During 2007, The Columbus Medical Association Foundation will invest its resources in five strategic areas viewed as important responses to its purpose as a “unique partnership between physicians and the community to solve health problems” in Franklin County and the six contiguous counties.   

The five areas of investment include:

• Affordable and Sustainable Health Care*

• Healthcare Safety Net

• Convening Conversations on Health and Healthcare

• Health Disparities

• Youth Philanthropy and Leadership

Our Optimal Health*, is the Foundation’s key community investment involving a broad-based collaboration in response to the community’s demand for new approaches leading to the provision of affordable and assessable health care for all in Franklin County.

The Foundation historically has supported a distinct portion of the community’s Healthcare Safety Net. Its 2007 commitment continues this support. Specifically, the Foundation’s investments in the health care safety net include:

• Columbus Medical Association’s Physicians Free Clinic;
• Central Ohio Trauma System; and
• Access HealthColumbus 

Convening Conversations to illuminate emerging health and health care issues as well as seeking solutions to significant health issues is part of the Foundation’s 2007 workplan.  The Foundation views this important role as a priority and also as a methodology used to accomplish its goals.  The Foundation hopes to engage the community in dialogue regarding significant health issues as a means of supporting efforts to achieve new levels of understanding, movement and resolution of these issues.

Addressing Health Disparities is a key component of the Foundation’s work and is viewed as a common thread that is interwoven throughout the work of the Foundation.  We define health disparities as statistically significant differences in health outcomes, health status or health care use between socially distinct vulnerable populations that are not explained by selection bias, such as life expectancy and medical outcomes of acute and chronic illnesses. These disparities in health outcomes or health status may be caused or exacerbated by patient, provider, or system-level factors that result in differential treatment or by societal inequities such as differential power or socioeconomic status.  (The Foundation utilizes the definition presented by Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2003); DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 83-1232. Washington, DC. P4.), and work conducted by SS Rathore and HM Krumholz.) 

Youth Advisory Council assists the Foundation in grantmaking that targets youth.  Through the Council, area youth are provided an opportunity to learn grantmaking and to increase their individual leadership skills in response to identifying health priorities that are of immediate concern to youth. The Council is charged to Research successful initiatives/programs that affect the health of youth in greater Columbus identify activities to have a positive impact on the health of youth and develop a grantmaking program through which funds can be distributed to the community to affect strategic targeted areas of concern.