This website was developed to support the needs assessment process for the Maternal and Child Health Needs and Capacity Assessment in Pennsylvania. Below there are some frequently asked questions about the assessment and data collection activities.
Why are we conducting a maternal and child health needs assessment?
The Bureau of Family Health, as Pennsylvania’s Title V agency, is required by the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant to complete a statewide needs and capacity assessment every five years. The purpose of the assessment is for Title V agencies to re-examine their priorities together with key maternal and child health stakeholders to align Title V programs, policies and resources to address the MCH issues that are identified.
What is the process of the needs assessment?
The objective of the assessment is to gain a thorough understanding of the current health status of the MCH population groups, their needs, and the Commonwealth’s current MCH service system’s ability to meet these needs. We are collecting information about the health needs of Pennsylvania women and children through a variety of methods: a telephone survey, focus groups with parents, interviews with key informants, and web surveys.
Who is conducting the assessment?
The Bureau of Family Health has contracted with REDA International, Inc. to conduct the needs and capacity assessment that is due in 2010. REDA International, Inc. (REDA) is based in Wheaton, Maryland and is certified by Pennsylvania as a Women Business Enterprise. Established in 1992, REDA has extensive experience in conducting survey research, needs assessments and evaluations for a variety of organizations and government agencies. To assist with this project, REDA has teamed with the Altarum Institute. Altarum is based in Washington, DC and works extensively in the area of maternal and child health. REDA is responsible for the needs assessment and Altarum has the lead responsibility for the capacity assessment. If you have any questions regarding the assessment, please contact project manager Dr. Elena Vinogradova at evinogradova@redainternational.com or 301-946-9790.