Sustainable Approaches to
Health Systems Change: A
Funder’s Perspective
Paula A. Keller, M.P.H.
ClearWay MinnesotaSM
Making it Better Conference
November 15, 2011
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About ClearWay MinnesotaSM
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What is Health Systems Change?
“Health systems change” includes
sustainable, integrated solutions at the
health care organization level, as well as
the changes in health care policy and
financing to promote and support
universal, evidence-based interventions
with all tobacco users.
- Multi-State Collaborative for Health
Systems Change
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Why is Systems Change Important?
“The single most critical issue for
increasing population cessation rates lies
in the lack of a full ‘systems integration’ of
cessation tools and services that are
already well known to be effective.”
-Institute of Medicine, Ending the Tobacco
Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation
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ClearWay Minnesota’s Initiative
Funding opportunity for QUITPLAN®
Centers
– Transition services to a sustainable model
that works best for their health system
– Implement health systems changes to
identify tobacco users, monitor changes in
tobacco use status, and deliver or refer to
cessation services
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Guiding Principles
• Core required elements, but flexibility in
implementation
– “If you’ve seen a health system, you’ve
seen a health system”
• Capitalize on opportunities
– Electronic health records
• Technical assistance
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Progress to Date and Next Steps
• Projects funded through June 30, 2012
• Process evaluation underway
• Identify ways to share initiative findings
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Thank you!
[email protected]
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