Associations of health and human service providers play a vital role in facilitating learning and improvement for their members. But it can be challenging to produce new programs that meet the evolving needs of members within a tight budget and a quick timeframe.

At CHS we help solve these challenges by partnering with associations to develop and deliver action learning programs for members.  Over the past two decades we’ve helped associations create action learning programs for individual health professionals as well as teams from charitable clinics, community health centers, community behavioral health organizations, hospitals, health systems, and public health agencies. The results can be seen in more effective teams, stronger organizations, and greater community impact.

Learn more about our support model below.

Action learning is a powerful strategy that combines training, coaching, and technical assistance to help teams apply what they are learning to solve real-world challenges in their work setting. Key elements of action learning include:

  • A focus on team learning and action
  • An emphasis on solving pressing challenges in the work setting
  • Learning in topic areas directly relevant for participants
  • Reflecting on practice to consider what has worked (or not) in prior experience
  • Valuing team member insights and ideas for innovation and problem solving
  • Exploring promising practices from the field as additional inspiration for local innovation
  • Targeted coaching, tutorials, and technical assistance to facilitate learning and action

At CHS we have used action learning strategies to help hundreds of organizations accomplish their goals. The results can be seen in more effective teams, stronger organizations, and greater community impact.

CHS can support action learning programs for a wide range of audiences and topic areas.  The five examples outlined below illustrate just some of the possibilities.

Convener Challenge Solution Results
Virginia Community Healthcare Association Help community health centers build capacity to obtain patient centered medical home (PCMH) recognition. The PCMH Collaborative. An action learning program with more than 20 community health centers. Positive evaluations and successful attainment of PCMH recognition.
Texas Association of Charitable Clinics Help charitable clinics develop quality management strategies so they can demonstrate positive performance for their patients, partners, and funders. The Quality Collaborative. An action learning program with six charitable clinics. Positive evaluations and demonstrable innovations in quality maangement.
California Primary Care Association Help quality improvement professionals develop leadership skills for an evolving healthcare system. Quality Improvement+. An action learning program with quality leaders from 12 community health centers. Positive evaluations and demonstrable innovations in quality management.
Medical Society of Virginia Foundation, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, Virginia Nurses Foundation, Virginia Pharmacists Association, Virginia Department of Health Help interprofessional teams of health professionals build skills for effective collaboration and leadership. SYNC. An action learning program with 47 interprofessional teams participating to date. Positive evaluations and more than 40 innovative capstone projects completed by participating teams.
Medical Society of Virginia Foundation and the Virginia Department of Health Help professionals from hospitals and local health districts collaborate for community health assessment and improvement. The Community Health Assessment and Improvement Collaborative. An action learning collaborative with professional from more than 40 hospitals and local health districts. Positive evaluations and more demonstrable improvements in collaboration at the state and community level.

Capacity Building Topics
  • Strategic Planning
  • Community needs assessment
  • Community value analysis
  • Community collaboration
  • Community research
  • Program design
  • Program evaluation
  • Quality improvement
  • Design thinking
  • Positive teamwork
  • Positive leadership
  • Patient centered medical home
  • Reducing low-value health care
  • Positive leadership
Community Health Topics
  • Cardiovascular care
  • Child health promotion
  • Children’s behavioral health
  • Chronic care models
  • Early childhood screening
  • Health equity strategies
  • Home visiting
  • HPV vaccination
  • Integrated care models
  • Low-value care reduction
  • Medicaid expansion
  • Mental health services
  • Oral health
  • Rural telehealth
  • Senior services
  • School health
  • Social determinants of health
  • Substance use services
  • Youth violence prevention

In co-producing action learning programs, we work closely with association staff to assure that we understand the audience, define the right objectives, and produce a program that meets the needs of participants.  We can help you:

  • Identify the audience
  • Define the objectives
  • Design the approach
  • Engage participants
  • Facilitate action learning sessions
  • Provide coaching to help participants clarify goals and solve challenges
  • Provide research on promising practices
  • Develop data to support project planning and evaluation
  • Create tools for applying promising practices
  • Deliver or facilitate training in selected topics, using additional subject matter experts as needed
  • Provide technical assistance to help participants apply tools and solve challenges
  • Evaluate the program to determine impact on individuals and their organizations
Let’s talk...
Print Friendly, PDF & Email