Focused Outreach

Focused Outreach

Focused Outreach brings the resources of the NNLM directly to communities to conduct a systematic approach of identifying partners, pursuing contacts, and developing relationships with key stakeholders through key informant interviews. Focused Outreach is an organized approach to identify community health assets and needs, and key partners. The goal is to assess health information use, promote resources, strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones, and conduct training for partners.

The Focused Outreach Model:

  1. Develop and conduct systematic outreach to connect with community partners that serve NLM target audiences.
    • Inventory past outreach activities conducted, identifying agencies that have been served.
    • Identify key organizations serving the community by providing health information and education.
    • Conduct key informant interviews as a community needs assessment.
    • Develop partnerships with more individuals shared by key organizations.
  2. Conduct point of need training for participating organizations.
    • Work with local individuals and organizations to find opportunities for health information outreach training and events.
  3. Develop a comprehensive evaluation plan using methods from the NNLM Evaluation Center (NEC).
    • Develop outcomes assessment that includes indicators, data sources, evaluation methods, and data collection timeline.
    • Develop process assessment plan to determine how well Focused Outreach was carried out.
    • Design data collection tools including a pre-/post project community assessment, pre-/post-project key informant interview protocol, pre-/post outreach evaluation.

Region 7 engages two geographic areas in Focused Outreach each year. The focus areas are set at the beginning of the funding cycle. During the 2021-2026 cycle, Region 7 will focus on rural, medically underserved areas that have previously had low engagement with NNLM.

  • Year One, 2021-2022
    • New York: Essex and Hamilton Counties
    • Maine: Aroostook County
  • Year Two, 2022-2023
    • Vermont: Northern 4 Counties (Grand Isle, Franklin, Orleans, Essex)
    • Massachusetts: Berkshire County
  • Year Three, 2023-2024
    • New Hampshire: Sullivan and Cheshire Counties
    • Connecticut: Litchfield County
  • Year Four, 2024-2025
    • Rhode Island: Western half of Providence County
    • New York: Chenango, Otsego, Delaware Counties
  • Year Five, 2025-2026
    • Maine: Franklin County
    • Vermont: Bennington and Windham Counties

To learn more about Focused Outreach areas in previous contracts, visit the repository.