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URC/CHS News Archives | Contact us | Home URC/CHS NewsTRAction awards grant to London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine grant to research effect of long lasting insecticide bed nets on malaria prevalence TRAction awarded its first research grant of $1.3 million to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to carry out a study of the effect on malaria prevalence of replacing indoor residual spraying with long lasting insecticide bed nets (LLIN) in Tanzania. This study is important because LLIN is thought to be a less costly malaria prevention strategy. LSHTM’s Tanzanian partners are the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College and the National Institute for Medical Research. The study will be carried out with funds provided through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). Results from these studies will help inform PMI on programming strategies for IRS and/or LLIN activities across the program’s 15 priority countries. URC presentations at 2010 Global Health Conference highlight using modern improvement approaches to meet health care challenges At the 2010 Global Health Council Conference, URC staff presented on how innovative improvement methods can be used to design a health care project, bridge gaps in antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage, and strengthen maternal, neonatal, and child health services. Read more. Jordan's Health Care Accreditation Council hosts conference to support mission of improving health care through international accreditation
USAID|Calidad en Salud: Overcoming cultural barriers, expanding and improving health care for Guatemala’s underserved
Calidad en Salud, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by URC, improved the quality of and broadened access to clinical health services, particularly for traditionally underserved populations in Guatemala’s remote highland regions. To expand access to disadvantaged and isolated populations, the project bridged traditional popular care and modern clinical practices. Read more. Health Care Accreditation Council in Jordan wins prestigious accreditation from International Society for Quality in Health Care
Malaria Day, April 25, 2010: URC is “Counting Malaria Out”
The Rollback Malaria Partnership (RBM) designated April 25th as an annual day for organizations worldwide to reaffirm their commitment to fighting malaria. Recognizing that reducing malaria transmission requires comprehensive integrated programming, URC oversees a wide range of malaria prevention and control activities. Read more. URC Participates in South African HIV Counseling and Testing Campaign In support of the largest HIV counseling and testing campaign ever undertaken in South Africa, URC is working with health managers and facility staff to ready sites and ensure the availability of adequate testing equipment. URC is providing training and mentoring support to more then 400 nurses and managers to help them meet testing targets for the April 25th campaign launch. Read more. New study presents evidence that improvement collaboratives are linked to significant health care improvements in developing country settings The USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) has published a new study which finds that the application of a modern quality improvement approach is associated with improved provider performance and, in some cases, patient outcomes. The paper summarizes evidence from 12 low-and middle-income countries on the effectiveness of the improvement collaborative approach in achieving sustainable improvements in health care on a wide scale. Read more. URC will continue to participate in project to strengthen health alliances in Guatemala URC will continue its partnership with Research Triangle International (RTI) on Alianzas II, the Multi-Sector Alliance Program in Guatemala. The United States Agency for International Development is funding RTI to lead efforts to address high-priority health and education issues in Guatemala by strengthening public-private partnerships. Read more. Calidad en Salud project in Guatemala innovates ways to communicate project results
World TB Day 2010: Supporting innovations to accelerate At a time when tuberculosis (TB), poses a significant global threat, World TB Day, March 24, 2010, reminds us that TB program managers, researchers, and frontline workers play a central role in accelerating TB control, inspiring staff, patients, and communities to overcome this epidemic. March 24th commemorates Robert Koch’s 1882 announcement of his discovery of the tuberculosis bacterium. Read more. American Red Cross acknowledges URC for staff donations to the Haiti relief effort The American Red Cross sent a letter to the employees and managers of URC to acknowledge their generous donations to disaster relief in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. "Your gift will help restore the basic needs of daily life, empower individuals to mend their lives and ensure dignity for the people of Haiti, as they surely deserve nothing less," said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman, the American Red Cross, in a letter to Melvyn L. Estrin, Chairman, URC. URC staff and managers contributed over $11,000 to Red Cross Relief efforts. See letter. Results for Women: URC projects worldwide make life-saving interventions a part of routine health care for women and their newborns In developing countries worldwide, URC projects are strengthening national health care systems to ensure that providers apply life-saving practices as part of routine health services for women. Read more. URC will participate in project to improve care for mothers and newborns in Ethiopia URC will work in partnership with Emory University to improve maternal and newborn care at the community level in Ethiopia. The project will introduce an innovative approach to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths by training community and family members to administer potentially life-saving first-aid skills at the time of delivery. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding Emory University to lead the Maternal and Newborn Health in Ethiopia Partnership. Read more. Global Fund Newsletter publishes URC’s approach to improving grant oversight URC Vice President Jack Galloway describes URC’s strategy for strengthening the oversight role of Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) in a Global Fund (GF) newsletter published in December 2009. The GF relies on CCMs to support and oversee principal recipients, organizations responsible for project implementation. URC provides technical assistance to CCMs in Southern Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The article describes the obstacles CCMs face when overseeing grant implementation. Galloway offers a strategy that technical assistance providers can use to build each CCM's capacity to exercise stronger grant oversight and use evidence-based performance management. For more information, please contact Vanessa Clemens at vclemens@urc-chs.com. URC’s frontline experts suggest local solutions to global human resource challenges Drs. Stephen N. Kinoti and Nigel Livesley, of the USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI), explore ways to address human resources for health challenges at the service delivery level in From the Ground Up, published by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Read more. Cotopaxi, Ecuador EONC Project:
USAID's FrontLines features PISAF's success in reducing Post-partum Hemorrhage USAID's Frontlines and La Nation, Benin’s national newspaper, featured stories about how the USAID-funded Integrated Family Health Program (PISAF) is reducing post-partum hemorrhage (PPH)—the country’s primary cause of maternal mortality—in two heavily populated provinces. "Improved Obstetric Care in Benin is Saving Women's Lives" published in the November issue of FrontLines was written by Dr. André Yebadokpo and Suzanne Gold of URC. Read more. The Underage Drinking Prevention Education Initiatives Project continues to receive recognition The 2009 MarCom Awards program recognized the Underage Drinking Prevention Education Initiatives (UDPEI) team for three products. Read more. World AIDS Day: Addressing Barriers to care In the Morogoro Region of Tanzania, a woman named Mary (not her real name) joined a group of patients and health care providers discussing barriers to accessing and remaining in an HIV care and treatment program. Read more. URC collaborates with ICF Macro on Underage Drinking Prevention Education Initiatives: A government sponsored project to prevent and reduce underage drinking nationwide URC and prime contractor ICF Macro continue to support the efforts of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to prevent and reduce underage drinking. Read more. New URC project web sites: USAID TB Program South Africa The USAID Tuberculosis Program South Africa web site at http://dev.tbsouthafrica.org/ provides information related to project results, the most recent TB-related clinical guidelines and news. Annual program statements to solicit concept papers for expanding TB prevention and control activities in South Africa are currently posted on the site. Health Research Challenge for Delivery The Health Research Challenge for Delivery Project's web site at www.hrcdproject.org shares information about the project and makes available requests for proposals to research institutions around the world. The research grants will focus on maternal, newborn and child health; infectious diseases, and malaria. Currently, an RFA for malaria research is posted on the site. The site will share findings from supported research projects, which will address how to introduce, deliver, and scale up evidence-based health programs. With New Jersey AIDS Partnership, CHS launches a new project to combat HIV/AIDS in Cumberland County, NJ The project aims to raise awareness on how to prevent HIV, to encourage safer sex, and to maximize community participation. Read more. CHS launches program to improve the quality of health care among women living with HIV/AIDS in New Jersey The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow among women of color. In 2007, New Jersey’s Department of Health reported that Latinas make up 34 percent of the reported HIV/AIDS diagnoses in Cumberland County, NJ. Read more. Too Smart To Start web site earns Aesculapius Certificate of Merit The Underage Drinking Prevention Education Initiatives (UDPEI) team received a 2009 Aesculapius Certificate of Merit from the Health Improvement Institute (HII) for the Too Smart To Start (TSTS) web site. Read more. In European Biopharmaceutical Review, URC/CHS Researcher describes realities of using diagnostic tests in developing countries Senior Researcher Steven Harvey talks about the challenge that infectious disease diagnosis presents in the developing world. Read more. Report finds HIV and AIDS-prevalent areas need better programming for children URC staff members published an article that found children affected by HIV and AIDS in both low and high priority areas face similar health and social needs, including nutrition and stigma concerns. The August edition of the peer-reviewed journal AIDS Care featured the piece, ”Evidence base for children affected by HIV and AIDS in low prevalence and concentrated epidemic countries: applicability of programming guidance from high prevalence countries.” Read more. URC’s Dr. Stephen Kinoti challenges the East, Central, and Southern African Health Community to act now to reach Millennium Development Goals Dr. Stephen Kinoti, Senior Quality Improvement Advisor to the USAID Health Care Improvement Project, delivered the keynote address on reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the East, Central, and Southern African (ECSA) Health Community Best Practices Forum and Directors Joint Consultative meetings in September. Read more. URC to work with CDC to track bloodstream infections in US hospitals With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), URC will establish a database to help identify common patterns that lead to central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSI. Read more. URC to help strengthen non-communicable disease services in Mongolia URC will provide technical support to the Millennium Challenge Corporation and Mongolia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) for the Millennium Challenge Account/Mongolia Health Project. Read more. USAID Awards URC Contract to Strengthen TB Services in South Africa URC will continue to provide technical support to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) treatment and control initiatives in South Africa, where the disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Read more. USAID documentary features Pro Shëndetit's accomplishments
A conference held on October 14, 2009, in Tirana, Albania celebrated the achievements of the USAID-funded Improving Primary Health Care in Albania II (Pro Shëndetit II). Read more.
USAID Health Care Improvement Project awarded two new task orders The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded URC the third task order under the USAID Health Care Improvement (HCI) Project Indefinite Quantity Contract. HCI Task Order 3, effective September 2009, extends the Project’s period through September 2013. Read more. USAID awards URC the Health Research Challenge for Delivery Project URC, in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, will manage a health research grants project focused on maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and other related services. Read more. Article on diagnostic test design in Lancet Infectious Diseases quotes CHS Senior Researcher Reliable and user friendly diagnostic tests for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are key to stemming the spread of these diseases. At present, however, the diagnostic tools used in developing countries have many limitations and are largely inadequate for addressing health needs. Read more. Centers for Disease Control awards URC contract to strengthen laboratory services in Swaziland URC will assist the Kingdom of Swaziland to improve the quality of health services for people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) under a new contract funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. URC will provide technical support to strengthen Swaziland’s TB laboratory services. Read more. Southern African Development Community awards URC contract to develop regional TB standards URC will work with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to develop regional standards for the prevention, control, treatment, and management of tuberculosis (TB). Read more. URC wins contract to combat tuberculosis in developing countries URC now leads a new team to support the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in developing and strengthening tuberculosis (TB) programs worldwide. The agreement, an Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC), provides the USAID Global Health Bureau and missions with a way to obtain expert advice and assistance from URC's team on how to build and expand sustainable TB control and prevention programs in countries most heavily impacted by the disease. Read more. Center for Human Services and UNIVISION host event to increase enrollment in New Jersey’s FamilyCare health insurance program:
The Center for Human Services (CHS) joined forces with UNIVISION, the most widely viewed Spanish language television station in the country, to host “Family Day,” an event at Clementon Park and Splash World in central New Jersey. The event publicized NJ FamilyCare, a state program which provides free or affordable health insurance and to enroll eligible children in the program. Read more. Department of Education selects CHS to provide educational services to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: High School Equivalency Program will continue to serve mid-Atlantic With a new grant from the Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education (MEP), the Center for Human Services (CHS) will continue its partnership with La Comunidad Hispana, Inc., local community organizations, and businesses to provide educational opportunities to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. For 25 years, CHS has managed the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware (states with large farming communities), and will now also serve Maryland. Read more. HCIP wins 2009 National Health Information Awards
The 2009 National Health Information Awards Program recently recognized the Health Communications Initiative for the Prevention of Underage Alcohol Use (HCIP) for materials developed to prevent underage alcohol use. Read more. “100 % Insured For Sure:” Through a new grant from the New Jersey Department Health and Senior Services, the Center for Human Services (CHS) will increase the number of low income, minority families enrolled in New Jersey’s FamilyCare program. Read more. URC presents on building sustainable prevention and treatment programs at 2009 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting At the 2009 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting, URC experts highlighted how our projects are working with local partners to combat HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis (TB). Read more. Evidence-based strategies for improving health care quality presented at 2009 Global Health Council Conference At the 2009 Global Health Council Conference, staff presented on how URC projects are using innovative strategies and tools to address many of the key health care challenges developing countries face. Read more. |
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Jordan’s Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC) is now the third health care accreditation organization in the world to earn all three international standards set by 
A URC conference took a creative approach in conveying results from a five-year project that successfully expanded the availability and improved the quality of family planning and child health services in Guatemala. 
The Center for Human Services recently launched a four-year project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Cotopaxi. 
