Abt Team's Work on Project to Reduce Infant Mortality Recognized with HHS Innovates Award
Several Abt employees, along with other key contributors, served as part of a team that was one of seven to win the 2015 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Innovates Award. This award is aimed at building a culture of innovation at HHS through facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and showcasing creative approaches developed by HHS employees and other contributors to solve tough problems.
The Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network (CoIIN) to Reduce Infant Mortality, led in part by Abt Global, was one of seven projects to receive seven to win the 2015 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Innovates Award from the Department of Health and Human Services. Abt Global Senior Fellow Deborah Klein Walker, Ed.D., (fifth from the left) accepted the award on behalf of Abt. The winning innovation, A “CoIIN” to Reduce Infant Mortality, is an initiative to accelerate reductions in infant mortality and improve birth outcomes within 18-24 months in the 13 states with the highest rates of infant mortality. The Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network (CoIIN) is a successful platform for states to engage in collaborative learning across state lines as “cyberteams,” apply quality improvement methods, and spread policy and program innovation - which in turn accelerates improvement in common strategies that are contributing to poor birth outcomes, such as smoking during pregnancy. The CoIIN model of partnership, shared leadership, real-time data sharing, and rapid-cycle improvement contributed to reductions in infant mortality in the 13 states that participated.
The Abt colleagues who worked on this project are:
- Sarah Ball, Senior Associate
- Tana Brown, Associate
- Sara Donahue, Associate
- Alyssa Kogan, Research Assistant
- Deborah Klein Walker, Vice President and Senior Fellow
- Meghan Woo, Associate
Former Abt colleague Katherine Flaherty was the Project Director.
The team was recognized by HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell at an event at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, June 24. Dr. Walker represented Abt.
Click here for more information about the Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network (CoIIN) to Reduce Infant Mortality.
