As an independent non-profit organization, CHI is uniquely situated to provide non-biased health policy analysis and engage multiple stakeholders in discussion and action. Examples of our health policy work include:
- Conducting a Health Impact Assessment of the quality and quantity of food available to low income families in New Mexico. The findings and recommendations resulting from the Health Impact Assessment will be published in a full report, scheduled to be distributed in September 2015;
- Developing new financing and service models to strengthen and expand the roles of Community Health Workers, both in clinical health care and in community health more broadly. CHI, the University of NM Office of Community Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NM and Molina Health Plan of NM are working together to develop a care coordination and community health delivery model and a payment system called the Medicaid Community Health Worker program. This new care delivery and payment model will be piloted beginning July 1, 2015 in Albuquerque, NM and in frontier southwestern NM. Our Patient and Community Health Support Systems model provides a foundation for this initiative;
- Creating models for health care workforce development in underserved communities. Research has shown that medical students who are from poor, rural and minority communities, or who receive training in these communities, are more likely stay and practice in those places. Based on this research, CHI developed the FORWARD NM model for communities to “Grow Their Own” health care professionals;