Program Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Health Projects
RUHRC Authors: Davis, A | Talbert, J
Publication Date: 08/01/2015
Full Publication: Program Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Health Projects
Objective
This report presents an evaluation of 202 health projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) between Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 and FY 2010. Using the findings from an online survey administered to project personnel of past projects and additional in-depth case studies of 13 projects, this report provides recommendations for enhancing ARC’s health programming.
An overview of health factors and outcomes in the ARC Region confirms that Appalachia is a place where additional funding in health improvement can be very beneficial. Relative to the rest of the United States and even non-Appalachian portions of Appalachian states, the Appalachian Region has a continued health disparity across overall functional health and many diseases like cancer and diabetes. These diseases, and the behaviors that lead to them, have significant economic costs that hinder growth, such as higher healthcare costs and lower workforce productivity.
To finance the 202 health projects, ARC invested about $30.9 million in total—an average of about $153,000 per project. Despite the diversity among the 202 health projects, they can be broken down into three primary project types: 90 are Healthcare Access projects, 45 are Clinical Services projects, and 67 are Health Promotion projects. ARC funding to the average Healthcare Access project and Clinical Service project were very similar at about $177,000 and $185,000, respectively, while ARC funds to the average Health Promotion project were substantially less at $99,000. However, ARC’s contribution to total expenditures for Health Promotion projects was the highest at 55.1 percent since Health Promotion projects were less expensive on average. In comparison, ARC’s contribution to Healthcare Access and Clinical Service projects were 18.1 percent and 35.9 percent, respectively.
Suggested Citation
Davis AF, Allen IV JE, Childress M, Maurer R, Talbert J. Program Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Health Projects, 2004-2010. Lexington, KY: Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, University of Kentucky; 2015.