Innovation, Collaboration, Leverage and Breaking Through

On the surface, foundations can be seen just as grantmakers. This categorization stops far short of the potential that we see for our work, our partnerships and our community. 

Vitalyst focuses on making the most of its collaborative opportunities in conjunction with its grantmaking responsibilities. In FY2017, the results were strong. In the name of leverage and innovation, Vitalyst:

• Worked in close partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and statewide fire departments/districts to develop and implement mobile integrated health (MIH) and community paramedicine practices. We convened learning sessions, hosted the first MIH360 Arizona Conference, hosted three webinars, co-chaired a workgroup and engaged with both statewide and national convenings. As a result, mobile integrated health continues to grow in the state. Crucially, the partners have established a “treat and refer” curriculum and AHCCCS reimbursement certification process that make it possible to decouple payment from transport. Emergency Medical Services agencies can now move beyond transport into reimbursable options focused on care quality and outcomes. As of June 30, four fire departments had completed the process, with more in the process.  
• Continued care coordination collaborations including Dementia Friendly Tempe, the City of Phoenix Age-Friendly Task Force, the Dementia Caregiver Alliance, the Arizona Diabetes Coalition, and Health Services Advisory Group’s Care Coordination Coalitions. 
• Completed our fourth year of Innovation Grants, in partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation, Mercy Maricopa, and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Together the partners funded five Arizona nonprofits for proposed innovations, along with technical assistance and two programmatic grants. Thanks to our partners, an additional $193,000 in funding was made available. For details on the grants, click here and see our FY2017 financials.

Vitalyst continues the work of supporting innovations and collaborations year after year. We recognize that breakthrough work starts with relationships. To that end, we consistently organize quarterly learning sessions and regular convenings. Our goal: to continue innovating, in the words of Stephen Covey, at “the speed of trust.”

 

 

Photo credit: Scott Griessel/ Creatista