BUILD Health Challenge Awards Announced

On June 9^th, the BUILD Health Challenge held an event to announce grants to 18 communities for innovative projects to improve health in low-income communities. Created by the Advisory Board Company, the de Beaumont Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the challenge encourages partnerships between local non-profits, hospitals and public health systems.

Keynote speaker Karen DeSalvo, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, congratulated the winners for their contributions to reorienting the traditional model of public health.  In addition, she shared some of her experiences as the Director of Health in New Orleans working with others in the health department to increase residents’ access to healthcare after Hurricane Katrina. She stressed however that focusing on upstream factors—including economic development, housing, jobs, and reducing violence—have just as strong an impact on how well and how long we live.

Chosen from more than 300 applicants, the winning communities’ projects embodied the BUILD approach—Bold, Upstream, Integrated, Local and Data-driven initiatives. Seven implementation awardees will receive $250,000 over two years to support existing work and expand impact. Eleven planning awardees received $75,000 to begin work addressing specific challenges. In addition to monetary awards, the challenge will provide technical assistance and a wealth of resources from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps,  Practical Playbook, and the Prevention Institute.

Implementation grants were awarded to the following communities:

Bronx, New York                             

Cleveland, Ohio               

Des Moines, Iowa                           

Pasadena, Texas

 Ontario, California                          

Albuquerque, New Mexico

San Pablo, California

Planning grants were awarded to the following communities:

Springfield, Massachusetts

Baltimore, Maryland

Colorado Springs, Colorado        

Miami, Florida

Detroit, Michigan                            

Seattle, Washington

Chicago, Illinois                                                

Aurora, Colorado

Denver, Colorado           

Los Angeles, California

Portland, Oregon