Budget Cuts: Who Feels the Pain?
--by James W. Squires, M.D. and Mary Vallier-Kaplan
 
The Endowment for Health has placed a high priority lately in cooperating with federal government and the State of New Hampshire regarding implementation of the Affordable Care Act and in the creation of the 2012-13 state budget. As New Hampshire's largest private health foundation, the Endowment has invested significantly in the advocacy work of Voices for Health and NH CARES, helping to build their capacity to effectively communicate facts and analysis about these two important health-related issues. We also have contributed the knowledge and experience of our own senior leadership and staff to these important conversations. While this is a time of both opportunities and challenges, four factors particularly complicate the work of our foundation.
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Deep Dive on the Budget:
A Look at EH Themes and Our Community Partners
Despite well-organized, massive and vocal protests, the New Hampshire House passed legislation that would slash $742 million from the state budget - a far more severe number than even the governor's already historically austere proposal. Virtually every state service would be profoundly impacted. The Department of Health and Human Services budget alone could be reduced by an additional $207 million from the governor's recommendation. The House budget would also eliminate $115 million previously used for hospital reimbursements and would reduce funding for a broad array of social services on a gargantuan scale. Read Full Article |
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The New Hampshire and Health Equity Partnership
A Health Equity breakout group begins a workplan to raise public awareness
The New Hampshire Plan for Addressing Health Disparities & Promoting Health Equity was recently released. In a tandem effort, the NH Health and Equity Partnership (NHHEP) officially kicked off on March 21. This public-private partnership was launched with leadership by the Endowment for Health, the NH Office of Minority Health and Refugee Affairs, the NH Minority Health Coalition and Foundation for Healthy Communities. The NHHEP will work over the next few months to develop concrete action steps to advance health equity in New Hampshire.
Read Full Article |
Nursing Scholars
The NH Future of Nursing Scholars Program is now receiving applications from minority nurses seeking an advanced nursing degree with a desire to join the nursing faculty in New Hampshire.
Read Full Article
Download Application |
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Head of American Public Health Association Makes NH Appearance
Dr. Linda Rae Murray, President of the American Public Health Association and life-long advocate for health equity and social justice, marked National Public Health Week by speaking at the Annual Meeting for the NH Public Health Association (NHPHA) on April 6. Dr. Murray also met with NHPHA leadership and the NH Health and Equity Partnership during her visit.
To mark the occasion, Dr. Murray graciously blogged for the Endowment for Health:
Hard Thinking and Action on Public Health, Dr. Linda Rae Murray, MD, PhD, President, American Public Health Association |
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Girls in Scrubs!
Investing in the Future of Nursing
  
The face of New Hampshire is becoming more diverse and our health care workforce needs to reflect this growing diversity. Nurses are a critical part of the changing landscape in health care and more minority nurses are needed to meet the demands of our diversifying population.
Through the B.R.I.N.G.I.T.!!! Nursing After-school Program, 25 minority youth are participating in after-school learning and hands-on experiences that will help foster future nursing careers.
This program is one component of the New Hampshire Nursing Diversity Pipeline Project, one of nine projects nationwide selected in 2010 for the Partners Investing in Nursing's Future (PIN) Initiative, a partnership of the Northwest Health Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support the capacity, involvement and leadership of local foundations to advance the nursing profession in their own communities.
Led by the Endowment for Health, the project brings together a wide variety of local partners, nurse leaders, educational institutions and financial supporters to expand ethnic and racial diversity of the nursing workforce and nursing education faculty in New Hampshire. A $230,000 grant from the PIN Initiative is being matched dollar-for-dollar by local and regional funders. |
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Monadnock Region Listening Session Draws Large Crowd
Close to 70 participants turned out to hear presentations on regional health needs at the Monadnock Region Listening Session, co-sponsored by the Endowment for Health, Cheshire Medical Center, Vision 2020 and the Monadnock United Way.
Keynote speaker Anne Nordstrom of Antioch New England and project director for community health outlined progress and gaps in such areas as healthy eating, active living, place-based health, working families and income, and housing. A panel of regional experts also spoke at the event. |
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Advocacy Training
EH Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mary Kaplan addresses the group at a recent Advocacy Training session that took place on March 30. The session was geared to help funders and nonprofits to evaluate work focused on public policy change. This three-hour training discussed new tools and techniques, offering an overview of policy and advocacy work and outcomes. The training also covered four types of non-traditional evaluation tools including charting and mapping, survey and interview techniques, debriefing and rating, and media/messaging tracking. |
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Len Nichols' Return to New Hampshire
Health reform expert Len Nichols returned to New Hampshire, appearing at the Endowment's Annual Meeting in early March. There he gave expert analysis of current challenges and opportunities to improve the nation's health systems, including how they are financed as well as the overall provision of medical services. |
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Save The Date!
October 3, 2011
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Grappone Conference Center
Join Us In Celebrating of a Decade of Program Work |
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