ADVANCE/The OHIO Alliance for Population Health Partnerships
The OHIO Alliance for Population Health (Alliance) is a statewide collaborative organization focused on improving the health and well-being of Ohio residents through population health initiatives. The Alliance brings together healthcare providers, community organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies to address social determinants of health, promote health equity, and implement evidence-based strategies to enhance public health outcomes across the state. The Alliance aims to create sustainable, community-driven solutions to improve overall health and reduce health disparities throughout Ohio.
The Institute to Advance Health Equity (ADVANCE) promotes research that contributes to the developing science of health equity and population health improvement through the study of health outcomes and services, as well as social factors that impact health. ADVANCE fosters social science and health services research to reduce health disparities based on a wide range of social factors, and it supports research collaboration across Ohio University and with community-based research partners.
The OHIO Alliance for Population Health and ADVANCE have a collaborative and complementary relationship, working together to use evidence to address critical health disparities in communities across Ohio and drive population health improvement. This integrated approach combines the research expertise of ADVANCE members with the Alliance's commitment to community engagement. The collaboration enhances the impact of both initiatives, leading to more equitable health solutions for Ohioans. Examples of projects and reports resulting from collaborative efforts include:
- SHA/SHIP project with State of Ohio-Every 3 years the State of Ohio prepares a State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). Primary and secondary source data are compiled, and analyzed, and stakeholder focus groups from across the state are conducted to create a comprehensive picture of health in Ohio. Best practices are reviewed, and stakeholders consulted to compile policy initiatives and health interventions. The Ohio Department of Health asked Ohio University and ADVANCE researchers to lead a team of Alliance experts from various organizations to produce this year’s SHA and SHIP.
- Behavioral Health in Ohio: Improving Data, Moving Toward Racial and Ethnic Equity reports- To better understand how racial difference impacts behavioral health outcomes in Ohio, four partner organizations, Central State University (CSU), the Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition (MHAC), Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence, Inc. (MACC), and Ohio University (OU) developed four reports as an overview of racial equity in the behavioral health system. These reports are on foundational information around race and behavioral health, the behavioral health workforce, funding, and treatment. The Alliance and ADVANCE, together, provided research support, subject expertise, and community partnerships to contribute significantly to this project.
- NAMI Ohio Assessment/Board Survey- The Alliance, ADVANCE, and several faculty members within the College of Health Sciences and Professions created and distributed surveys on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Ohio (NAMI Ohio) to request feedback from NAMI Ohio affiliates and local chapters. The team collected, analyzed, and presented findings of the scope of service use and satisfaction of these services to the NAMI Ohio Board.