NFF’s ARCH Selects CBO Network Participants and Advisory Group

NEW YORK, April 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Addressing the social determinants of health improves lives and saves money by creating conditions that keep people healthy, but coordinating and funding community health efforts is complex. Nonprofit Finance Fund’s ARCH initiative (Advancing Resilience and Community Health) aims to improve how money and services are aligned across traditionally separate healthcare and social services systems to enhance community wellness, and to build the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to sustainably deliver a range of interrelated services.

Through ARCH, Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) will partner with newly selected networks of nonprofit CBOs to develop fair financial agreements with healthcare institutions and other elements of effective partnerships that hold the keys to better health.  An Advisory Group will actively support the ARCH program with targeted knowledge and expertise.

“We understand why partnerships that address social determinants of health are needed; now, we’re working to make them a reality and, ultimately, to advance health equity across the country,” said Nima Krodel, Vice President, Advisory Services, NFF. “Improving health and well-being broadly involves both strategic and highly technical challenges. We have to develop fair and compelling contracts, improve integration of data and services, and always keep consumers at the center of our efforts.”

NFF is working with three networks of nonprofit community-based organizations to develop new contracts, payment models, and partnership approaches with healthcare institutions, including hospital systems and other payors. These networks bring deep understanding of community assets and needs.

• EngageWell IPA is a coalition of community-based providers in New York City that offers comprehensive, integrated services to address complex medical and behavioral health needs and unmet social determinants of health, including food, housing and economic insecurity.
• Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) is a Twin Cities, Minnesota collaborative network composed of 50 human-services nonprofits addressing housing, food insecurity, mental health, education, and more. MACC is building the infrastructure and capacity necessary to nurture trust, develop partnerships, and support the business relationships between CBOs and healthcare organizations.
• Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH) is a collaborative of community providers and funders in the Charlottesville, Virginia, area. TJACH is committed to improving health outcomes and housing stability for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, and to reduce inappropriate use of local emergency departments through supportive housing services.

ARCH’s advisory group members, representing a range of fields, will provide advice, market intelligence, and expertise as participants pursue partnerships that will bring health-boosting services to more people. They include:

• Anna Barnes, Illinois Public Health Institute
• Tamar Bauer, TB Consulting Inc. and Entrepreneur in Residence, Project Evident
• Stephanie Burdick, Patient Consumer Advocate
• Lauran Hardin, National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs
• Deborah Kozick, Center for Health Care Strategies
• Jean Flatley McGuire, Northeastern University
• Marisa Scala-Foley, Aging and Disability Business Institute, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
• Sandra Viera, Prevention Institute

ARCH participants will share their experiences – what’s working and what isn’t – as they work to build partnerships for better health. We’ll be sharing resources, stories, and more for other CBO networks and healthcare stakeholders to learn along the way.  The first set of resources captures an overview of the initiative and a snapshot of CBO network characteristics from across the United States – all available at https://nff.org/sdoh-partnerships.

ARCH is supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

For more information, please get in touch at health@nff.org.

About NFF
Nonprofit Finance Fund^® (NFF^®) advances missions and social progress in underserved communities through financing, consulting, partnerships, and knowledge-sharing. A leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), NFF currently manages over $329 million. Since 1980, we have provided almost $871 million in financing and access to additional capital in support of over $2.9 billion in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

Media contact:
Tricia McKenna for Nonprofit Finance Fund
tmckenna@nff.org
617-553-8020