NJ Department of Health Seeks 2017 Population Health Heroes

New Jersey Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett Feb. 2, 2017 announced that the Department is seeking applications for its first Population Health Heroes Awards to recognize New Jersey’s innovative leaders who are making system, policy and environmental changes that improve health.
“Across the state, there is incredible work being done to keep the well healthy, support those at risk for health problems and prevent those with chronic conditions from getting sicker,” Commissioner Bennett said. “The goal of these awards is to discover and showcase the work of an individual, group, business, municipality, county, faith-based or other community organization that has successfully implemented a program or intervention that has made a measurable difference in health outcomes for our residents.”
Awards will be given in six categories: Individual/Clinician; Municipal/County Organization/Coalition; Health Care Provider Institution; Community/Faith-Based Organization; Private Sector Institution/Organization; and Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration.
Applications are due March 8, 2017 and available at http://www.nj.gov/health/populationhealth/documents/2017_population_health_hero_award_application.pdf. Winners will be announced at the 2017 Population Health Summit in June. The Department’s Office of Population Health, which was created in 2015, is sponsoring the awards program.
Population health interventions strive to improve the health outcomes of a defined population, such as employees in a business, patients served by a health care provider, residents of a community or people with specific diseases like diabetes or obesity within a community or faith-based group.
Examples may include:
• Collaborations among diverse groups that improve access to healthy food or physical activity such as farmers’ markets, community gardens, Breakfast After the Bell, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to Schools or restoration of parks or other recreational spaces through the Green Acres program
• Implementation of a community-based educational program that simplifies managing through a chronic condition
• A school district that partners with a community-based organization or a local transportation authority to improve accessible walking paths for students
• A technology, tool or system that improves patient safety, follow-up care or access to healthy food/physical activity such as telehealth, mobile vans or workplace wellness efforts among employers
• Collaborations that promote inclusion and maintenance of vulnerable residents in their communities
Judges will consider the following criteria when evaluating submissions:
• Measurable population health impact or outcome
• Efforts uniting government and community level constituents
• Demonstrated innovative health education/promotion practices at the community, municipal, county or state level
• Use of evidence-based interventions or innovations that improve population health
• Approaches that address diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, health literacy and other communication needs of vulnerable populations
• Changes in organizational culture, policies and procedures that enhance or expand access to services
Submissions that are not focused primarily on a New Jersey–based population will not be considered. Only programs which are active or completed within the past year will be considered.
Follow the New Jersey Department of Health on Twitter at twitter.com/NJDeptofHealth and on Facebook at facebook.com/NJDeptofHealth.