Health Resources in Action
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| Health Resources in Action | |
|---|---|
| Name | Health Resources in Action |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Key people | Karen H. Schmitt |
| Focus | Public health, community health, research translation |
Health Resources in Action
Health Resources in Action is a Boston-based nonprofit public health organization involved in community health initiatives, program evaluation, and policy advocacy. Founded in the mid-1990s, it works with local, state, national, and international partners to translate research into practice across clinical, behavioral, and social determinants of health settings. Its activities intersect with academic institutions, philanthropic foundations, municipal agencies, and global health programs.
History
Founded during a period of health services expansion in the 1990s, the organization emerged amid debates exemplified by Health Maintenance Organization Act-era reforms and initiatives in public health practice linked to institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization. Early collaborations included projects with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and municipal governments like the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Over time it engaged with networks connected to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, American Public Health Association, Institute of Medicine (US), and regional consortia associated with Boston University, Tufts University, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Major milestones paralleled initiatives such as the expansion of Medicaid waivers, implementation of Healthy People objectives, and responses to public health emergencies including outbreaks tracked by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and global responses coordinated by World Health Organization.
Mission and Programs
The stated mission aligns with translational public health objectives promoted by entities like National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Commonwealth Fund—focusing on program design, evaluation, workforce development, and community engagement. Program areas have interfaced with chronic disease efforts similar to campaigns run by American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and initiatives modeled after Million Hearts, as well as behavioral health projects resonant with work by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institute of Mental Health. Other programs address social determinants through partnerships resembling collaborations with United Way Worldwide, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and local health departments such as the Boston Public Health Commission.
Organizational Structure
The organization’s governance mirrors nonprofit models found at institutions like The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Commonwealth Fund, with a board of directors, executive leadership, program teams, and evaluation units. Staffing and advisory arrangements have included experts with affiliations to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and university-based centers such as the Harvard Medical School and MIT. Administrative functions coordinate grant management consistent with standards from National Science Foundation and reporting expectations of funders like MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Foundations.
Funding and Partnerships
Funding sources typically combine charitable foundations, government contracts, and fee-for-service engagements comparable to arrangements with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, philanthropic donors such as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and corporate partners similar to Blue Cross Blue Shield Association or health systems like Partners HealthCare (Mass General Brigham). Partnerships have spanned academic research collaborations with Harvard University, Boston University School of Public Health, and international linkages paralleling work with World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization.
Impact and Evaluations
Impact assessments reflect evaluation practices used by organizations like Pew Charitable Trusts, Mathematica Policy Research, and academic centers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Program evaluations have been reported in contexts similar to peer-reviewed outlets affiliated with The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and American Journal of Public Health. Metrics and performance indicators draw on frameworks from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and population health measurement approaches used by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and OECD comparative studies.
Notable Initiatives and Campaigns
Notable efforts mirror large-scale public health campaigns and pilot projects such as community-based interventions akin to Million Hearts, vaccination and outbreak response work paralleling Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and prevention programs resembling those of the American Cancer Society. Campaigns have involved communications and stakeholder engagement strategies like those employed by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, policy advocacy tactics used by Trust for America’s Health, and cross-sector convenings similar to programs led by Brookings Institution or Harvard Kennedy School. Collaborative projects have included coalitions and task forces with partners such as Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, United Way, and regional hospital systems like Brigham and Women’s Hospital.