Q & AHow did Steps to a Healthier New Orleans come to be?
President George W. Bush, recognizing that America needed to improve its public health capacity, launched a new initiative called Steps to a Healthier US. On September 18, 2003 Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson announced a grant program for large cities and states to to address asthma, diabetes, obesity and tobacco use.
Amid stiff competition, the City of New Orleans was awarded a grant for $1,213,351 for the first year of the five-year program from the Centers for Disease Control, the federal agency administering the grant program on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services. New Orleans was one of just 7 cities chosen from the 85 cities applying for the grant, and was chosen based on the strength of its proposal, and the gravity of need documented in the priority health areas. As it was conceived in the grant proposal, once the award was made the City of New Orleans entered into a partnership agreement with Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) to administer grant funds, hire the program staff and coordinate program implementation.
During the first year, LPHI concentrated on coordinating the development of a robust and inclusive Community Action Plan to guide implementation, hiring a top notch program staff, executing contractual agreements with participating community organizations, and launching multiple other program components. Hence, Steps was born as a centerpiece of the City’s response to the growing health crises of diabetes, asthma, and obesity. What is the role of The City of New Orleans?
The City of New Orleans is the recipient of the CDC grant. The City is ultimately accountable to the CDC for good stewardship of the tax dollars that pay for Steps.
What is the role of the Louisiana Public Health Institute?
The Louisiana Public Health Institute is a non-profit public health organization that specializes in building public/private partnerships to improve health in the State of Louisiana. LPHI entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the City of New Orleans which designates LPHI as the organization that administers the grant funds, hiring processes, and the operations of Steps. In addition to taking on the responsibility of implementing CDC-funded initiatives, the resources of complementary LPHI programs are brought to bear on Steps initiatives where appropriate. LPHI Web Site. What is the role of the Leadership Team?
The Leadership Team oversees program implementation and assures that Steps initiatives are consistent with best practices in public health. Using a set of priority program indicators the Leadership Team tracks and guides program implementation. The leadership team is consists of:
Thomas Farley, MD MPH (Chair)
Chair, Dep. of Community Health Sciences
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Carla Allen
(Community Representative)
Fit for Life
Joe Kimbrell
Executive Director
Louisiana Public Health Institute
Vincent Nzinga
(Community Representative)
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
Cleveland Moore, MD
Department of Pediatrics
LSU Health Sciences Center
Elizabeth Scheer
Health Grants Program Director
Baptist Community Ministries
Kevin Stephens, MD JD
Director of Health
New Orleans Health Department
Vicki Scanlan-Leishman
Louisiana Office of Public Health
Chronic Disease Section
Clayton Williams, MPH
(Ex-Officio Member)
Director of Urban Health
Louisiana Public Health Institute
Carolyn R. Fernandez
(Ex-Officio Member)
Program Director, Steps
Louisiana Public Health Institute
What is the role of the Community Consortium?
The Community Consortium grew out of the City’s Chronic Disease Taskforce, one of 6 taskforces established by Mayor C. Ray Nagin to address the health of the citizens of New Orleans upon taking office. Divided into workgroups, the Community Consortium created the five-year Community Action Plan, and now participates in its implementation. Over 70 organizational and community representatives make up the Consortium. The workgroups are school health, asthma care, neighborhood environment, community-based health promotion, diabetes clinical care, evaluation and media. What is the Community Action Plan?
The plans that each community workgroup devised are compiled into what is now known as the Community Action Plan. Approved by the Leadership Team, the Community Action Plan contains the goals, strategies and activities of Steps, and acts as a road map for every year of the grant. How is the budget determined?
The overall amount of funds awarded to the City is determined by the federal government based on what Congress and the President make available for the program. The annual budget is determined by the Program Director in collaboration with the City of New Orleans, and allocates available resources according to the programmatic priorities set by the Community Consortium and the Leadership Team. |
