THE GREATER DETROIT HEALTH TRANSITION COMPANY

A DEFINING COMPONENT OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT WORK IS SERVING AS A BACKBONE ORGANIZATION; A NEUTRAL PARTY HELPING TO COORDINATE PARTNERS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS. AS A REGIONAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT COLLABORATIVE, THE GREATER DETROIT AREA HEALTH COUNCIL (GDAHC) HAS SERVED AS A LEADER IN COLLECTIVE IMPACT SINCE 1944, BEFORE THE TERM WAS EVEN COINED! BY ACTING AS A TRUSTED CONVENER AND BACKBONE ORGANIZATION THAT LEVERAGES THE STRENGTH OF COLLABORATION WE ARE ABLE TO FULFIL OUR VISION OF "HEALTHY PEOPLE. HEALTHY ECONOMY." BY SUPPORTING THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN IN MAKING HEALTH CARE ACCESSIBLE AND EQUITABLE FOR ALL. FOR US, BEING A COLLECTIVE IMPACT LEADER MEANS WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CARE, INCREASE ACCESS TO CARE, MANAGE COSTS, ENSURE PROVIDERS ARE FULFILLED IN THEIR LIVES' WORK, AND TO EDUCATE.GDAHC SERVES AS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT LEADER AND BACKBONE ORGANIZATION IN A VARIETY OF INITIATIVES INCLUDING THE SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN PERINATAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COALITION (SEMPQIC), A STATE-SPONSORED INITIATIVE WORKING TO REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY AND ELIMINATE INFANT HEALTH DISPARITIES IN WAYNE, OAKLAND, AND MACOMB COUNTY (REGION 10). AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR SEMPQIC, WE HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER EIGHT HEALTH PLANS, SIX HEALTH SYSTEMS, TWENTY-THREE HOSPITALS, THREE CITY AND COUNTY-LEVEL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, NINE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, TWO FEDERALLY QUALIFIES HEALTH CENTERS, FOUR STATE-LEVEL ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES, AND TWO UNIVERSITIES TO ADDRESS THE AREA'S TOP PRIORITIES RELATED TO INFANT MORTALITY, INCLUDING HOME VISITING PROGRAMS, SAFE SLEEP, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. WITH OVER 70 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THIS IS A LEVEL OF COORDINATION AND SUPPORT THAT ONLY GDAHC CAN PROVIDE.GDAHC ALSO SERVES AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR THE SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN ALLIANCE FOR ADDICTION-FREE COMMUNITIES (SEMAAC), A TASKFORCE THAT WAS CONVENED TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID CRISIS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS. TO DATE, WE HAVE SECURED BROAD REPRESENTATION OF GDAHC MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, TOUCHING ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY TO PARTICIPATE AS MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE. TOGETHER WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THREE AREAS OF FOCUS; CREATED WORKGROUPS AND ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES FOR EACH OF THE AREAS; MET WITH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES; HOSTED A SERIES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND INFORMATIVE OPIOID ABUSE SUMMITS. SEMAAC IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A WEB-BASED TOOLKIT TO CONNECT USERS TO LOCAL RESOURCES FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT AND COUNSELING, AS WELL AS SAFE DRUG DISPOSAL LOCATIONS.FRAMED AND INFORMED BY COLLECTIVE IMPACT, GDAHC'S WORK FALLS UNDER THREE STRATEGIC PILLARS: CONNECT, TRANSFORM, MEASURE & IMPROVE. GDAHC CONNECTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A COMMON, NEUTRAL TABLE FOR DEBATE, CONSENSUS, AND ACTION. GDAHC TRANSFORMS HEALTH CARE AND ITS DELIVERY TO FOCUS ON WHOLE-PERSON HEALTH AND COMPREHENSIVE CARE. GDAHC MEASURES AND IMPROVES TO CREATE A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TRANSPARENCY AND EMPOWERMENT. THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS FOR US TO BE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT BACKBONE ORGANIZATION: PROVIDING THE NECESSARY SPACE FOR EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER, SHARE IDEAS, CREATE PLANS OF ACTION, AND GET PROBLEMS SOLVED.

AS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT BACKBONE ORGANIZATION, GDAHC OFTEN PROVIDES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT FACILITATION ON A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. THIS IS A KEY DEFINING ELEMENT OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT WORK AND A CRITICAL PIECE OF BEING A BACKBONE ORGANIZATION. IN THIS ROLE, WE FORM THE NECESSARY PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS THE AREAS OF GREATEST NEED, DEFINING THE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS AND ROLES FOR EACH PARTICIPANT, ROUTINELY CONVENING THEM AND PROVIDING DIRECTION AND ASSISTANCE IN ACCOMPLISHING OUR COLLECTIVE GOALS. AS A TRUSTED CONVENER FOR OVER 70 YEARS, GDAHC HAS NO AGENDA BUT TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BY LEVERAGING THE STRENGTH OF COLLABORATION. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THE LONGEST LASTING IMPRESSION WHILE SERVING THE MOST PEOPLE, AND OUR RESULTS AS PROGRAM MANAGERS AND PROJECT FACILITATORS ARE CLEAR.IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR THREE STRATEGIC PILLARS, GDAHC'S PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT FACILITATION WORK SPANS WIDE AREAS OF HEALTH CARE AND ITS DELIVERY. GDAHC LED THE MACOMB PARTNERS IN HEALTH, A PROGRAM THAT COORDINATES CARE FOR THOSE AT RISK FOR CHRONIC DISEASE IN KEY COMMUNITIES WITHIN MACOMB COUNTY. IN LEADING THE MACOMB PARTNERS IN HEALTH, GDAHC'S PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SKILLS RESULTED IN A NUMBER OF GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN ALL FOUR AREAS OF FOCUS: LIFESTYLE & ENVIRONMENT, NUTRITION STANDARDS, DIABETES PREVENTION, AND HEALTH SYSTEM INTERVENTION. THESE ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: IMPROVEMENTS TO RECREATION CENTERS AND PUBLIC PARKS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY ACTIVITIES; INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS WITHIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES; NINE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TRAINED AS DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM COACHES WITH THIRTY-TWO CLASSES HELD AND THREE-HUNDRED FORTY PARTICIPANTS; SEVEN HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNER SITES IMPROVING THEIR USE OF THEIR ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEMS TO BETTER IDENTIFY AT-RISK PATIENTS AND TO BETTER MANAGE AND COORDINATE THEIR CARE.OUR EXPERIENCE IN PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT FACILITATION HAS HELPED US IN EXCEEDING OUR PROGRAM GOALS FOR CHOOSING WISELY, A PROGRAM DEVELOPED TO FOSTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS TO HELP REDUCE AND ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY CARE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT UNNECESSARY CARE ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY 30% OF AMERICAN MEDICAL SPENDING, DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO RISING MEDICAL COSTS FOR ALL. WORKING WITH HEALTH SYSTEMS, PURCHASERS, EMPLOYERS, HEALTH PLANS, AND STATE-LEVEL MEDICAL SOCIETIES, GDAHC STEERED ITS TEAM IN ACHIEVING AN AVERAGE 70% REDUCTION IN OCCURRENCE IN THREE KEY AREAS: IMAGING FOR LOW-BACK PAIN; ANTIBIOTICS PRESCRIBING FOR RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, BRONCHITIS; REDUCING THE NUMBER OF VITAMIN D TESTS AND MAKING SURE ORDERED TESTS ARE CORRECT. THE TEAM PROMOTED A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN REACHING NEARLY 8 MILLION PEOPLE WITH THE CHOOSING WISELY MESSAGE. SECURING AIR-TIME AND IN-BANNER WEB ADS FOR A CONSUMER REPORTS-DEVELOPED PSA, WHICH PLAYED IN 189 ZIP CODES IN 72 CITIES WITH A TOTAL OF 530,704 IMPRESSIONS, WAS THE APEX OF THIS PLAN. TOGETHER, THE TEAM DEVELOPED CRITICAL "WHAT TO DO" MESSAGING TO ASSIST PATIENTS IN REPLACING OLD, WASTEFUL BEHAVIORS WITH NEW ONES. THIS MESSAGING WAS SHARED WITH CONSUMER REPORTS AND DEVELOPED INTO MATERIALS FOR SENIORS AND THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. WE HAVE ALSO SECURED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO WRITE A RESEARCH ARTICLE EXAMINING HOW DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS FOR PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS IMPACT PROJECT OUTCOMES.