This description of seven outreach models and case studies of programs using them successfully is excerpted from the 1996 Models That Work Compendium of Innovative Primary Health Programs for Underserved and Vulnerable Populations . That Work is a partnership among the Health Resources and Services Administration and 36 national foundations, associations, and nonprofit organizations that supports innovation, quality and outcomes in primary health care. Each year, Models That Work holds a nationwide competition to identify replicable comprehensive primary health care programs that are creative, responsive to their communities, and effective at improving health outcomes. Winners receive assistance in helping health care providers in other communities adapt and adopt their proven successful strategies.
Successful outreach is a common thread among Models that Work winners.
Outreach enables health care providers to identify individuals and families in need and enroll them in care. Outreach can bridge the physical, sociocultural and economic gaps that separate underserved people from health care providers. Outreach can educate individuals and families and encourage them to make appropriate use of the services available to them. Seven categories of outreach models are included in this compendium. Outlines of each model provide a template for replication.