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Recent Projects

The following are several community-based participatory projects completed over the past several years:

TALENT 2025

A project for TALENT 2025, a catalyst for the development of an integrated talent system to meet employer needs through an integrated talent development system designed to make West Michigan a magnet for both talent and jobs. Center staff created each of the indicators for the project, developing a system that permits easy comparisons in a statistically valid way to key benchmarks such as the US and Michigan. The system can be easily updated using existing data sources in a cost-effective way while providing baseline measurements from which to assess progress toward the goals.

To view the work - click on the icon below:

TALENT 2025

Fremont Area Community Foundation

A project providing an environmental assessment for stakeholders giving a deeper and more focused understanding of community needs. This work is being used to assist the FACF with appropriate investment decisions at the community level. Within FACF’s mission of improving the quality of life for people in Newaygo County, the focus of the project was to develop and map important summary measures to assist with monitoring community health and well-being.   By using the information provided from the student consultants’ analysis the overall goal of the project was simple - to better inform both grantors and grantees.  In essence, better ideas result in a wiser use of funds.  With this key tenet in mind, the work is envisioned as a tool for community advocates to visualize and develop appropriate interventions for creating healthy, inspired, and sustainable communities in Newaygo County.

To view the work - click on the icon below:

FACF FACF

Health Transportation Shortage Index

A project funded by the Children's Health Fund through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation - this research examined children's transportation barriers to primary health care services. Transportation barriers to healthcare services remain a frequently cited, but poorly understand phenomenon. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), we examined children’s emergency department (ED) admissions for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) by ZIP code in Texas. ACSCs are frequently used as a proxy for appropriate access to primary healthcare services because with good preventive care, hospitalizations should be avoided. Among the study findings were that the presence of transportation barriers and proximity to FQHCs are highly associated with ACSC rates while the greater availability of active PCPs has no impact. By understanding the spatial relationships between transportation barriers and primary care access, important factors associated with elevated ACSC rates can be identified and mapped using GIS. Policy makers can then target these areas to improve the availability of non-emergency medical transportation and/or deploy new healthcare resources.

To access the report - click on the icon below:

Health Transportation Shortage Index

Kent County Early Childhood Indicators

A project for First Steps of Kent County to develop and analyze a number of childhood indicators. These indicators were chosen as part of a process beginning in May 2010 to develop measures important to improving the lives of young children in our community. Four workgroups of community members came together to develop indicators
around four broad categories: physical and behavioral health, early care and education, parent education, and family support. Assisted by the Community Research Institute (CRI), these workgroups presented their recommendations to Kent County’s Great Start
Collaborative (GSC) in August. First Steps and the GSC then prioritized the recommended indicators in the fall of 2010 and commissioned CRI to begin developing these baseline indicators.

To access the report - click on the icon below:

Great Start Great Start

Community Health Needs Assessment

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (signed into law on March 23, 2010) imposes new requirements on tax-exempt hospitals. One such requirement is that each of these hospitals must conduct a community health needs assessment at least once every three taxable years and adopt an implementation strategy to appropriately address the needs identified by the assessment. The assessment itself must take into account input from a broad cross-section of the community served by the hospital, including those with special knowledge of or expertise in public health, and be made widely available to the public.

To access the report - click on the icon below:

Limestone County Needs Assesment

Food Insecurity in Kent County

A project to evaluate and assess a number of initiatives to improve the emergency food system in Kent County related to a 2008 study for the Kent County Essential Needs Task Force. The 2008 study made a number of recommendations related to Feeding America of West Michigan and ACCESS of West Michigan to improve capacities and the nutritional content of foods available to our most vulnerable citizens. This report details the outcomes of the progress made since 2008 and provides ongoing monitoring of the overall emergency food system in Kent County.

To access the report - click on the icon below:

Food Insecurity Food Insecurity