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Maternal and Child Health Consortia Assessment Report

Authors
Howell-White, Sandra
Quinn, Winifred V.
Sorace, D.
Date of Publication
September, 2001
Publication Type
Report
Focus Area
Population Health
Source
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
 

BACKGROUND 
The Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, was contracted by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' Division of Family Health Services to provide an independent assessment of the effectiveness and responsiveness of the seven New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Consortia (MCHC). The Consortia address many complex and difficult issues such as improving birth outcomes, lowering teen pregnancy rates, and improving children's health. The ability to directly measure organizational effectiveness regarding these issues. however. is hampered by rate changes influenced by advances in technology and sensitivity of data to reporting and collection methods. Therefore, this assessment considers organizational measures such as the hospitals' and providers' perception of how much support they receive from the Consortia, how responsive the Consortia are to local needs. and the perceived effectiveness and responsiveness felt by their membership. 
These issues were examined across the Consortia as a whole, as well as by each individual Consortium, thus taking into account regional differences. As these factors take an organizational approach, they provide valuable and useful information that will enable the consortia to improve their effectiveness in carrying out the charge of ensuring and improving the health of New Jersey mothers and children. 
 

METHODS 
The assessment took on a three-pronged approach: 

•    A description of each Consortium's accomplishments, community character­istics. maternal characteristics, and birth outcomes
•    A mail survey to all members
•    Telephone interviews with board members.

RESULTS 
Across the Consortia, 55.4 percent of board members, and 27.6 percent of general members, participated in the mail survey yielding an overall response rate of 33 percent. Participation did vary by consortium. Approximately half of all board members participated in the telephone survey. Again. participation varied by consortium. Beyond the CEOs and chiefs who were on the board. seven additional CEO/chiefs participated.