PROMOTING RESPONSIVE HEALTH POLICY

Initiatives

Promoting Responsive Health Policy

Changing Policy is the Most Effective Way to Make Progress in Health

In 2017, the Foundation’s Promoting Responsive Health Policy (PRHP) initiative grant funding continued to support the advocacy work of the following grantees:

Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP)

Kentucky Equal Justice Center (KEJC)

Kentucky Voices for Health (KVH)

Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA)

These organizations are all working to make public policy more responsive to the health and health care needs of Kentuckians, and focus on one or more of the following priorities:

Increasing access to care
Improving children’s health
Increasing the proportion of Kentuckians living in smoke-free jurisdictions
Strengthening local public health

Highlights of PRHP grantees’ work in 2017 include:

Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy (KCSP)

KCSP works to provide rural and urban communities across Kentucky with science-based strategies for advancing smoke-free policies on the local level and educating citizens and policymakers about the importance of smoke-free environments. During 2017, this PRHP grantee provided technical assistance to local communities, held the Annual Smoke-Free Conference, developed modules, toolkits, newsletters and media activities, all aimed at supporting smoke-free policy changes.

The research conducted by KCSP and published in prestigious national journals marks a strong contribution from Kentucky to the study and work of tobacco-reduction efforts both here and nationwide and includes (publication in parenthesis):

Lung cancer incidence and the strength of municipal smoke-free ordinances. (Cancer)
Employee adherence to a tobacco-free executive order in Kentucky (American Journal of Health Promotion).
Current e-cigarette and dual tobacco use among U.S. high school students in urban and rural locations: 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (American Journal of Health Promotion).
University students’ perceived risk of and intention to use waterpipe tobacco. (Health Education Research).
On the popularity of the USB-like electronic cigarette Juul. (Tobacco Control).
Online readiness assessment for smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies. (Journal of American College Health)
Intention to quit smoking and polytobacco use among college student smokers. (Preventive Medicine Reports)
Smoking and tobacco-free policies in women’s residential substance use disorder treatment facilities: A community engaged approach. (Nicotine & Tobacco Research).

18671365_1333524363350439_65029522824450

Other KCSP fact sheets produced during this period include:

Top Ten Things Parents Need to Know About E-cigarettes

Map and Listing of Kentucky Communities with Smoke-free Laws by Strength of Law
E-cigarettes: Effects on Bystanders and Users
Is Your Community Ready for an Outdoor Smoke-free Policy?
E-cigarette FAQ
E-cigarettes in Smoke-free Laws
E-cigarette Use in Jails
Smoke-free Kentucky Communities, Enforcement Agencies, and Penalties

Kentucky Equal Justice Center (KEJC)

KEJC is a non-profit poverty law advocacy center which serves as an advocate for low-income and other vulnerable members of society. KEJC’s work developed around six strategic areas:

Outreach and education
Intake and enrollment
Consumer assistance and empowerment
Policy advocacy
Communications and messaging
Coordination

Some of the highlights from KEJC’s work in 2017 include:

Through the Boots on the Ground and Health Action Teams (HATS) initiatives, KEJC delivered more than 80 outreach events this year, reaching more than 2,600 Kentuckians face-to-face in at least 24 counties. Audiences have included people with disabilities, unemployed individuals, rural residents, veterans, vulnerable populations such as seniors, incarcerated and recently released people, victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, immigrants, speakers of English as a Second Language, as well as service providers, social workers, and attendees at professional conferences.

KEJC Workers Rights TaskforceCropped.jpg

As part of the health care access goal, with ACA coverage and expanded Medicaid, KEJC has helped consumers with enrollment, helping them fill out Medicaid

applications (an average of 9.8 per month); KEJC has also helped consumers access preventive care. KEJC has provided outreach and education to improve understanding of health insurance, for example, through “How to use your health insurance” workshops, and provided enhanced support to vulnerable consumers to access substance use services via residential treatment programs, addressing tobacco cessation alongside other substance use treatment.

13716082_1153824644689335_79297620152121

KEJC continued to work with long-time state and national partners to lift consumer voices and advocate for health care coverage. In this case, their team works closely with Kentucky Voices for Health, another PRHP grantee, on the #InsureKY initiative, with a special focus on sharing updates from the state on Kentucky HEALTH, Kentucky’s 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver, as well as consumer feedback on the developments. Additionally, KEJC’s Welfare and Health Task Force met this year and continued coordination with key state agencies, such as Department for Community Based Services and Cabinet for Health and Family Services

KEJC also joined the Steering Committee of the Smoke-Free Tomorrow Coalition chaired by the Foundation and continued their work providing smoke-free cessation referrals and supporting communities in Northern Kentucky on advancing smoke-free policies.

Kentucky Voices for Health (KVH)

KVH, with its 250 coalition members and supporters, has continued its work as a respected voice of consumer advocates and a catalyst in health policy decision-making. In its coordination with the Foundation, their scope of work encompasses advocating for policies to increase access to care, improve children’s health and increase the number of smoke-free jurisdictions in Kentucky. They have carried out their work through:

Community forums
The Insure Kentucky campaign
Enrollment Transition Data
Consumer surveys
Health System Transformation materials
Medicaid 1115 Demonstration Waiver Materials
Video and Audio Consumer Stories
Social Media Presence

13690717_1153186561419810_35135761517015

Some of the highlights from KVH’s work in 2017 include:

KVH held nine community forums throughout the Commonwealth on the changes being proposed by the 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver, in order to provide information and bring consumer feedback. KVH helped generate many of the 1,800 stakeholder comments submitted from Kentucky to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In an October letter to Medicaid Commissioner Stephen Miller, CMS acknowledged the unprecedented Kentucky response. The result of KVH’s work in this area has been much greater transparency during the comment periods, increased public awareness and understanding regarding the proposed changes, additional opportunities for public input, more media attention, and ultimately, some changes made to reduce some of the potential adverse aspects of the original proposal.

12042816_10153738460338469_4912660765466

KVH also implemented a survey asking Kentuckians to describe how the changes to Medicaid would impact them, their families and their communities. KVH collected comments from nearly 1,300 Kentuckians living in 108 of Kentucky's 120 counties.

KVH also participates on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow, chaired by the Foundation. This grantee worked on updating a Cost of Smoking Brief and infographic, which the coalition is using to raise awareness on the economic and health impact of smoking.

Materials developed by KVH during this year:

Insure Kentucky Campaign materials, including Affordable Care Act impact data, American Health Care Act bill summary, analysis, fact sheets, talking points, and more

The KVH coalition has been involved in the development of the Kentucky Association of Community Health Workers (KYACHW) and participates in several local coalitions. The Community Health Workers Association is coordinating with Medicaid to design a pilot program for Medicaid reimbursement to CHWs.

4f6d65_915a8969aa844194ab06bde3e4faa557_

Enrollment Transition Data, Recommendations, News Releases
Health System Transformation (HST) materials, including engaging consumers & advocates, HST Academy Briefing Book, in collaboration with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center
Medicaid Waiver materials, including data, fact sheets, talking points, press releases, etc.
Video and Audio Stories

Kentucky Youth Advocates

Kentucky Youth Advocates supports the Foundation’s policy priority area of improving the health of Kentucky’s children through statewide policies. KYA celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2017.

18622309_10156161183232306_6398983053748

Some of the highlights from KYA’s work include:

Co-chairing the Children’s Health Technical Assistance Advisory Council to Medicaid.

Participating in the Steering Committee of the Smoke-Free Tomorrow Coalition and providing youth engagement for some of the smoke-free presentations, events and training.

Organizing the 13th Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol with approximately 1,000 participants, including the more than 200 young leaders.

For additional information about PRHP, please email our Senior Program Officer Amalia Mendoza at amendoza@health-ky.org.