LAPP II: Press Release
Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP)
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), is pleased to launch the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP) program.
LAPP I: 2021-2022 Grantees from six states, in LAPP’s first cohort, will receive funding and technical assistance to enhance community data sharing capabilities and foster relationships between state governments, community based-organizations, and community members. The initiative was developed with strategic planning and key insights from federal and state officials, community-based organization leaders, subject matter experts, and community members.
LAPP II: 2022-2022
The purpose of this second round of funding for the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP) grant is to support coordinated local or state government and community partnerships as they leverage COVID-19 relief funds to advance policies for data-sharing and data-integration efforts, improve a culture of health and advance equity, and, importantly, inform state policy development.
Announcing LAPP Round 2:
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FOCUS ON COVID RELIEF PLANNING TO SUPPORT MULTI-SECTOR DATA SHARING IMPROVING HEALTH, EQUITY, AND WELL-BEING.
Five communities receive grants to align COVID relief planning to advance data-sharing and inform policy development.
Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH), announced the second round of funding as part of the ongoing national effort to advance health, equity, and well-being through data sharing partnerships between communities and states. The program, called Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships, is led by DASH, a collaboration between the Illinois Public Health Institute and its Michigan counterpart, MPHI; in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). DASH is an initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
In this second round of LAPP funding, DASH is granting $80,000, each, to five awardees to support sustainable, coordinated local or state government and community partnerships as they leverage COVID-19 relief funds to advance policies for data sharing and data-integration efforts, improve a culture of health, and advance equity, and, importantly, inform state policy development.
“Evolving state data systems to reflect community-led definitions of well-being is essential to achieve a just and equitable future. The LAPP/DASH partnership is supporting Washington in creating a state culture and process that values the expertise of people and communities historically excluded from well-being in decision-making.” Lori Pfingst, Senior Director, Office of the Secretary at Washington State DSHS (LAPP Round 1 Grantee)
In 2021, the LAPP program broke ground with six states who are utilizing funds, resources, and technical assistance to enhance community data-sharing capabilities and foster relationships between state government, community-based organizations, and community members.
2022 projects include:
Nebraska (led by Cync Health): Developing a Roadmap for Democratizing Data for Housing and Homelessness Leveraging COVID-19 Funding
New Mexico (led by the Center for Health Innovation): Support for Creation of Statewide Food, Hunger and Farm Data Infrastructure to Address Hunger and Food and Water Insecurity Worsened by COVID-19
Georgia (led by ARCHI (Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement): Invert the Burden: How to Build a More Equitable Service Access System to Address Persistent Inequities in Metro Atlanta.
Utah (led by San Juan County): Removing Barriers Utilizing Greater Digitization to Advance Navajo Elder Services in Coordinating Truly Wraparound Care and Services in San Juan.
Connecticut (led by Connecticut Data Collaborative, CT DATA): Hartford Data Collaborative Behavioral Health Indicators for City Youth
DASH’s experience and engagement with community, state, and national thought leaders suggests that leveraging the power and influence of state agencies is a key opportunity to support and amplify existing community relationships and data sharing initiatives, while simultaneously helping states achieve their goals related to improving population health and health equity.
"Community members experiencing systemic health disparities are uniquely qualified to identify and implement equitable solutions. Equitable Spaces is encouraged that LAPP II created opportunities for those with this lived expertise to participate in the selection process of their partner grantees, demonstrating the project's commitment to honor, value, and incorporate the knowledge and perspectives of those who have been historically sidelined in the decisions surrounding the policies and programs that directly impact their lives." Jimmieka Mills & Diane Sullivan, Equitable Spaces
With the LAPP Program, DASH hopes to continue its core support of multi-sector collaboration and data sharing efforts and leverage these lessons to identify powerful policy and system change opportunities. The LAPP initiative was developed with guidance from federal and state officials, community-based organization leaders, subject matter experts, and community members.
PURPOSE
The aim of this effort is to enable communities to develop community-state partnerships to better inform inclusive policy and systems alignment at both the community and state level.
Increasingly, communities are testing new ways to improve health, well-being, and equity by sharing data among public health, health care, and social services systems. In addition to leading data-sharing efforts at a local level, community partners can also connect with state policymakers that have various tools and “levers” at their disposal to support these efforts to improve health, especially within communities most at risk of inequities. For example, these levers include:
Data access: community-level data can drive integration and inform state policy, and states may have data that is needed by communities.
Policy and legal clarity: states can clarify and amend as warranted the regulations that govern how and what data can be shared.
Shared services and systems: states may develop or purchase systems that can be made available to communities (e.g., health information exchanges, social services referral platforms).
Interoperability rules: communities and states may play a role in developing standards or guidance to ensure data can be linked across sectors.
Financing: states can change how services are paid for and what metrics need to be captured to align incentives and accountability; and support communities’ sustainable infrastructure development.
MCO contracting: states can integrate language into Managed Care Organization (MCO) contracts that encourage collaboration with communities (e.g., social services referrals).
Sharing data across sectors and building relationships among community and state partners can inform decision making to improve community health and wellbeing, strengthen systems of care, and break down silos that perpetuate disparities and poor health.