Healthy Rhode Island 2010

Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant
Rhode Island

The Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS) Block Grant provides funding for health objectives in Rhode Island that range from hospital coalitions to worksite wellness. PHHS Block Grant dollars fund a total of five different Rhode Island health programs. Approximately twenty percent (20%) of the state’s funding for Center for Health Information and Communication programs is provided by the PHHS Block Grant. PHHS Block Grant allows Rhode Island to use funds where we need them, when we need them to protect the public’s health. A large portion of the PHHS Block Grant funds are concentrated in the areas of public health information and health promotion. Examples follow of programs that serve our state's unique health needs through the PHHS Block Grant:

• Worksite Health Promotion Programs
  The Worksite Wellness program has the potential to reduce health care costs, reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and improve employee morale. Governor Carcieri strongly supports the Worksite Wellness Initiative in Rhode Island. The Worksite Wellness program works with participating companies and organizations to provide health promotion information and interventions at the worksite. To date, in Rhode Island 25 companies or organizations have been certified by the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) as “well work places”. If the PHHS Block Grant is eliminated, the Worksite Wellness program at the Department of Health will be severely damaged .
• Health Data Systems
  Public health information empowers the public to protect and promote their own health and to make wise health care utilization decisions. PHHS Block Grant funds are used to increase the proportion of Leading Health Indicator Objectives based on health risk behaviors for which data -- especially for minority populations -- are available and reported at the State level. Three birthing hospitals were brought on-line with the automated birth module of VR2000, which enhances the accuracy and speed of data collection and reporting activities in the Office of Vital Records. If the PHHS Block Grant is eliminated, the functions of the health data and information systems will be seriously compromised.
• The Rhode to Health Coalition
  Physical activity and nutrition are both critical to the prevention of disease and promotion of health in our contemporary environment. PHHS Block Grant funds are used to support the Rhode to Health Coalition (RTHC) a collaboration of 15 non-federal hospitals in Rhode Island and the Department of Health. RTHC selected physical activity and overweight & obesity as its priorities and has developed and distributed thousands of health promotion materials such as stairway use prompts, fast food prompts and healthy grocery lists.  The RTHC and its activities will be critically harmed if the PHHS Block Grant is eliminated.
• Internet Health Information
  Electronic health information has the best potential for improving health, managing health care and controlling health care costs. PHHS Block Grant funds are used to accomplish several goals: increase public use of information on the HEALTH website by increasing the translation of information into Spanish, conducting community education seminars, and expanding local media coverage; delivering web-based content of an emergency or alert nature in a user-friendly and consistent interface format; and, conduct community and professional training about health communications for the Internet. The Web Query System, an online data access system that allows access to important state, aggregated health data and information was launched. Electronic health information in our State will be negatively impacted if the PHHS Block Grant is eliminated.

David Gifford M.D., MPH, Acting Director, Rhode Island Department of Health: “The Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant is indispensable to public health in Rhode Island.”