National Friendly Access^SM Program: respect, dignity and compassion for those who need it most.

In 2002, The Chiles Center, through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other collaborating partners,  led an initiative to change the culture of public maternal and child health care delivery systems and communities in ways that improve consumer access, satisfaction, use and outcomes. This initiative was called the National Friendly Access^SM Program. By clicking the photo on the right, you will see the guide that was used for the program.

In 2001, leaders in national maternal and child health and public health organizations were asked to identify existing public/private partnerships that have demonstrated success in addressing the health concern of mothers, infants and young children in their communities. Approximately 70 Coalitions/Networks were identified and subsequently issued an invitation to submit a letter of interest in applying for their community, to serve as a demonstration site for the program. Of the 24 that responded to the invitation and completed the required questionnaire, 13 that best met the desired criteria were invited to develop and submit a full proposal for funding. From the project proposals received, six communities were selected for site visits to determine which three would receive funding from the National Friendly Access^SM Program.

The communities of Indianapolis, IN, Jacksonville, FL and East Tennessee demonstrated the highest level of readiness and were awarded funds for operating a demonstration project. The community of Flint/Genesee County, MI -- initially a self-funded site -- also joined as a demonstration site and was subsequently funded in the second year of the program. The remaining finalists communities that were invited to participate in the community selection process were encouraged to implement components of the program to the extent possible and would be considered for funding as additional funds become available in the future.

National Friendly Access^SM Program Collaborating Organizations