Investments in Community Health: Community Transformation Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its long-standing dedication to improving the health and wellness of all Americans through the Community Transformation Grant (CTG) Program. Administered and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CTG program enables awardees to design and implement community-level programs that prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Chronic Disease in the United States
More than half of American adults have at least one chronic disease. In the United States, 7 out of 10 deaths are caused by chronic diseases each year. Seventy-five cents of every dollar spent on medical costs in this country is being used to treat chronic diseases and associated risk factors.

While direct costs of chronic disease are high, the indirect costs of chronic conditions may be several times higher than the direct medical costs.  These diseases lead to lost productivity, such as missed days of work or school, disability,  reduced work output, reduced quality of life, and premature death.

Focusing on Priorities for Healthier Living 
CTG concentrates on the causes of chronic disease, with awardees improving health and wellness with strategies that focus on areas such as:

• Clinical and community preventive services to prevent and control high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Tobacco-free living
• Active living and healthy eating

Twenty percent of all CTG program funding is directed at programs in rural or frontier areas.

Investing in Healthier Communities 
In 2011, CDC awarded $103 million to 61 state and local government agencies, tribes and territories, and nonprofit organizations in 36 states, along with nearly $4 million to 6 national networks of community-based organizations.  These awardees are engaging partners from multiple sectors, such as education, transportation, and business, as well as faith-based organizations to improve the health of their communities’ approximately 120 million residents. CTG supports state and local government agencies, tribes and territories, nonprofit organizations, and communities across the country.  In 2012, CDC is supporting the second year of these projects.

• Implementation awards were made to 35 communities to implement proven programs and strategies to improve their community’s health and wellness.
• Capacity-building awards were made to 26 communities to build a solid foundation for community prevention efforts to ensure long-term success.
• National network awardees engage community members to support, disseminate, and amplify the evidence-based strategies of CTG, particularly in rural and frontier areas and communities that face significant health disparities.

Additionally, to ensure the impact of the investment, funding is being used to support awardees with evaluation, communication, and technical assistance and training.

Reaching More Americans in Smaller Communities 
In 2012, CTG was expanded to support areas with fewer than 500,000 people in neighborhoods, school districts, villages, towns, cities, and counties to increase opportunities to prevent chronic diseases and promote health.

In an effort to reach more people, approximately $70 million was awarded to 40 communities to implement broad, sustainable, proven evidence-based strategies that will reduce health disparities and expand clinical and community preventive services. These new awards will benefit about 9.2 million Americans—bringing the total number of people reached through the CTG program to about 130 million Americans, or more than 4 out of 10 U.S. citizens.

Tribes and Territories (initiated September 2011)
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan)                                                                                            
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium                                                                                                                                 

Tribes and Territories ((initiated September 2011)
Confederated Tribes of The Chehalis Reservatio(Washington)
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc. (Wisconsin)
Sophie Trettevick Indian Health Center (Washington)
Toiyabe Indian Health Project (California)
Ulkerreuil A Klengar (Republic of Palau)
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (Alaska)
 

For more information about CDC’s Investments in Community Health, visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/, or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

Posted on: September 24, 2012