Affordable Care Act funds to help create healthier U.S. communities

Funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations to apply for more than $4 million in cooperative agreements. The announcement comes the same day the Obama Administration unveiled the National Prevention Strategy, which outlines the ways that public and private partners can help Americans stay healthy and fit and improve our nation’s prosperity. Community-based organizations will play a key role in building a healthier nation, and these funds will help support, disseminate, and amplify the evidence-based strategies of the Community Transformation Grants (CTG) program in communities nationwide, including rural and frontier areas and in those areas with health disparities.

Last month, HHS announced availability of more than $100 million in first year funding for CTGs, aimed at empowering communities to implement projects proven to reduce chronic diseases – such as diabetes and heart disease. By promoting healthy lifestyles and communities, especially among population groups experiencing the greatest burden of chronic disease, CTGs will help improve health, reduce health disparities, and lower health care costs.

CTGs focus on implementing evidence-based strategies in five priority areas: 1) tobacco-free living; 2) active living and healthy eating; 3) evidence-based quality clinical and other preventive services, specifically prevention and control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol; 4) social and emotional wellness, such as facilitating early identification of mental health needs and access to quality services, especially for people with chronic conditions; and 5) healthy and safe physical environments.

Communities may also address additional areas of disease prevention and health promotion that will contribute to the overall goal of reducing chronic disease rates. These areas include adolescent health; arthritis and osteoporosis; cancer; diabetes; disabilities and secondary conditions; educational and community-based services; environmental health; HIV; injury and violence prevention; maternal, infant, and child health; mental health and mental disorders; health of older adults; oral health; and sexually transmitted diseases.

National networks of community-based organizations with activities in at least 85-percent of U.S. states and territories are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity announcement. Minority serving organizations that have local affiliates and chapters in at least four states and have the ability to reach at least 30-percent of their selected racial and ethnic population are also eligible to apply for funding.

“National networks of community-based organizations are uniquely suited to expand the reach and impact of the Community Transformation Grants program and ensure this will truly be a nationwide program,” said Secretary Sebelius. “This opportunity is one of many steps HHS is taking to put Americans on track to live longer, healthier lives while reducing health care costs.”

Funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, the funds will be awarded through a competitive agreement process to support, disseminate and amplify the reach of the CTGs.

- Support: Funded entities will engage and collaborate with other sectors including non-health sectors (such as education, city/county planning, transportation, civic and faith organizations, city and county officials, health care providers, and other nonprofit organizations) to advance the goals of the CTG program nationally.
- Disseminate: Funded entities will disseminate CTG strategies within their national network of local affiliates.
- Amplify: Funded entities will accelerate the spread and reach of the CTG program by providing small amounts of funding to local affiliates to assess the health of communities and establish and act upon local health priorities.

“It is critical that we sustain our work to develop and extend effective programs that address leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which oversees the Community Transformation Grants program. “These funds will allow us to build on successful program models that have helped people lead healthier lives and help us save millions in health care costs in the future.”

This announcement comes during Prevention & Wellness Month, as the Obama Administration is highlighting announcements, activities, and tips that will help Americans get healthy and stay healthy. Just this morning, the National Prevention Council released the National Prevention Strategy, America’s plan to help increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. The CTGs are one piece of a broader effort to address the health and well-being of our communities through initiatives such as the President’s Childhood Obesity Task Force, the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, the National Quality Strategy, and HHS’ Communities Putting Prevention to Work program. The Prevention and Public Health Fund, as part of the Affordable Care Act, is supporting this and other initiatives designed to expand and sustain the necessary capacity to prevent disease, detect it early, manage conditions before they become severe, and provide states and communities the resources they need to promote healthy living.

National networks of community-based organizations interested in applying for National Dissemination and Support for Community Transformation Grants cooperative agreements can find more information at www.grants.gov by searching for CDC-RFA-DP11-1115PPHF11. The application deadline is July 22, 2011.

To learn more about this funding opportunity announcement, visit: www.cdc.gov/communitytransformation/network.

For more information about how the Prevention and Public Health Fund is helping promote prevention in every State, visit www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/prevention02092011a.html.