TeamWork: Leadership for Healthy States

CASE STUDY

NEW MEXICO
2015-2016

Team Members:

Secretary Retta Ward*

Aiko Allen
Representative Sharon Clachchischilliage
Dawn Hunter
Angela Marcucci
Steven A. Ramsey
Senator Benny Shendo
Kelly Zunie
* Team Leader

** We remember Secretary Retta Ward, the late Cabinet Secretary of Health, for her vision
and leadership.

For additional information, contact:

Dawn Hunter
Deputy Director, Office of Policy and Accountability
Director, Office of Health Equity
New Mexico Department of Health
Office: 505-476-3656 | Mobile: 505-470-4141

The TeamWork: Leadership for Healthy States programpreviously known as the Excellence in State Public
Health Law Programstrengthens relationships within and across branches of government, builds
understanding of population health issues, and opens channels of communication and problem-solving that can
be used to address future population health challenges.
The Health in All Policies Vision

Creating a healthier New Mexico was the vision of late Cabinet Secretary Retta Ward, who knew
that it takes a collaborative approach in order to achieve better health outcomes. Many
communities in New Mexico are situated within food deserts, where community members have
limited access to grocery stores and transportation options and often experience food insecurity
(i.e., inadequate quality, variety, and/or amount of food).

The New Mexico team agreed early on that developing a statewide strategy involving education,
outreach, integration of services, and responsiveness to community needs would be critical for
making progress. Developing a Health in All Policies (HiAP) vision allowed the team to identify
shared goals, taking into account varying priorities, constraints, and perspectives. It also created
a shared understanding that the Department of Health, the Indian Affairs Department, the Office
of the Governor, the Legislature, and other agencies could all be engaged in ways to create a
healthier New Mexico. The five key-elements of HiAP are: promoting health and equity,
supporting intersectoral collaboration, creating co-benefits for multiple partners, engaging
stakeholders, and creating structural or process change.

Of great importance to the team was also recognizing and respecting the importance of
collaboration and consultation with New Mexicos 23 federally-recognized tribes, pueblos, and
nations. For the HiAP project to be successful, it needed to take into account the needs of the
community as identified by the community. The resources and gaps that impact food deserts
vary greatly in the state, not only by geography, but also among and between tribal communities.
Continued engagement of community partners in the development of the project was a guiding
principle throughout.

Project Summary

Over the course of the TeamWork year, New Mexicos project was refined through team
discussions, peer technical assistance, and, most importantly, stakeholder feedback. When it
began, one of the first steps was to research policy options and recommended practices, and to
identify activities already occurring in the state in these areas. The team then considered what
actions were in alignment with existing statewide initiatives and the strategic priorities of the
agencies involved. Everyone agreed that the policy solutions recommended would have to
support healthy eating and active living, taking into account indigenous food systems and the
need for sustainable interventions.

The first of two stakeholder meetings was engaging, enlightening, and a great step forward for
all parties involved. There was great interest in facilitating market entry and, more generally,
developing the tribal food network and supporting economic development. The New Mexico
team evaluated the results of the first stakeholder meeting, and decided to focus on developing a
resource toolkit to address economic support, capacity building, and infrastructure development.
The team also decided to continue to address the strong interest in networking and mentorship as
part of developing the resource toolkit.

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The cohorts midterm retreat and a second stakeholder meeting in May 2016 helped to narrow
down actions steps for this project and to identify concrete ways to meet the identified interests.
These steps have involved a stakeholder survey to identify technical assistance needs, asset
mapping, planning for a statewide convening with an educational component, and establishing an
online community along with ongoing in-person stakeholder meetings. In the months since the
formal conclusion of the cohort, the team has continued to work with a TeamWork-funded
consultant to create and refine a New Mexico Tribal Farming and Ranching toolkit and
website (http://nmdoh1.wixsite.com/fooddeserts), and to host three focus groups to gain
additional feedback from tribal farmers and ranchers and a gathering of partners at the Tamaya
Wellness Center in Pueblo of Santa Ana.

Over the course of the project, no lobbying took place with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
funds.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Over the course of the TeamWork year, the composition of the team changed, due to the
unexpected passing of Secretary Retta Ward. It is a testament to her legacy, and to the great
history of collaboration and partnership in the state, that the team continued to collaborate and
work effectively toward the identified project goals. Being a part of TeamWork fostered
collaboration around common goals across agencies and supported the development of new
relationships. Throughout the project, team members shared the values of communication,
through promoting open dialogue; teamwork, through sharing expertise and ideas that moved us
toward a common goal; and respect, through engaging tribal partners to ensure their voices were
heard and reflected in the project as it evolved.

Having a member of the legislative branch as part of the team was vital to its success. A member
of Jemez Pueblo with a solid background in business and community development, the legislator
was well suited for a project that focused on addressing the economic issues and community
infrastructure needs associated with tribal food systems in the state. Representation from the
Governors office was critical in providing context regarding existing policy initiatives in the
state, particularly around food access and childhood hunger, and in identifying linkages between
the activities of the various state agencies that impact health.

Going forward, the Department of Agriculture will continue to be a key partner due to its
marketing and development initiatives in the state, which include funding assistance programs
(such as offsets for advertising and the promotion of New Mexico products); publication of
agricultural statistics that will inform decision-making; and programs like the Specialty Crop
Block Grant Program and the Agricultural Development and Promotion Funds Program, which
develop local and rural food systems and improve food access in underserved communities.
New Mexico will also evaluate how initiatives under the Economic Development Department
may complement the efforts of our team, such as its existing commercial kitchen program, and
will connect with the Rural Economic Development Council, which promotes economic
development, mentorship, and infrastructure improvements. One of the guiding objectives for
New Mexico will continue to be aligning resources and forging connections, while recognizing
existing efforts in order to avoid duplicating services.

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The Benefits of TeamWork

Team New Mexico has learned several valuable lessons from participation in this project:

A Health in All Policies vision: this was important for cementing the team and framing
its conversations. The team retreats and in-state meetings helped to establish and
strengthen cross-sector relationships that might not otherwise have been forged.
Readings and presentations on collective impact and systems leadership: these were
valuable in maintaining the teams focus on a narrowly defined, common goal. Collective
impact requires a common agenda with mutually reinforcing activities. Success is not
about everyone working toward one agencys goals, but about everyone aligning their
goals and working collaboratively toward the same vision.
Opportunities to discuss other policymakers views, values, and constraints: these
provided a great way to identify ones own views, values, and constraints, and to put
them in context. If you have a differing point of view, there is an opportunity to assess
ones own project through a different lens, and to consider alternatives and approaches
that might not have been immediately evident. Having the opportunity to engage with
other policymakers informed many of team New Mexicos discussions.
Dedicated project time at offsite retreats: the retreats were important for building
relationships between team members, facilitating focused team discussion and planning,
and developing connections with representatives from other states. The retreats also
provided a way to receive feedback on progress, interact with peer mentors, and reinforce
the Health in All Policies vision.
Regular check-in calls and connections with peer mentors: these were an invaluable part
of the process. New Mexico was fortunate to be able to work closely with both a
TeamWork peer mentor and a member of the advisory committee over the course of the
TeamWork year, as well as to receive support from an extended resource network.