Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Building and implementing high-impact programs
Tufts Health Plan, a managed care organization based in Massachusetts, created a foundation in 2007 with the goal of "Promoting Good Health", and being viewed as an innovative and respected leader in the health care field. The Foundation staff was tasked with developing and implementing a range of programs that would respond to critical health care needs in Massachusetts, while aligning with the values and culture at Tufts Health Plan. Most importantly, the Foundation board wanted to ensure that clear goals were defined and a system developed to measure the Foundation's impact.
TCC Group was retained by Tufts Health Plan because of its depth of experience in working with companies and foundations to strategically develop, implement, and evaluate high impact programs.
Engaging stakeholders
TCC worked with the Foundation staff to develop a process that would engage key internal and external stakeholders in determining the Foundation's future strategic focus and its portfolio of programs. The Foundation board, made up of respected health care and community leaders, as well as Tufts Health Plan's CEO, oversaw and contributed to the process that also engaged senior Plan staff and a range of health care professionals in Massachusetts.
The process, which also included extensive research and benchmarking around the critical needs and existing programs in place in Massachusetts, resulted in creating a focus for the Foundation on "Healthy Aging". Under this rubric, the Foundation and TCC, with the input of experts on health for older adults, developed three program areas: "Vibrant Lifestyles", "Intergenerational Collaboration" and "Keeping Our Seniors Safe."
TCC evaluation staff then designed an evaluation framework for the three new Foundation program areas with visual depictions of logic models outlining the specific goals and outcomes of each area as well as a data collection process the Foundation will use beginning in 2010 to measure impact toward goals.
"It was a pleasure to work with the talented staff at TCC. They quickly became familiar with the culture and issues of the company and the foundation, and their background and experience in the full range of services we needed — planning, implementation and evaluation — provided the continuity of service we needed at a reasonable price." – David Abelman, Executive Director of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation
