Community Care Networks: Linking Vision to Outcomes for Community Health Improvement

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between progress toward the Community Care Network (CCN) vision and “intermediate outcomes” of 25 community-based health partnerships (CCNs). Specific components of the CCN vision were community accountability, community health focus, creation of a seamless service continuum, and managing under limited resources. Four community outcome dimensions were evaluated: access, cost, health, and quality of service delivery integration. Overall progress toward theCCN vision was significantly positively related to average intermediate outcome score and most highly correlated with two dimensions: access and quality of service integration. Qualitative analysis suggests that CCN sites accomplished the most along two dimensions—access and health—noting that intermediate health outcomes generally were in health assessment and information rather than actual health status improvement. Keys to outcome achievement appear to be (1) clearly focused intervention; (2) explicit, ongoing outcome measurement; and (3) strong integration of separate intervention components.