Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services Through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation's Health - Category C: Community-Based Organizations - Nationwide Network of YMCAs across the USA - Category C (Public Health Systems Component) | Community-Based Organizations: Building Public Health Capacity of YMCAs across the United States YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) will leverage its 20 years of public health, capacity development experience to provide capacity-building assistance (CBA) to YMCAs nationwide across all five strategic areas of: i) organizational capacity and performance improvement, ii) workforce, iii) data modernization, informatics, and information technology, iv) Partnership Development and Engagement, as well as v) Policy and Programs. PURPOSE: YMCAs play a vital role in our country’s public health infrastructure. However, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) has made capacity-building essential for Ys as they rebuild and strengthen their organizational performance to address current and emerging needs to improve and protect the nation’s health. Y-USA believes all five strategic areas are interrelated and cru¬cial for the success of public health system components. Therefore, to build upon the CBA work done with CDC and other partners over the past twenty years, we propose to carry out two strategies in year one that apply across the five strategic areas and are aimed toward our popula¬tion of focus – YMCAs Nationwide. Through this project approach, we will organize CBA in a way that catalyzes, rebuilds, and strengthens the Y network’s ability to serve as a vital public health system component. This approach will meet Ys where they are and ensure that they work collaboratively with their communities to address health disparities and advance health equity. OUTCOMES: Y-USA proposes a five-year project to strengthen the Y network as a public health system component and improve and reduce health inequities. In year one, to increase Y capacity, we will develop and disseminate a self-guided, user-friendly Capacity Assessment and Roadmap that is tested and activated through the establishment of a Public Health Thought Leader Cohort (PH-TLC). The Capacity Assessment and Roadmap will help Ys nationwide determine their existing capacity across the five strategic areas and provide a roadmap for how to increase capacity in each area. As strategy two funding becomes available, Y-USA will mobilize additional resources (staff, Ys, etc.) to apply for and carry out supplemental projects in year one and beyond to ensure Ys nationwide meet existing and emerging public health system priorities. We look forward to a continued partnership with CDC in areas where the Y can lend value as an essential public health system component.
