Providence, RI — What began as a seed grant from the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity (CHPHE) in 2024 has officially blossomed into a major National Institutes of Health federal award, titled, “Evaluating a Statewide Community Intervention Model to Address Cardiovascular Risk, Diet, and Physical Activity.”
The Spark: Overcoming Funding Gaps with Local Collaboration
The journey began with a conversation between Brown's Office of Community Engagement, Sarah Bouchard, and Alison Tovar building on existing collaborations with Rhode Island's Health Zones (HEZ). The HEZ leadership flagged a pressing need to build stronger evidence around the initiative's impact, and together, the team worked to shape a research strategy.
Faced with a tight timeline and a lack of traditional internal funding pathways that fit the project's unique profile, the team turned to CHPHE’s Research Seed Funding Award. The grant allowed the team to:
- Begin foundational research.
- Establish a strong track record of collaboration between Drs. Bohlen and Tovar.
- Generate the crucial preliminary data required to build a competitive federal application.
The Payload: Evaluating a Statewide Model
Today, that strategic early investment has yielded incredible returns. Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and diabetes—account for over $3.6 trillion in annual U.S. healthcare costs. While community-led interventions are widely regarded as the path forward, data on their direct impact on individual health behaviors has historically been limited.
Tovar and Bohlen’s newly funded R01 study will directly evaluate Rhode Island's pioneering Community Intermediary Organization model across 14 distinct local communities to assess effectiveness at addressing cardiovascular risk, diet and physical activity. Using a retrospective stepped-wedge trial design and the RE-AIM framework, the study will investigate:
- Effectiveness: Assessing changes in diet quality, food security, physical activity, and CVD risk factors.
- Implementation: Evaluating the reach, adoption, and long-term maintenance of these local interventions.
- Synergy: Examining how community network strength and implementation characteristics interact to drive positive health outcomes.
Driving Nationwide Public Health Impact
The findings from this project will do more than just map local outcomes; they will provide a scalable, sustainable blueprint for community-based chronic disease prevention across the United States.
CHPHE is proud to have played a role in anchoring this vital research, an excellent example of how small seeds of internal funding can grow into powerful public health solutions.
According to the NIH grant project summary, "Chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are leading causes of death and healthcare costs in the U.S. This project evaluates Rhode Island’s Health Zones (HEZ), a community-based initiative that supports healthier eating and increased physical activity through local partnerships" (Tovar & Bohlen, 2026)