United Way Receives $100,000 Competitive Grant From Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) — an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Hartford, Conn. (June 21, 2021) — Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH), led by the Illinois Public Health Institute and Michigan Public Health Institute, has awarded $100,000 to United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut through a competitive grant process to build a framework for health data collection and measurement to improve overall health and wellbeing among Connecticut residents.

United Way currently leads and convenes cross-sector partners through the North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative (NHTAC). The team serves as a bridge between social services and clinical health to support the overall wellbeing of North Hartford residents. The award from DASH will expand some of the current efforts, statewide.  

“We are honored to have been selected as one of six recipients nationally to receive funding from DASH,” said Paula S. Gilberto, President and CEO, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. “Awards like this one accelerate our progress and allow us to use data to invest in solutions that work. We are proud to partner with the Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut Health Information Exchange (Connie), Connecticut Office of Health Strategy, DataHaven, Trinity Health of New England, and Wellville to advance health data infrastructure for equitable well-being improvement initiatives in the state.”  

Nationally, this award is part of the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP) program developed by DASH, in partnership with Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). The objective of LAPP is to facilitate aligned efforts among multi-sector community and state partners that will build a foundation for sustainable policy and systems change. This award will provide access to funding and support to advance an existing, clearly defined project that aims to improve health, well-being, and equity with a policy or systems-change lens for sustainable impact. 

 “Data is an essential component in understanding where one should target a strategy, or if an intervention should persevere or pivot,” said Kelly Sinko, Director of Health Innovation, Connecticut Office of Health Strategy. “This grant allows a pathway to be laid out giving Health Enhancement Communities and other entities throughout the state a plan to create a better flow and level of data to redress health inequities and social determinants of health.” 

“Ensuring that everyone in Connecticut has the opportunity to achieve their full potential  when it comes to health and well-being will make the state more prosperous and prepared for future pandemics,” said Mark Abraham, Executive Director of DataHaven, a New Haven-based non-profit organization. “DataHaven is excited to help drive this new project, which will build on the important work that state agencies and community-based organizations are doing to improve access to information regarding community well-being in Connecticut.” 

About Data Across Sectors for Health  

Supported through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by the Illinois Public Health Institute and the Michigan Public Health Institute, DASH supports collaborations that work together to improve the health of their communities, promote health equity, and contribute to a Culture of Health by strengthening information-sharing systems, engaging additional sectors and community members, and building sustainable capacity to work collaboratively toward community goals. DASH shares lessons learned from awardees to create a body of knowledge and advance this emerging field of sharing data and information across and beyond traditional health sectors, and leverages peer-to-peer connection opportunities to spread innovative approaches that address the root causes of inequity and poor health. The home for this network of dissemination is All In: Data for Community Health. 

About United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut

United Way brings people and resources together to address immediate needs and finds long-term solutions for the wellbeing of children and families. For more information about United Way and ways to partner visit: https://unitedwayinc.org/get-involved/for-companies/.

About North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative

The North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative (NHTAC) is a place-based collaboration among health-focused city leaders, residents and organizations to improve equitable well-being in North Hartford, Hartford and the region more broadly. By hosting this collaborative, the United Way works with partners to advance a portfolio of interrelated policy, system and environment interventions to increase well-being in the city and region.