7/28/2019 Healthy Communities Program Description
2/4
Health Innovation Hub
1
THE HEALTH INNOVATION HUB
The US health care system relies heavily on public funding, with
the government spending billions a year
on health care alone. Moreover, the prevailing methodology
utilized by our current health care system is
a treatment based approach. There is a significant opportunity
for government to increase the quality
of healthcare, get better value for its investment, and help
generate additional export revenue by
encouraging preventative health care innovations found in
enterprises and associated communities thatemphasize a triple
bottom line approach, that is, an entrepreneurial eco-system which
assesses its
overall impact upon social, ecological and economic factors in a
way that does not jeopardize and/or
limit the sustainability of future generations overall health
and well-being. Key barriers constraining the
further growth of the health sector are difficulties in
commercializing preventative care and the ability
to scale up through the domestic market. Businesses and
innovators have difficulties undertaking
required proof of concept, establishing domestic reference
sites, and developing the evidence basis
required for national acceptance of their projects. Because of
the treatment vs. prevention debate,
monetary fragmentation of the health care system has also
constrained international companies from
doing large scale clinical trials focused on bridging the gap
between treatment and preventative based
approaches. According to a 2009 article in the global health
report:
The U.S. medical system, as currently set up, rewards cardiac
surgeons at a much greater rate than
it does programs for avoiding weight gain or controlling high
blood pressure. About 5% or less of the
U.S. budget on health care is spent on prevention, according to
Don Wright of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. Most of the rest is spent on
treatment.1
The proposed health innovation hub is focused on overcoming
major health care and health outcome
barriers by systematically encouraging both a treatment and
preventative approach within one of the
unhealthiest regions in the United States. The health innovation
hub will involve a small team of experts,
based in Williamson as well as the consulting team with The
Write Choice Network, providing services to
help develop ideas generated by both clinicians and industry
into business propositions, products or
services geared towards creating a replicable sustainable
communities model for other regions
nationwide.
WHAT IS THE HUB?
HUBs are located in rural and urban communities throughout the
world that comprise a global
community of like-minded entrepreneurs where people come
together to create an environment for
life-changing ideas. The HUB model is about the power of
innovation through collaboration. We believe
there is no shortage of good ideas to solve the issues of our
time. But there is an acute lack of
collaboration and support structures to help make them happen,
especially when a community is trying
to achieve healthier outcomes a goal that can only be realized
through effective collaboration and
integration of the core elements of a community including health
care, business development and
industry, local / state / federal government policies, housing,
food and water systems, and
environmental programs. To date, there are 30+ open HUBs and
many more in the making, fromLondon to San Francisco, Johannesburg,
Melbourne and Sao Paulo. It is our hope that Williamson will
become as part of this global network.
1http://globalhealthreport.blogspot.com/2009/01/prevention-vs-treatment-false-choice.html
7/28/2019 Healthy Communities Program Description
3/4
Health Innovation Hub
2
THE HUB EXPERIENCE
Whether you are already working on a concrete project, have the
first sparks of an innovative idea or
just want to contribute your time, energy and talent to make a
positive difference, the HUB provides a
carefully curated experience to help take a particular
initiative to the next level. If Williamson becomes
a part of this global network, the HUB will hopefully build on
the experiences that are already in place in
Williamson, WV such as the Smart-Office, Farmers Market,
Walkable/Bikeable Communities, andWilliamson Towers Community
Garden and provide a coordinated HUB based strategy to take
these
experiences to the next level through a coordinated approach for
collaborative ventures. In general, the
HUB experience includes three core elements that are
interconnected and run by dedicated local
coordinators whose role it is to make the otherwise delayed
connections happen, a form of engineered
serendipity.
THE PROJECT TEAM
The Write Choice Network (WCNetwork) is a team of social
entrepreneurs committed to buildingstrategic resources that empower
social organizations (non-profit, small business, governments,
and
tribes) to be sustainable and make a lasting impact. We focus
our expertise on building strategic
resources in the areas of health, education, renewable energy,
and sustainable community
development. The WCNetwork team provides a single-point-of-entry
to expert consulting and training
services including project and campaign management, strategic
planning, federal proposal
development, grants management, strategic communication,
capacity building training & technical
assistance, fundraising, and sustainable business
development.
The WCNetwork specializes in assisting rural and urban
communities in establishing Federally Qualified
Health Centers and has a Social Entrepreneurship Team that
specializes in business development
through a health and wellness lens. Our team has secured
approximately $250 million in the last five
years for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Urban Indian
Health Organization programs.
Approximately $40 million has been secured for health center
operations through New Access Point and
Service Expansion funding opportunities, including electronic
health records, HIT, and capital projects.
In addition, $60 million has been secured through Budget Period
Renewal and Service Area Competition
grant applications. Another $46 million has supported Head Start
and Early Head Start programs and
$84 million for various community health, education (BIA), early
childhood education (Pre-K, TANF),
substance abuse (SAMHSA), broadband infrastructure and
telehealth (USDA), and other essential
programs serving underserved communities.
