Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program
Population Health Project

Population Health

• • Aligning Investments to Improve Population Health
  • SHIP Population Health Project
  • Population Health Peer Group & Learning Community
  • Community Benefit & Health Improvement

To help hospitals identify and more effectively manage the health of NH’s high need populations, the NH Office of Rural Health and Primary Care partnered with the Foundation for Healthy Communities to implement the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Population Health Project (SHIP PHP).

As payment models shift from volume to value, hospitals are working to advance population health efforts within their institutions and improve the health of the communities they serve. Rural areas in particular have disproportionate numbers of older adults, higher rates of chronic conditions and are disproportionately impacted by socioeconomic factors that can present challenges to one’s ability to effectively manage their health.

Purpose: The purpose of the SHIP PHP is to advance population health efforts of NH’s Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to reduce health inequities and improve the health of high-risk populations.

Goals:

• Complete Population Health Assessments at each of NHs 13 CAHs
• Provide technical assistance and connect resources to assist CAHs to advance population health
• Build connections between CAHs and public health to link and align efforts to address priority needs for their regions

 

Current Project: Health Equity

Results from our 2022 Population Health Assessment revealed an opportunity to support NH’s Critical Access Hospitals in advancing health equity.  Current efforts include:

• Development and implementation of a health equity learning community.
• Connecting hospitals with the necessary tools and resources to help them achieve their health equity goals.
• Highlighting best practices and successful projects among our member hospitals.

 

Funding: The New Hampshire (NH) Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Population Health Project (SHIP PHP) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with funding by the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant, administered by the New Hampshire Office of Rural Health and Primary Care.

 

For more information, please contact Beth Gustafson Wheeler at (603) 415-4278.