HEALTH
Assessment of Community Health and Social Services—In 1982, in response to questions about the adequacy of health care and human services in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, WRI, under contract to the New York State Department of Health, performed an analysis of the availability and utilization of community facilities. Particular emphasis was placed on residents perceptions of community facilities and their patterns of utilization. As part of the process of developing a community profile, WRI developed a model for obtaining resident information through a community survey based on random sampling.
Audiovisual Presentation for the New York City Management Welfare Fund—The Management Welfare Fund of the New York City Department of Employee Relations negotiated a policy allowing a significant increase in life insurance coverage, but finalization of the policy was contingent on participation by 60 percent of the Fund’s membership. To publicize the availability of this new coverage, in 1984 WRI produced a slide-tape program explaining how the program worked and what the benefits, as well as drawbacks, would be for people in different categories.
Audiovisual Program for Group Health Incorporated—In 1986, WRI produced an audiovisual presentation (single slide-tape) for Group Health Incorporated, a subscriber health insurance program based in New York State. The presentation described the major health and dental plans available to subscribers and also featured GHI’s cost-containment efforts in both areas. The 10-minute program was used as a tool for marketing presentations by GHI staff.
Audiovisual Program on Health Benefits for New York State Employees—In 1986, WRI production staff assisted the NYS Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) in developing slides and overhead transparencies that described changes in health care options for New York State employees. The slides and transparencies were accompanied by a script, developed by GOER, and presented in live narrator format.
Audiovisual Program on Obtaining a Second Surgical Opinion—In April 1983, the Statewide Plan insurance program for New York State public employees began requiring enrollees to obtain a second surgical opinion before undergoing certain elective surgical procedures. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Blue Cross/Blue Shield contracted with WRI to produce an educational slide-tape program to explain this requirement, and to encourage State employees to make use of the program’s continuing option of reimbursement for a second surgical opinion on all elective surgery.
Bedford-Stuyvesant/Crown Heights Reimbursement Demonstration—In the early 1980’s, New York State, through its Department of Social Services and the Office of Health Systems Management, conducted a three-year SSA Section 1115 demonstration program to test a unique Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement methodology in an effort to improve the delivery of health care in the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Crown Heights area of New York City. Three hospitals and several ambulatory care and community health centers participated in the demonstration. WRI monitored and provided technical assistance to this demonstration.
Bridges to Health Program Manual––The Bridges to Health (B2H) Program is designed to provide community-based health care services and supports to children in foster care. These services are provided through waivers granted by the federal government to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services for children with serious emotional disturbances and/or developmental disabilities, and medically fragile children. In 2007, WRI edited the manual, which provides comprehensive information on the program and how it works. This project was funded by Parsons Child and Family Center.
Child and Adolescent Health Profile—In collaboration with the New York State Department of Health and the Council on Children and Families, WRI conducted a three-year project to identify and integrate existing health data concerning children and adolescents for the purposes of monitoring their health status, obtaining an overview of their preventive and primary care needs, and monitoring the impact of current programs. Publications resulting from the project include the Profile report, the Resource Manual, Replication Manual, and an Annotated Bibliography. Conducted during the 1980’s, the project was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Congregate Care Health Services Manual—This manual was written for staff caring for children in congregate care facilities in New York City. Covering both medical and mental health services, the manual presents policies and procedures related to intake, health care maintenance, communicable diseases, medical conditions, emergencies, child abuse and maltreatment, medication administration, and discharge. Included in the appendices are lists of providers as well as medical standards and protocols. WRI helped develop, edit, and design the manual for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services in December 1998.
EPSDT Demonstration Program in Child Health—To improve the delivery of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) services in New York State, in 1978 WRI subcontracted with the Medical and Health Research Association to carry out a demonstration project. This project was aimed at initiating innovative approaches to outreach, case monitoring, and developmental screening, diagnosis, and treatment of children under six years of age eligible for EPSDT. The results of these new approaches were gauged by using two Child Health Station clinics in the South Bronx as study clinics and one as a control clinic.
EPSDT Planning and Evaluation Model—The federal government faced difficulties in evaluating the EPSDT program because of wide variation in program implementation and data support systems at the state and local levels. In 1975, WRI received funding from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to develop a model system for EPSDT reporting, planning, and evaluation at the federal, state, and local levels. This model demonstrated the possibility of modifying local level pediatric health data systems so that the required data could be obtained and utilized.
Evaluation of Public Service Employment in the Home Care Field—The State Communities Aid Association (SCAA) undertook a project to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of using CETA trainees as home health care workers. In 1980, WRI evaluated the effects of the project on the CETA trainees and on the provider agencies and examined the program’s potential for achieving economies in the delivery of health care services. Also examined was the project’s potential for achieving economies in welfare and other costs at the federal, state, and local levels.
Health Care Coordination for Children in Foster Care––This white paper on health care coordination for children in foster care was written by WRI in 2008. The purpose of the white paper is to outline the lessons learned through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services’ pilot project and to distribute information about viable models for care coordination in NYS foster care settings. The paper is included in an Information Letter (INF) to commissioners and executive directors of agencies around the state.
Health Care Outreach Campaign—The Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc. (MHRA) contracted with WRI to conduct a major Health Care Outreach Campaign in New York City. The 1990 campaign was designed to inform and educate individuals about the care and services they might need, to advertise the availability of these services through the Medicaid program for Medicaid-eligible individuals, and to motivate a change in behavior so that these individuals would practice healthy habits and seek appropriate services when necessary. A coordinated public relations strategy was used to introduce and facilitate implementation of the campaign which employed such tools as posters, transit cards, and brochures.
Health Services Manual for Foster Care Services—Targeted to health care and child welfare staff in agencies across the state, Working Together: Health Services for Children in Foster Care provides comprehensive information on health assessments, preventive health care, health care coordination, medication, consent, confidentiality, health care providers, recordkeeping, and payment issues. The manual is based on standards of health care developed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and New York State Department of Health; it also draws on guidelines and materials from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Welfare League of America. WRI provided development, editorial, and design support for the first edition printed in 2004 and for the 2009 edition.
Injury Prevention Program Evaluation—The New York City Department of Health (DOH) received a capacity-building grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a new injury prevention program within DOH, and conduct activities, such as collaboration-building, programmatic interventions, surveillance, and information dissemination, to reduce injuries. The evaluation report details the successes as well as the problems experienced by the program in seeking its objectives. In 1994, WRI received a grant from the New York City Department of Health to provide editorial and design assistance in the production of an evaluation report on the activities of the Injury Prevention Program (IPP) over its five-year grant period.
Medicaid Managed Care Plan—The New York City Office of Medicaid Managed Care asked WRI to compile and develop the mandated Medicaid Managed Care Plan for New York City. Published in November 1992, the Plan explains in detail the methods for meeting the city’s first-year goal of enrolling at least 10 percent of the eligible Medicaid population in managed care and outlines the approach for reaching the remaining recipients to fulfill the State’s mandate by the end of five years.
Medicaid Managed Care Proposal—In late 1995, WRI assisted The Bronx Health Plan with the development and submission of its proposal to the New York State Health Department to continue providing Medicaid managed care services in the Bronx. WRI coordinated the development, writing, and production of the multi-part proposal, which was successfully funded for continuation.
Medicaid Managed Care Special Needs Plan—In 1997, WRI assisted OPTIONS Health Care, Inc., a Mental Health Special Needs Plan (a type of Medicaid managed care plan), with the development and submission of its response to a Request for Information issued jointly by the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of Mental Health. The RFI was issued as part of the implementation of new legislation authorizing the establishment of SNPs to serve people with serious mental illness.
New York City Health Benefits Program—As a result of collective bargaining between New York City and its employee unions, the city’s Health Benefits Program was significantly changed. To inform public employees of the four basic plans and various options available to them, in 1986 the city contracted with WRI for the development of an informative slide-tape presentation on the program. The resulting program has become part of the city’s regular employee benefits presentation and has also been used as an educational tool by the concerned insurance companies and the employee unions.
New York City School Health Services Manual—WRI worked with the New York City Board of Education and the New York City Department of Health to develop a City-wide school health services manual in 1995. With funding from the Board of Education, WRI revised and updated material from previous manuals produced by the two agencies and integrated new information to reflect current health services programs in New York City schools. The manual was not published.
Preventive Health Care in Rural New York—Through a grant from the federal Community Services Administration and the New York State Department of Labor, the North Country Children’s Clinic in Watertown, New York, conducted a demonstration project in preventive health care and job training. The 1982 demonstration involved helping three rural community action agencies to establish health screening clinics and providing in-service training to help low-income people obtain jobs in health care and related services. WRI received a subcontract to monitor and evaluate the demonstration.
Production Assistance to the Fairfield/Westchester Business Group on Health— In 1985, WRI provided writing, editorial, design, photographic, and mechanical assistance to the Fairfield Westchester Business Group on Health in the production of public information and promotional materials related to rising health care costs for its member corporations.
Project Monitor for the Day Hospital in Rehabilitation Medicine—WRI conducted monitoring activities for a program aimed at providing rehabilitative services on an out-patient rather than an in-patient basis, with joint funding from Medicaid and Medicare. This monitoring required close work and cooperation with six major agencies responsible for providing or financing patient care. The 1978 report documents the formidable efforts required to alter established state and federal procedures for service delivery.
Queens Hospital Center Record Keeping Project—Complete and accurate medical records are essential not only to the physical well-being of patients but also to the efficiency of hospital administration. In 1983, New York’s Queens Hospital Center, an affiliate of Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, requested that WRI develop an orientation/training program for house staff in medical record keeping. The resulting training program consisted of an audiovisual presentation and a comprehensive forms package covering patient intake and discharge, patient progress reports, and surgical reports.
Recruitment, Retention, and Training of Health Care Workers—In 1992, WRI analyzed fiscal and organizational issues surrounding the role of Nurse Referrals, Inc. in relation to the Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Licensed Home Health Agency. The resulting report described recent developments regarding the nurse workforce in New York City and made recommendations from a fiscal and non-fiscal point of view.
West Harlem Community Services Center Project—The West Harlem Center for Comprehensive Services was designed to bring preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services in health and social services into one facility. In 1981, WRI contracted to provide technical assistance in the form of grant writing and program planning for the development of a comprehensive community services center in West Harlem, New York.
