programs. A discussion panel on innovative measurement and evaluation models included:
- David L. DuBois, PhD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Health Research and Policy
- Institute for Integrative Health Scholar Steven H Woolf, MD, MPH, from the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health
- Carley Riley, MD, MPP, MPH, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, who is conducting evaluation efforts for the 100 Million Healthier Lives Initiative, and
- Carolyn E. Miller, MA, MS, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- The panel was moderated by Institute Scholar Kurt Stange, PhD of Case Western Reserve University.
Building Bridges, Defining Metrics concluded with an interactive session to identify which elements are most critical to establishing a new framework for community-based programs that improve youth health. An analysis and summary of those recommendations will be part of a report the Institute will publish this summer.
