Community Transformation Grants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been charged with establishing the Community Transformation Grant as funded by the Affordable Care Act and Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Rhode Island Department of Health is applying for 2 grants under "Category B - Implementation" - one on behalf of of Providence County and one for the rest of the state. (Only one application per geographic area will be funded. )

Purpose

To prevent heart attack, strokes, cancer and other leading causes of death or disability through evidence and practice-based policy, environmental, programmatic, and infrastructure changes that achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities.

Community Transformation Grant Strategic Directions

1. Tobacco Free Living
2. Active Living and Healthy Eating
3. Increase use of High Impact Quality Clinical Preventive Services (HBP & Cholesterol)
4. Social and Emotional Wellness
5. Healthy and Safe Physical Environments

Community Stakeholder Feedback

The strength and breadth of existing multi-sector collaborations are critical to cohesive and coordinated activities that mutually support healthy communities, and will be critical to success. The department encouraged community stakeholders to tell us how their capacities and prioirities for addressing grant related strategic directions to help us shape our grant application and to identify potential partners. Thirty-seven organzations filled out a feedback form as part of the grant process to let us know what their priorities and capabilities were. (more)

Eligibility Criteria

• Only entities with written support from Departments of Health and serving either large counties of > 500,000 population, the entire state, or the rest of the state (state minus large counties) are eligible to apply.

Timeline

• Community Feedback Deadline June 13, 2011
• Grant Application Submission Deadline July 13, 2011

Funding Amount

• Grants may range from $500,000 to $10 million annually depending on size of population to be covered and burden of disease.
• Half of the funds must be directed to local areas to address Strategic Directions of:
  • Tobacco Free Living;
  • Active Living and Healthy Eating;
  • Increasing the use of High Impact Quality Clinical Preventive Services (High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol).

Process

If funded, we will submit a 5-year Community Transformation Implementation Plan, develop a sustainability plan, and document partner and community engagement.   Performance measures will include changes in weight, proper nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use prevalence, and emotional well-being and overall mental health among targeted populations of the state.