Nancy R. LaPelle ^1*, Jane Zapka ¹, Judith K. Ockene ¹

¹ University of Massachusetts Medical School

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nancy.lapelle{at}umassmed.edu.

	Abstract

Sustaining important public or grant-funded services after initial funding is terminated is a major public health challenge. We investigated whether tobacco treatment services previously funded within a statewide tobacco control initiative could be sustained after state funding was terminated abruptly. We found that 2 key strategies, redefining the scope of services being offered and creative use of resources, were factors that determined whether some community agencies were able to sustain services at a much higher level than others after funding was discontinued. Understanding these strategies and developing them at a time when program funding is not being threatened is likely to increase program sustainability.

Key Words: Community Health, Access to Care, Public Health Practice, Qualitative Research, Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Control