The Background

MCHU’s Policy Learning Labs, a technical assistance initiative, launched in 2017. The goal is to accelerate the uptake of evidence-informed organizational policies and local public policies to address the social determinants of health. Our first two Labs focused on food insecurity and root causes of asthma and attracted teams from across country. Each team included representatives from health care organizations and their community partners from other sectors.

Policy Learning Labs help teams to address short-term challenges that slow their progress toward their longer-term policy goals. Through participation in the Policy Learning Lab, teams receive a self-determined combination of:

• Targeted policy research and analysis
• Coaching, consultation, technical assistance
• Connections to others whose work will inform and enhance the work of the team
• Training to increase knowledge and skill

ChangeLab Solutions partnered with MHCU to co-lead the 2017 Policy Learning Labs. Their expertise was supplemented by additional subject matter experts: Green & Healthy Homes Initiative and Nemours Health & Prevention Services supported the teams working on asthma prevention; Feed1st at the University of Chicago’s Lindau Lab, Root Cause Coalition and Prevention Institute supported the teams working on food insecurity. A listing of the 17 PLL teams is available HERE.

The Resources

With ChangeLab Solutions and our subject matter experts, Moving Health Care Upstream developed a collection of resources:

1. PLL Overview & Lessons Learned: Of particular interest to other TA providers and conveners, an overview of MHCU’s Policy Learning Labs and Lessons Learned.
2. PLL Compendium of Research & Technical Assistance Memos: Why reinvent the wheel? Identify PLL teams doing work similar to yours and use the detailed “how to” content of their team’s Research & Technical Assistance Memo to inform and accelerate your own work.
3. PLL Resource Directory: A curated, sortable collection of resources shared among teams and by PLL leadership.
4. PLL Policy Process Playbook: New to policy? Our playbook guides you through each step of the policy development process.
5. Social Media Best Practices: Designed especially for “non-experts”, our social media best practices guide provides practical tips and tricks for using and evaluating social media to amplify your message.

Spread the Word!

We are excited to share these documents with a wide audience. Please use the sample content below to spread the word to your own networks.

Twitter: Using local policy to address #SDoH? Accelerate your work with new resources and how-tos from @MHCUpstream’s partnership with @ChangeLabWorks. From general policy how-tos to a social media guide….why reinvent the wheel? https://www.movinghealthcareupstream.org/mhcus-policy-learning-labs/  

Facebook and LinkedIn: Working to address social determinants of health in your community? Accelerate your work with Moving Health Care Upstream’s new collection of how-to docs presented in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions. From resources specific to food insecurity and asthma, to general how-tos for policy development and using social media to amplify your message…why reinvent the wheel? https://www.movinghealthcareupstream.org/mhcus-policy-learning-labs/

Email/Newsletters: As part of Moving Health Care Upstream’s Policy Learning Lab technical assistance initiative, MHCU and ChangeLab Solutions have released five-item collection of resources to support health care organizations and community organizations working to address the social determinants of health:

1. PLL Overview & Lessons Learned: Of particular interest to other TA providers and conveners, an overview of MHCU’s Policy Learning Labs and Lessons Learned.
2. PLL Compendium of Research & Technical Assistance Memos: Why reinvent the wheel? Identify PLL teams doing work similar to yours and use the detailed “how to” content of their team’s Research & Technical Assistance Memo to inform and accelerate your own work.
3. PLL Resource Directory: A curated, sortable collection of resources shared among teams and by PLL leadership.
4. PLL Policy Process Playbook: New to policy? Our playbook guides you through each step of the policy development process.
5. Social Media Best Practices: Designed especially for “non-experts”, our social media best practices guide provides practical tips and tricks for using and evaluating social media to amplify your message.

For more information, email MHCU@nemours.org.