In May of 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new funding opportunity for Community Transformation Grants (CTG). These grants are authorized under the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2010. The goal of the CTG is to create healthier communities by reducing chronic disease rates, preventing the development of secondary conditions, addressing health disparities, and developing a stronger evidence base for effective prevention programming.
On July 15, 2011, the County of San Diego applied for a Community Transformation Grant, basing its application on the 3-4-50 principle. Three behaviors – poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and tobacco use – contribute to four chronic diseases – heart disease and stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory conditions – that result in more than 50% of deaths in the United States (57% in San Diego County). In 2007, the County’s direct cost for chronic disease was $4.6 billion.
On September 27, 2011, the County of San Diego received a CTG award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $3,053,793.
The opportunity provided by the 5-year CTG funding will allow the County of San Diego to continue the important work initiated by the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant ($16 million over 2 years) and the 10-year Live Well, San Diego! initiative. Key strategies of alignment will include: tobacco-free living, active living and healthy eating and improving clinical management of risk factors of high-blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.
Objectives of the grant will be achieved by implementing a broad range of community transformation implementation plans that focus on policy, environmental, programmatic, and infrastructure changes to maximize public health impact. These activities will be integrated across five strategic areas:
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Tobacco Free Living will protect people from secondhand smoke in diverse settings, such as work sites and schools.
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Active Living and Healthy Eating will increase access to availability of healthful foods through a regional food system.
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Clinical Preventive Services will engage health care providers to implement standard clinical care interventions to increase control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
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Social and Emotional Wellness will promote effective parenting by nurse home visitation to high risk new mothers.
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Healthy and Safe Physical Environments will improve community design for walking and biking.
To achieve the goals of these five strategic areas, the County will utilize 17 strategies and 31 interventions.
The grant will be implemented through a collaborative effort between a multi-sectorial leadership team, community coalitions, subcontractors, and County staff. CTG activities will be an expansion of the County’s Healthy Works (Communities Putting Prevention to Work) program, which supports the County’s Live Well, San Diego! Building Better Health Initiative.
The County will distribute over 50% of the total award directly to governmental and non-governmental community partners through standard HHSA procurement processes. It is important for community partners who may be interested in partnering with HHSA to check this web site for weekly updates. Once the final budget is approved for the CTG, we will announce opportunities for bids. For this and other County procurement opportunities, it is important to register with the County’s Buynet procurement system at http://buynet.sdcounty.ca.gov/
News and Updates
April 2, 2012
This presentation was given to the Healthy Works Leadership Team on March 28, 2012. It contains information on the interventions that will be implemented to achieve the goals of the five strategic directions, along with contract updates. A summary sheet for the CTG is available here.
March 29, 2012
The CDC has approved the Community Transformation Implementation Plans (CTIPs) for the County’s Community Transformation Grant, which enables the County to continue the process of developing specific programs that will be contracted and implemented throughout San Diego County.
March 9, 2012
- We are working closely with CDC to finalize the San Diego Implementation Plan, and we are making adjustments to streamline the project plan, align more closely with existing efforts, and leverage additional resources to maximize project impact.
- Final CDC approval to launch is pending for all CTG grantees.
January 17, 2012
- Still waiting for approval of budget from CDC.
- Board letter going forward in February.
- 50% of total funds will be competitively procured ($1.53M).
- The competitive procurement process will not begin until after Board approval.
- RFPs will probably be awarded approximately 6 months after Board approval.
- Please continue to check the CTG web page for updates.
November 18, 2011
In Atlanta during late October 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened the Community Transformation Grant (CTG) kick-off meeting for awardees. The local Public Health Officer, CTG Principal Investigator, and CTG Program Manager represented San Diego County. Over 200 attendees were welcomed by the Director of the CDC,Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. The vision, purpose, and expected outcomes of the grant were reviewed, with emphasis placed on the importance of adhering to the three CTG guiding principles:
- Maximize public health impact through prevention,
- Advance health equity and reduce health disparities, and
- Expand the evidence base for local policy, environmental, and infrastructure changes that impact health.
Presentations targeted the needs of the various categories of grantees (i.e., capacity, implementation, State/Tribal/Territorial, national). Time was allotted with the CDC CTG Project Officer to ask questions and seek advice. As well, ample time was provided for peer-to-peer dialogue. Specific sessions were conducted on communication, evaluation, partnerships building, leadership development, opportunities for leveraging, health equity, building on your experience, and the community transformation implementation plan. The last day focused on the purpose, role, and elements of a strong CTG leadership team.
California received 10 of the 61 CTG awards. Given this success, the State is uniquely positioned. These communities are planning to work together to coordinate implementation of key shared strategies and interventions.
October 13, 2011
Information regarding contract opportunities will be made available as more information is obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding start-up requirements.
The mandatory strategic directions for CTG will include interventions related to: 1) reduction of tobacco use; 2) active living and healthy eating; and 3) quality clinical and other preventive services, specifically prevention and control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This work will further amplify the efforts of Million Hearts, a federal Health and Human Services initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the next five years.
Expected federal outcomes of the grant over the next five years include: 1) reduction in tobacco use, 2) increase in physical activity, 3) reduction in weight, and 4) reduction in hypertension.
CTG activities will be an expansion of the County’s Healthy Works (Communities Putting Prevention to Work) program, which supports the County’s Live Well, San Diego! Building Better Health Initiative.
September 27, 2011
On September 27, 2011, the County of San Diego received a CTG award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $3,053,793. The award has the potential to bring more than $15 million to the region over the next five years for the prevention of chronic disease. More than 50% of the funds will be contracted out to local government and non-government organizations. For more information, see the County's media release here.
For further information, please contact Dennis Parker in the Health and Human Services Agency.
