Key Takeaways
Business and sustainability plans are a blueprint to maintain and expand access to programs beyond the scope of grant funding.
Many state and community-based organizations offering evidence-based programs have developed sustainability plans, toolkits, and other resources.
For general information about sustainability, visit Key Components of Evidence-Based Programming: Sustainability.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Adolescent Health determined eight critical actions that influence whether a service will be sustained over time:
- Create an action strategy;
- Assess the environment;
- Be adaptable;
- Secure community support;
- Integrate program services into community infrastructures;
- Build a leadership team;
- Create strategic partnerships; and
- Secure diverse financial opportunities.
Collaborative members believe that CDSMP will have achieved the goal of sustainability when the program is embedded into systems and infrastructure with significant support from policy makers, varied health benefit payers and physician referrals. -Colorado Chronic Disease State Plan, 2016
Potential Components of a Business Plan
- Purpose and value proposition
- Return on investment
- Target market
- Program costs and break-even analysis
- Define centralized and coordinated processes provided by a state or regional hub
- Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
- Plan for program marketing and brand development
- Plan for maintaining infrastructure, including training for program leaders and master trainers
- Referral and payment sources
- Partnership opportunities
- Goverment: Grants, social services partnerships, local health department partnerships, Medicaid Waiver, Medicare payment
- Public: Philanthropic grants, community-based partnerships, in-kind support, university partnerships
- Private: Participant payment or donation, pharmacies, employers and unions, emergency medical services, corporate sponsorships, insurance coverage (Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, commercial plans), health system partnerships
Tools
- Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT)
- Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Cost Calculator
Toolkits
Massachusetts Formulating Strategic Business Plans for Healthy Aging Programs: A Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations
Missouri CDSMP Sustainability Toolkit
Oregon Living Well Sustainability Toolkit
Michigan Sample PATH and Diabetes PATH Workshop Budget
Sustainability/Business Plans
Utah Strategic Plan 2015
Washington State Business Plan Blueprint 2018
Medicaid Resources
Report: Reimbursement for Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs
Connecticut Medicaid Waiver Renewal
Michigan Choice Waiver Program
Utah Medicaid Policy Issue Brief
Success Stories
- Health Systems, Networks, Contracts, and CDSME in California (page 9)
- Sustaining CDSME Partnerships with Title IIID Older Americans Funds in a Regional Health System in Connecticut (page 15)
- Prioritizing CDSMP Partnerships in the District of Columbia (page 17)
- Growing a Community Program Beyond a Grant in Pennsylvania (page 64)
See Key Components of Evidence-Based Programming: Sustainability webpage for additional guidance.
