Meeting the Need
To advance our mission, Altarum Institute has begun the multi-million dollar, self-funded Mission Projects Initiative. The purpose of the Mission Projects Initiative is to solve pressing health care issues using systems methods at the institutional, organizational, and community levels in partnership with the public and private sector. As a leading provider of systems research and consulting services to clients at the federal, state, and local levels, Altarum is uniquely positioned to use our experience with systems methods to improve public health in our nation.
Our Mission Projects
Starting in 2008, Altarum is investing over $7 million in the next two years for the first three Mission Projects. These first three Mission Projects are focused on:
- Developing systems changes to prevent childhood obesity
- Facilitating integration and coordination of community health and social services for veterans
- Fostering innovation in community health centers
These projects were chosen because they each present unique systems challenges whose improvement can impact the health, quality of life, and economic security of millions of Americans. Altarum is dedicating over $2 million in staff and other internal resources to each of these three projects.
These projects will develop demonstration and pilot programs designed to strengthen local systems and better coordinate and integrate existing activities and initiatives. Altarum will also join with stakeholders to collaboratively identify opportunities and implement strategies to build on existing strengths. Partners may include the local, state, and federal government; community organizations; nonprofit and volunteer organizations; academic researchers; corporate institutions; and others involved or affected.
What We Hope to Achieve
At the conclusion of these initial projects, we hope to have enacted systems changes that have improved the lives of the people in the communities and programs involved. By working closely with our partners, we also hope to ensure that the improvements made in each pilot project can be self-sustaining. The knowledge gained from these Mission Projects will be shared with other interested parties to inform the ongoing national efforts to address these three complex issues.