Building coalitions: lessons from the Alliance for a Healthy New England

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Health Economics

Background:

• US economy officially in recession, impacting state budgets and Medicaid programs.
• Advocates face challenges in expanding health care access due to fiscal constraints.
• Health care advocates experienced negative impacts months prior to official recession pronouncements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the Alliance for a Healthy New England as a potential funding mechanism for health initiatives.
• To explore the strategy of raising tobacco taxes to fund tobacco control and health care access.
• To analyze the collaborative efforts of diverse organizations within the Alliance.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a broad-based coalition model (Alliance for a Healthy New England).
• Examination of a proposed strategy to increase tobacco taxes in six New England states.
• Qualitative assessment of inter-organizational collaboration within the Alliance.

Main Results:

• The Alliance for a Healthy New England represents a novel funding approach for health advocates.
• Proposed tobacco tax revenue is earmarked for tobacco control and expanded health care access.
• Diverse organizations within the Alliance are learning the value of collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The Alliance model offers a promising strategy for health advocacy funding during economic downturns.
• Collaborative efforts among diverse health organizations are crucial for achieving shared goals.
• Tobacco tax increases present a viable revenue stream for public health initiatives and expanded health care access.