SPOTLIGHT:
Community Networks Can Foster Health Equity Through ACA Outreach
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Oscar Espinosa Shares Strategies for
Increasing Access to Care
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In February 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. A significant result of this landmark legislation includes affordable health insurance coverage for previously uninsured and underinsured individuals, coverage for several preventive care services, and protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Enrolling in health insurance plans and accessing health care services will be critical to the success of the law and the well-being of the population as well as the nation. The ACA assures affordable health coverage for youth ages 18 through 34, immigrants, and racial and ethnic minority populations. During the first open enrollment period which ended on March 31, 2014, it was imperative to ensure that people who qualified for better coverage under the ACA were aware of their benefits and the procedures for enrollment. For instance, young adults have one of the highest uninsured rates, and racial and ethnic minority populations are uninsured at a much higher rate than the overall U.S. population. While some young adults don't believe they need health insurance, others are simply unaware of the options available to help them obtain health care coverage. These population groups can be difficult to reach for a variety of reasons including language access, low interaction rates with the health care system, and beliefs that health coverage is unnecessary because of good health status. To support implementation of the ACA, the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA) led by the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), identified outreach and education to racial and ethnic and underserved populations as a priority. [READ MORE]
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Assessing the Impact of Regional Health Equity Council (RHEC) Outreach and Education Efforts to Promote Enrollment
Community Science, in collaboration with CommunicateHealth, has been contracted by the Office of Minority Health (OMH) to work with National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities' Regional Health Equity Councils (RHECs). We're assessing the impact that their education and outreach efforts are having on racial and ethnic minority communities throughout the country to enroll in health insurance plans. To that end, Community Science staff supports RHECs with three critical activities: [READ MORE]
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A Framework for Measuring Equitable Revitalization
Community Science Principal Associate Scott Hebert made a presentation on "Considerations in Assessing Equitable Revitalization" at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's May 12-14, 2014 conference on Reinventing Older Communities.
Scott's presentation was part of a panel on Measuring the Impact of Revitalization, and outlined how the metrics traditionally used to measure revitalization efforts generally fail to assess the effects on pre-existing low- and moderate-income residents and local businesses.
[READ MORE]
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Staff Profile: Rekha Ansari
 As a highly regarded researcher and professional, Rekha Ansari, MPH, Research Assistant, helps Community Science with data collection, quantitative and qualitative analyses, and reporting of findings for federal initiatives on health disparities, mental health, and the wellness of young children.
Through her previous position at the Fairfax County Health Department, Rekha completed several research studies related to social and behavioral health among low-income immigrant populations. She also worked with a health technology company where she reviewed applications from healthcare professionals seeking funds to work in underserved areas of the country, and helped design a study to understand the causes of patient attrition.
Rekha's research interests lie in the field of physical activity, nutrition, overweight, and obesity, with a strong focus on women and children. In her free time she enjoys cooking, baking, exploring other cultures through travel, and spending time with family and friends.
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About Community Science
Community Science is an award winning research and development organization that works with governments, foundations, and non-profit organizations on solutions to social problems through community and other systems changes.
Since 1997, our objective has been simple: to develop the knowledge necessary to address social problems in a way that benefits all communities.
We provide an integrated approach to building the capacity of organizations and institutions, combining the principled, rigorous use of scientific methods with practical tools to foster learning and improved capacity for social change.
To learn more, visit our PROJECTS page.
To discuss how Community Science can collaborate with your organization, contact us at 301-519-0722 or info@communityscience.com
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Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC)
The Forum for Youth Investment
ALLIANCE FOR NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT
Community Indicators Consortium (CIC)