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Category: Virginia Initiatives

Brightpoint Community College Foundation

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Brightpoint Community College Foundation

IPHI is helping to build a regional healthcare workforce partnership in the GoVirginia Region 4, with funding from the Brightpoint Community College Foundation. This important initiative brings together leaders from across different sectors to strengthen the pipeline for high-demand healthcare careers.

IPHI is strengthening healthcare workforce pipelines in GoVirginia Region 4 by partnering with the Brightpoint Community College Foundation to convene key stakeholders and identify strategic opportunities for training, employment, and long-term collaboration.

The GoVirginia Region 4 consists of the cities Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond; and the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex.

By convening stakeholders from education, government, healthcare, and community organizations, our team is identifying the barriers and opportunities within training and employment pathways. This collaborative effort helps local leaders use data, relationships, and strategic insights to:

  • Create a clear path for individuals to enter and advance in the healthcare field.
  • Open up new opportunities for community members to access well-paying, stable jobs.
  • Build lasting relationships and strategies that will sustain the partnership for years to come.

Ultimately, this work is designed to equip local communities with the tools and partnerships needed to meet the growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals, ensuring a healthier and more prosperous future for everyone.

To learn more about IPHI’s work with the Brightpoint Community College Foundation, please contact Joanna Davis at [email protected].

Strategic Communications and Branding

Elevate Your Mission Through Powerful Communication

At the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), we understand that clear, compelling communication and a strong brand are essential for any organization aiming to make a lasting impact. Leveraging almost two decades of award-winning experience in public health and non-profit communications, IPHI is now offering specialized strategic communications and branding services to help organizations amplify their mission, engage stakeholders, and achieve their goals.

Why Partner with IPHI?

Our expertise isn’t just theoretical; it’s built on a proven track record of tangible results and recognized leadership in the field.

  • Proven Impact: We have successfully transformed organizational brands, leading to significant increases in digital engagement. For example, we’ve driven a 375% increase in organic social media outreach and a 1054% increase in website traffic for our own initiatives.
  • Award-Winning Expertise: Our team includes accredited professionals recognized as “Top 40 Under 40” by PRWeek, honored for excellence in healthcare communications by PRNews, and Health Excellence Award for Strategy and Research by the Mid-Atlantic Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (MASHSMD).
  • Deep Sector Knowledge: With lived experience and academic expertise in public health, non-profit, and government sectors, we bring a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities specific to mission-driven organizations.

For more information, visit the Strategic Communications and Branding Case Study.

Our Services

We offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet your organization’s unique communication and branding needs:

Brand Creation and Refresh

Was your brand launched 10+ years ago?

A brand refresh or rebrand should be considered every 7-10 years, or sooner if there are significant shifts in the business, target audience, or industry. Now might be a good time to evaluate if your brand still reflects who you are.

From developing core messaging to visual identity, we will help you build a distinctive and memorable brand that resonates with your audience.

Strategic Communications Planning

Are you looking to increase awareness, engagement, or response?

Let us help you create social media content strategies, optimize your online presence, and measure impact to maximize organic reach and engagement. We will develop a measurable communication plan that aligns with your organizational objectives and goals.

Communication Audit and Evaluation:

How many social media pages does your company have? Do you have a pulse on how many flyers, brochures, or URLs are directing to your site?

An effective communication audit goes beyond website hits and social media followers. Our award-winning team will evaluate your true communication footprint by evaluating your earned, owned, and shared outreach and provide data-driven recommendations.

Communications Training and Workshops

Don’t have time or budget for a two-day conference or to study for another accreditation? Are you looking for quick insight to enhance your communications team?

Empower your staff with the skills and tools for effective outreach with a communications workshop. Workshops can include media training, brand guidelines, and simple tools to evaluate and measure your organization’s footprint.

Our Approach

We believe in a collaborative, data-driven approach. We work closely with your team to understand your vision, assess your current ecosystem, and develop customized strategies that deliver measurable results. Our goal is to empower your organization to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.

Who Can Benefit?

Our services are ideal for:

  • Non-profit organizations
  • Government agencies
  • Public health departments
  • Healthcare providers
  • Community-based organizations
  • Any mission-driven entity seeking to enhance its communication effectiveness and brand presence.

Let’s Connect

Ready to elevate your organization’s voice and impact? Contact us to discuss your strategic communications and branding needs.

[email protected]

CHW Leadership Institute

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CHW Leadership Institute

The Institute for Public Health Innovation invites you to join our Community Health Worker (CHW) Leadership Institute—a program designed to empower experienced and dedicated CHWs. The program will provide the skills and knowledge needed to take on leadership roles and influence community and system change.

The CHW Leadership Institute is a six-month, cohort-based program that equips experienced community health workers to step into leadership roles and drive community and system-level change. Co-designed with CHWs and leadership experts, the Institute piloted in 2025, graduating six professionals who gained confidence, advanced career pathways, and mastered leadership competencies. Building on this success, we are preparing to launch future cohorts beginning in 2026. 

BY THE END OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE SIX-MONTH PROGRAM, YOU WILL:

  • Mastered Leadership Competencies  
  • Reported Increased Confidence in taking on new leadership roles and responsibilities  
  • Expanded Career Pathways with a deep understanding of how to apply leadership skills to pursue diverse opportunities

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

We will continue to update Frequently Asked Questions as needed. Please review previous questions below to see if your question has been answered.

Will future Leadership Institute cohorts be free?

We hope to subsidize as much as possible; all qualified applicants will have access to scholarships. More details will be shared when the next application launches. .

How much will the Leadership Institute cost to participants?

While final tuition rates are not yet set, we are committed to keeping the program affordable and offering scholarships to ensure access for all qualified CHWs. 

How will future Leadership Institute offerings differ from the pilot?

We are considering feedback from participants, facilitators, and reviewing data to determine how to make the program even more impactful for future students! We may make changes to the schedule, length of program, add topics, or adjust features based on the feedback received. The structure of future Leadership Institute cohorts will be shared when applications are open.

What type of information will you ask in the application?

We have not updated the application yet, but you can expect to have to submit two letters of recommendation, and provide proof that you have completed core CHW training.

Do I need to be certified to apply to the CHW Academy Leadership Institute?

No, you do not need to be certified to apply. We know certification is not available in Washington, DC, and many other jurisdictions, and we did not want any otherwise experienced CHW within those jurisdictions to feel they could not apply.   

Do you have questions about the Leadership Institute? Please reach out to [email protected] and indicate “Leadership Institute Question” in the subject.

Rural Health Network Development Planning

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Rural Health Network Development Planning

IPHI received a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help improve health around childbirth in rural Virginia. IPHI partnered with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Cumberland Plateau Health District to improve health outcomes in that area.

This is a sunset initiative (no longer active).

The Rural Health Network Development Planning grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to work with local and state partners to improve perinatal health outcomes. HRSA awarded the $100,000 grant to develop a rural health network through June 2025.

This project took place in the Cumberland Plateau Health District and supported IPHI in working with the Virginia Department of Health, Cumberland Plateau Health District, Ballad Health System, Carillion Tazewell Community Hospital, and the Cumberland Mountain Community Service Board. This Network focused on improving perinatal health outcomes within the four-county district of the Cumberland Plateau in Virginia, including:

  • Buchanan,
  • Dickenson,
  • Russell, and
  • Tazewell counties.

The Network leveraged the community’s strengths and assets to address challenges in perinatal healthcare. The team conducted a regional perinatal health gap analysis, developed a perinatal healthcare coordination blueprint to enhance organizational and regional capacity, and identified resources.

To learn more about the Rural Health Network Development Planning, please contact Senior Program Manager Rebecca Epstein at [email protected].  

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The Equity Equation

The Equity Equation

The Equity Equation webinar series examines health equity issues and highlights policy and systems-level solutions in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

Through this series we aim to: 

  • Highlight pressing and emerging public health issues that have significant impact on health equity and racial justice.   
  • Draw connections between regional health outcomes, health inequities and root causes such as racism, sexism, classism, etc. 
  • Analyze the implications of past, present and/or proposed policies on the health of specific communities or population health in our region. 
  • Identify potential policy and systems strategies that target the social determinants of health and their distribution among communities and populations to reduce inequities. 

Upcoming webinars 

Please save the date for the webinars listed below! Registration links will be posted as they become available. 

Previous webinars 

Recordings from past webinars:  

“Healthy Planet, Healthy Communities: Public Health at the Intersection of Environmental Justice” April 22, 2025

This webinar featured:  

  • Jeremy Hoffman, PH.D, Groundwork USA
  • Rebecca Rehr, MPH, Maryland League of Conservation Voters
  • Walkiria Pool, MA, Centro De Apoyo Familiar

After watching the webinar, please complete this feedback survey.  

“Preventing Gun Violence for Healthier Communities” December 5, 2024

This webinar featured:  

  • Joshua Horwitz, JD, from Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
  • Nicole Jones from Richmond City Council 9th Distric
  • Dr. Ram Bhagat, a Founder & Director of Drums No Guns Foundation

After watching the webinars, please complete this feedback survey.  

 

“Power in Policy: Driving Change for Black Maternal Health” April 15, 2024

This webinar featured:  

  • Dr. Tamara Henry, Ed.D., George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
  • Angelia Williams Graves of the Virginia Senate, 21st district
  • Krystal Oriadha from Prince George‘s County Council, District 7

After watching the webinars, please complete this feedback survey.  

“The American Life Expectancy Crisis” February 27, 2024

This webinar featured:  

  • Steven Woolf, MD, MPH, Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health 
  • Amy Wentz, Co-Founder of Southside ReLeaf 
  • Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille, PhD, MA, Richmond City Council, 7th District 

After watching the webinars, please complete this feedback survey.  

Resources/Reading lists 

Here are developed reading lists and resources for a deeper dive into the these topics. 

To learn more about The Equity Equation, please contact IPHI training at [email protected]. 

Collaborative Neurologic Solutions

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Collaborative Neurologic Solutions

Collaborative Neurologic Solutions is a multi-state, community-led response to address the unmet needs of individuals and families impacted by neurologic health conditions.

IPHI collaborates with health and social care-related organizations to improve the quality of life for community members impacted by complex neurologic diseases. The team works to increase access to the resources needed to support community members’ quality of life.

The team works in the following key areas to achieve this vision:

  • Navigating health and social care systems
  • Community outreach and engagement
  • Professional education
  • Cross-sector collaborations

The team uses innovative, data-driven technology to map available resources for neurological disease communities. This technology reveals gaps in care, identifies organizations capable of implementing solutions, and showcases existing resources. The team gathers real experiences and opinions of people impacted by neurologic health conditions to prioritize and guide the work from design to evaluation.

This work creates equitable systems to maximize existing resources through awareness and directs resources to under-resourced communities and issues.

Scope of work: 

Collaborative Neurologic Solutions engages people living with neurological health conditions, care partners, and professionals in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia to deliver solutions addressing their most urgent needs. The team offers navigation tools, professional training and education, public awareness, and community engagement support.

Explore an example here:

To learn more about the Collaborative Neurologic Solutions project, please contact Senior Program Manager Lauren Ruiz at [email protected] or 202.987.2540.

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Rural Multiple Sclerosis Solutions

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Rural Multiple Sclerosis Solutions

Improving access to diagnostic and support resources for rural populations impacted by multiple sclerosis in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In 2022, IPHI expanded its focus to include support for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and medical providers in rural areas. This 3-year project is funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.

Through the project, IPHI and various community partners will:

  1. Create a tool to simplify navigation for people seeking MS resources.
  2. Provide education and training to service providers.
  3. Improve access, delivery, and use of MS care for people living with MS in rural areas.
  4. Increase public awareness about MS, including its risk factors, early signs and symptoms, and treatment options.

Many rural residents impacted by complex, chronic health conditions like MS often do not get the help or social services needed. Rural residents are burdened because services and resources do not exist in the area or are inaccessible due to barriers like transportation, cost, awareness, technology, mistrust, etc. As a result, people living in rural areas can go undiagnosed longer, face misdiagnoses, experience more treatment disruptions, and receive less support to address social determinants of health.

Scope of work:

The IPHI team is focusing on identifying and improving access in rural communities. Through the grant, non-specialty health providers will receive education and training on MS risk factors, early signs and symptoms, treatments, and resources. Rural residents will be engaged through convenings, focus groups, interviews, and community events to increase awareness of MS and connect affected residents to resources. Other activities include collaborating with mobile health units and similar community-based services to reach people where they are.

In partnership with VirginiaNavigator, IPHI will create a network map of health and social support resources in the project’s target area. The team will also establish Navigation Centers where community leaders will be trained on how to use the network map and provide navigation assistance. All activities will be informed by people living with MS, care partners, and community professionals.

The project will focus on these rural communities (collaborations and resources may be state-wide):

  • Maryland
    • Caroline County
    • Garrett County
  • Virginia
    • Brunswick County
    • Buckingham County
    • Charlotte County
    • Cumberland County
    • Danville
    • Henry County
    • Louisa County
    • Lunenburg County
    • Martinsville
    • Nottoway County
    • Orange County
    • Patrick County
    • Pittsylvania County
    • Prince Edward County
  • North Carolina
    • Caswell County
    • Duplin County
    • Greene County
    • Jones County
    • Lenoir County
    • Montgomery County
    • Surry County
    • Wilkes County
  • West Virginia
    • Fayette County
    • Marion County
    • McDowell County
    • Mercer County
    • Monroe County
    • Preston County
    • Raleigh County
    • Summers County
    • Wetzel County
    • Wyoming County

Upcoming Training:

First (1st) Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. EST – Launching January 3, 2024

The West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI), Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neurodegenerative Diseases Program focus on diagnosing, managing, and treating MS and other neurological diseases in the primary care setting. This training is offered free of charge to all participants. For more information, visit: here.

Topics Covered

  • Early Symptoms & Diagnosing MS
  • Monitoring MS
  • MS Therapies
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Neurological Diseases
REGISTER

Resources:

Provide input to design an Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) practice model, which aims to increase knowledge and confidence in treating patients with MS and neurodegenerative diseases.

Explore a prototype of the network map that identifies organizations located in or serving residents of Virginia living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, ALS, Huntington’s disease (HD), MS, and Parkinson’s disease.

Learn more about issues affecting rural areas and how to identify counties for intervention.

Help recruit new collaborators by identifying key service providers and sharing these materials.

Understand the perspectives and priorities of people impacted by MS in rural areas by hearing key insights from a convening hosted in rural Virginia.

Acknowledgments:

Special thanks to our funders and partners:

  • Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
  • Can Do MS
  • MS Alliance
  • VirginiaNavigator
  • West Virginia Clinical & Translational Science Institute

To learn more about Rural MS Solutions Project, please contact Senior Program Manager Lauren Ruiz at [email protected] or 202.987.2540.

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IPHI Hosts Maryland’s First Statewide Food Summit

IPHI hosted Maryland’s first statewide food summit, Developing a Maryland Food Charter: Statewide Summit, on October 15, 2015. The event included nearly 60 participants from all five regions of the state.

 

The summit focused on the following: 

  • The current status of potential food systems issues at the state-level
  • An overview of the outcomes and themes that arose at the regional convenings
  • Finalizing and prioritizing the strategies across the five food system domains included in the Maryland Food Charter

What is the change you want to see? 

A panel of experts answered this question from Grow & Fortify, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, Baltimore Office of Sustainability, Maryland State Department of Education, and Center for a Livable Future. Their perspectives guided the development of the Maryland Food Charter.

All summit participants refined and strengthened strategies that were included in the first-ever food charter. They also assessed the feasibility of the collective action strategies.

To view and download the Maryland Food Charter, click: here.

 

 

Zee Turner Center

Zee Turner Center for Community Health Workers

The Zhilphia “Zee” Turner Center for Community Health Workers (Zee Turner Center), formerly known as the Center for Community Health Workforce (CCHW), is a regional center for excellence that advances Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce development and innovation.

The CCHW was launched in 2013 to grow opportunities for peer-based workforce strategies. Specifically, the center was created to develop and support the community-based health workforce and CHWs.

 

The Zee Turner Center is a CHW center divided into three focus areas:

1) Training Programs and Technical Assistance,

2) CHW Initiatives/Implementation, and

3) Policy, Advocacy, and Research

The Zee Turner Center priorities:

  • Develop CHW regional standards and scopes of practice
  • Enhance teaching program for CHW training and continuing education
  • Support CHW network development across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond
  • Consult and provide technical assistance to organizations requesting help in planning, operating, and evaluating CHW programs
  • Support the effective integration of CHWs into clinical and community-based teams and design policies and programs that facilitate CHW retention
  • Research and find innovative CHW models
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for regional. national, and international CHW best practices
  • Support policy development to finance and sustain CHW service models across the region

Who was Zee Turner?  

The Zee Turner Center was named in memory of CHW Zhilphia “Zee” Turner. Zee Turner was an IPHI employee who dedicated 15 years of her life to serving the Washington, DC, area. As someone who lived with a chronic health condition for 24 years and overcame adversity, Zee used her experience to help communities with substance use addiction and HIV/AIDS.

“When I get notice that people are out of care, I call them. If I get no answer, I send them a letter – or I go knock on their doors. I try to fix some of the barriers that led them out of care and I work with their case workers to get them back to taking their medicines.” 

– Zee Turner in the Washington Informer

Zee was an educator, mentor, and advocate through IPHI’s Positive Pathways initiative. Her unwavering dedication and genuine care for those around her made her a beloved figure in the community. At the 2014 Unity National CHW Conference, Zee was awarded the posthumous Esther M. Holderby CHW Special Recognition Award.

IPHI proudly honors her CHW legacy by naming this regional center for excellence after her.

To learn more about the Zee Turner Center, please contact [email protected] or visit  Zeeturnercenter.org/ to stay updated with CHW opportunities.

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Events & Webinars

Cameron Foundation Community Health Needs Assessment

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Community Health Needs Assessment

The Cameron Foundation in Petersburg, VA, partnered with IPHI to update its community health needs assessment (CHNA). The most recent assessment was developed in spring 2023.

The assessment provides a comprehensive review of demographic, socioeconomic, physical environmental, and health indicators, and includes jurisdiction-level forces of change analyses and a summary of existing services and resources in the foundation’s service areas. IPHI led the collection, analysis, and reporting of health indicators, which include clinical and behavioral risk factors, County Health Rankings from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, health outcomes, and life expectancy maps.

IPHI worked with the foundation to frame the report using a health equity lens to link demographics, environmental and socioeconomic factors (e.g., social determinants of health-SDOH) to overall health outcomes and inequities between populations, neighborhoods, and jurisdictions. Among other data in the report, IPHI integrated the Vulnerable Populations Footprint from the Community Commons and census tract life expectancy maps to visually demonstrate the link between adverse SDOH and short life span at the neighborhood level.  IPHI added evidence-based recommendations to guide communities in using the assessment.

To learn more about the Cameron Foundation’s community health needs assessment, please contact [email protected] or visit: www.camfound.org/.

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