Partners in Change
Imagine the collective expertise, experience, and energy of Hartford’s grantees and scholars, across disciplines and generations, brought to bear on making real and sustainable practice change. Or a regional health care system that integrates social services to create high quality care for older patients. Or a workforce of direct care workers who are well-trained and fairly compensated to care for our most vulnerable older Americans.
Fact: 25,000:1 - the ratio of annual Medicare spending to the Hartford Foundation’s grant payments.
The Hartford Foundation has imagined all of those things, and more, expressions of a new strategic plan that focuses on putting geriatrics expertise to work and driving changes in how healthcare is delivered to older adults and their families. Partnerships are more important than ever as the Foundation now organizes its grantmaking in five core areas:
- Interprofessional Leadership in Action
- Linking Education and Practice
- Developing and Disseminating Models of Care
- Tools and Measures for Quality Care
- Policy and Communications
Perhaps one test of partnership is when strong partners in old enterprises are willing to join in new and relatively untested efforts.
In 2012, the Hartford Foundation began transitioning its grantmaking from its traditional efforts in academic capacity building (faculty and curricular investments) to a set of strategies focused on making change in the way health care is delivered to older adults. As you have read, the Foundation’s historic partners are crucial for a graceful transition and will be key in helping us realize our new strategic vision in the practice environment.
We would like to now showcase three examples of partners advancing our new practice-driven vision to improve the health of older Americans.