Collaborative studies program on maternal and child health in New York State, 1981-83

With the passage of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act and the establishment of the block grant system in 1981, responsibility for the direction of many public health programs shifted from Federal to State government. This shift, coupled with funding cutbacks and the constraints of the current economic status of the country, has had an impact on the ability of the service delivery network to maintain service delivery programs. In the implementation of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, collaboration among service, research, and training programs has been emphasized as an essential component to respond to the needs of service agencies and to provide relevant field experience for public health students. A program of projects centered on joint collaboration and support is described in this paper. Two of the 13 projects implemented over a 2-year period are highlighted. In 1981, the MCH Collaborative Studies Program was established, linking Columbia University School of Public Health, the New York State Health Department, and MCH service providers in New York City in an effort to identify underserved MCH populations, assess the impact of funding cutbacks, and define new strategies for service delivery programs. Graduate research assistants are assigned to participating agencies to coordinate the activities of each project.