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The Florida Health Policy Center mission is to improve access to information for state health policy makers through a dedicated commitment to neutral, objective analysis of health issues and the effective communication of that information. |
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Health Policy Institute
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HISTORYAlthough Florida is one of the most populous states in the United States, with a variety of health-related government, academic and non-profit organizations, it did not have a state health institute that is dedicated to providing health information to state policy-makers. A growing number of states have developed such health institutes to meet the information needs of their health care policy-makers and communities. These institutes engage in a variety of activities, including data collection, policy analysis and research, and dissemination of health information. The Health Policy Institute Design Team, comprised of representatives from six Florida philanthropic organizations, was formed in 2005 to assess the feasibility of establishing a state health policy institute in Florida. The Team commissioned Schulte Consulting to conduct a health institute feasibility study. This study was conducted between November 2005 and June 2006, and relies on key informant interviews and an organization document review to assess the need for a health institute, and to identify options for how it might be structured and funded. Feasibility Study to establish a Florida Health Policy InstituteThe study provided the team with tremendous insight and candid feedback regarding the need for a health policy center in Florida. The majority of Florida key informants interviewed for this study cited the pervasiveness of biased health policy analysis as the biggest information problem facing policy-makers in Florida and recommended that a new Florida health center provide neutral policy analysis to the state legislature and state health agencies. A minority of stakeholders favored other models, including an institute that would promote health system solutions. Based on these results, the members chose to move forward slowly; thus, a virtual Health Policy Center was established and the group began to discuss and work on the issue most important in their communities. The conversation continues and your ongoing thoughts are welcome and appreciated. |
With Our Thanks:We are grateful to the following Florida organizations that participated in the key informant interviews conducted for this feasibility study: Adventist Health Systems, Florida Division Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities Agency for Health Care Administration American Association for Retired Persons American Heart Association Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida Center for Practical Health Reform Children's Campaign, Inc. Countywide Healthcare Planning, Dade County Florida Association of Community Health Centers Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions Florida Center for Nursing Florida CHAIN Florida Chamber of Commerce Florida Coalition of School-Based Health Centers Florida Council on Aging Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Florida Retail Federation Florida Senate Florida State University Florida House of Representatives Governor's Task Force on Electronic Medical Records Health Council of East Central Florida Hillsborough County Health and Social Services March of Dimes Nemours Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability, Florida Legislature Palm Beach County Community Health Alliance Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell, and Dunbar The Policy Group for Florida's Families and Children University of Central Florida University of Florida University of Miami University of South Florida |