WGU D517 Task 2: Population Health Improvement
Plan | 2026 Update with complete solutions.
1. A community health coalition is analyzing county-level data to prioritize interventions. They
find that the age-adjusted mortality rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 25% higher in a
specific census tract compared to the county average. That tract also has a 40% lower density of
primary care providers and a 30% higher rate of food insecurity. Using a social-ecological model,
which intervention strategy would most effectively address the root causes of this disparity?
A. Implement a mobile health unit providing free blood pressure screenings and medication management
B. Lobby the city council to rezone the area to attract a full-service grocery store and fund a community health
worker program
C. Launch a mass media campaign promoting physical activity and heart-healthy diets
D. Distribute home blood pressure monitors to all residents in the tract
Answer: B
2. A population health team is evaluating a community-based diabetes prevention program. The
program achieved a 15% reduction in incident type 2 diabetes at 12 months, but at 24 months the
effect diminished to 5%. Which implementation science construct best explains this pattern?
A. Reach
B. Adoption
C. Maintenance
D. Fidelity
Answer: C
3. A rural county has a high prevalence of opioid use disorder but limited access to
medication-assisted treatment (MAT). A proposed intervention is to train all primary care
providers to prescribe buprenorphine. Using the RE-AIM framework, which outcome measure is
most critical to assess first?
A. The percentage of providers who complete training and waive the DEA X-waiver requirement
B. The change in opioid-related overdose deaths within 6 months
C. The cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained
D. The number of patients who receive at least 12 weeks of continuous MAT
Answer: A
4. A community health center serves a predominantly immigrant population with limited English
proficiency. The center implements a patient navigation program to improve colorectal cancer
screening rates. Which combination of outcome measures would best capture both program
effectiveness and equity?
A. Overall screening rate and number of navigator encounters per patient
Page 1
,B. Screening rate by language group and time from referral to screening completion
C. Cost per additional screening and patient satisfaction scores
D. Number of navigators hired and clinic revenue change
Answer: B
5. A population health planner is designing a childhood obesity prevention program for a
low-income urban community. The program includes after-school physical activity, nutrition
education for parents, and a school garden. Which sustainability strategy is most likely to ensure
program continuation beyond initial grant funding?
A. Charging a sliding-scale fee to participating families
B. Integrating program components into the school district's existing wellness policy and budget
C. Selling produce from the garden to local restaurants
D. Applying for a new grant every two years
Answer: B
6. A state health department is using a health impact assessment (HIA) to evaluate a proposed
highway expansion through a low-income neighborhood. Which finding would most strongly
warrant recommending an alternative route?
A. The highway would reduce commute times for suburban residents
B. The construction would create 500 temporary jobs
C. The highway would increase particulate matter (PM2.5) levels by 20% near three schools and two senior
centers
D. The project would cost 15% more than the alternative route
Answer: C
7. A community advisory board (CAB) is reviewing a proposed intervention to reduce intimate
partner violence (IPV). The intervention focuses on screening all women at primary care visits and
providing safety planning resources. A CAB member argues that this approach may miss the most
vulnerable women. Which critique is most valid?
A. Screening may cause harm if not linked to immediate support services
B. Women who do not attend primary care are excluded from the intervention
C. Safety planning is not evidence-based for all types of IPV
D. The intervention does not address male perpetrators
Answer: B
8. A county health department is using a collective impact model to address childhood asthma.
Partners include the housing authority, school district, and a local hospital. Which condition is
most essential for the collective impact approach to succeed?
A. All partners contribute equal funding
B. A backbone organization coordinates the effort and maintains data systems
C. Each partner implements its own program independently
D. The hospital is designated as the lead agency
Page 2
,Answer: B
9. A population health researcher is analyzing survey data on mental health stigma in a rural
community. They find that stigma scores are higher among older adults and those with less than
high school education. However, after controlling for exposure to a anti-stigma campaign, the
association between education and stigma disappears. This suggests:
A. Education is a confounder of the campaign-stigma relationship
B. The campaign mediates the effect of education on stigma
C. Education moderates the effect of the campaign on stigma
D. The campaign is a mediator between education and stigma
Answer: D
10. An urban health department is planning a syphilis outbreak response. The outbreak is
concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) who use geosocial networking apps.
Which intervention approach is most likely to achieve rapid outbreak control while respecting
privacy?
A. Mandatory reporting of all syphilis cases to law enforcement
B. Partner notification via app-based anonymous messaging services
C. Mass media campaign urging all sexually active adults to get tested
D. Closure of all public venues where MSM congregate
Answer: B
11. A community health assessment reveals that a rural county has a higher incidence of
preventable hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to the
state average. The population has limited access to pulmonary rehabilitation services. Using the
Population Health Improvement Plan framework, which intervention would most effectively
address both the social determinants of health and the disease-specific gap?
A. Establish a telehealth-based pulmonary rehabilitation program with home monitoring devices, coupled with a
community health worker (CHW) home visit program to address housing quality and smoking cessation.
B. Increase the number of pulmonologists in the county by offering loan repayment incentives to recruit
specialists.
C. Implement a mass media campaign to promote smoking cessation and encourage individuals with COPD to
seek care at the emergency department for exacerbations.
D. Construct a new hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation center in the county seat, staffed by respiratory
therapists and nurses.
Answer: A
12. In a population health improvement plan for a metropolitan area with high rates of opioid
overdose deaths, a cross-sector coalition proposes a multi-pronged strategy. Which combination of
interventions aligns with the CDC's 2022 evidence-based recommendations for opioid overdose
prevention and the Population Health Improvement Plan's emphasis on upstream, midstream, and
downstream approaches?
Page 3
, A. Expanding naloxone distribution to first responders (downstream), implementing prescription drug
monitoring programs (midstream), and launching a public education campaign on pain management alternatives
(upstream).
B. Funding more addiction treatment centers (midstream), increasing law enforcement patrols in high-drug areas
(downstream), and requiring prior authorization for all opioid prescriptions (upstream).
C. Providing free naloxone at pharmacies (downstream), mandating prescriber education on opioid guidelines (midstream),
and establishing a needle exchange program (upstream).
D. Creating a centralized hotline for overdose reporting (downstream), subsidizing methadone clinics (midstream), and
banning all opioid prescriptions for non-cancer pain (upstream).
Answer: A
13. A population health team is evaluating a community-based intervention to reduce
cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among adults with hypertension. The intervention includes
home blood pressure monitoring, pharmacist-led medication management, and culturally tailored
dietary counseling. Using the RE-AIM framework, which outcome measure would best assess the
'Reach' dimension of this intervention?
A. Percentage of participants who maintained blood pressure control at 12 months.
B. Number of healthcare providers who adopted the intervention protocol.
C. Proportion of eligible individuals in the target population who enrolled in the program.
D. Average cost per participant for delivering the intervention components.
Answer: C
14. A health system is developing a Population Health Improvement Plan focused on reducing
racial disparities in maternal mortality. Which combination of interventions demonstrates a
comprehensive approach that addresses both clinical care and systemic racism?
A. Implicit bias training for all obstetric providers, standardizing postpartum visit timing, and providing doula
services for Medicaid beneficiaries.
B. Expanding Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum, requiring all hospitals to have maternal mortality
review committees, and increasing the number of obstetricians in underserved areas.
C. Collecting race/ethnicity data on all obstetric patients, implementing a risk stratification tool for
preeclampsia, and offering telehealth lactation consultations.
D. Funding community-based organizations that provide prenatal education, creating a hospital-based patient
navigation program, and distributing infant car seats.
Answer: A
15. A population health improvement plan for a region with high rates of childhood asthma
includes an intervention to reduce indoor allergen exposure. The intervention provides
allergen-impermeable mattress covers, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum cleaners,
and integrated pest management (IPM) education. Which of the following best describes the
primary level of prevention this intervention represents?
A. Primary prevention, because it aims to prevent the development of asthma in children who are at risk.
B. Secondary prevention, because it aims to reduce allergen exposure to prevent exacerbations in children
already diagnosed with asthma.
C. Tertiary prevention, because it aims to manage established asthma and reduce complications.
Page 4
Plan | 2026 Update with complete solutions.
1. A community health coalition is analyzing county-level data to prioritize interventions. They
find that the age-adjusted mortality rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 25% higher in a
specific census tract compared to the county average. That tract also has a 40% lower density of
primary care providers and a 30% higher rate of food insecurity. Using a social-ecological model,
which intervention strategy would most effectively address the root causes of this disparity?
A. Implement a mobile health unit providing free blood pressure screenings and medication management
B. Lobby the city council to rezone the area to attract a full-service grocery store and fund a community health
worker program
C. Launch a mass media campaign promoting physical activity and heart-healthy diets
D. Distribute home blood pressure monitors to all residents in the tract
Answer: B
2. A population health team is evaluating a community-based diabetes prevention program. The
program achieved a 15% reduction in incident type 2 diabetes at 12 months, but at 24 months the
effect diminished to 5%. Which implementation science construct best explains this pattern?
A. Reach
B. Adoption
C. Maintenance
D. Fidelity
Answer: C
3. A rural county has a high prevalence of opioid use disorder but limited access to
medication-assisted treatment (MAT). A proposed intervention is to train all primary care
providers to prescribe buprenorphine. Using the RE-AIM framework, which outcome measure is
most critical to assess first?
A. The percentage of providers who complete training and waive the DEA X-waiver requirement
B. The change in opioid-related overdose deaths within 6 months
C. The cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained
D. The number of patients who receive at least 12 weeks of continuous MAT
Answer: A
4. A community health center serves a predominantly immigrant population with limited English
proficiency. The center implements a patient navigation program to improve colorectal cancer
screening rates. Which combination of outcome measures would best capture both program
effectiveness and equity?
A. Overall screening rate and number of navigator encounters per patient
Page 1
,B. Screening rate by language group and time from referral to screening completion
C. Cost per additional screening and patient satisfaction scores
D. Number of navigators hired and clinic revenue change
Answer: B
5. A population health planner is designing a childhood obesity prevention program for a
low-income urban community. The program includes after-school physical activity, nutrition
education for parents, and a school garden. Which sustainability strategy is most likely to ensure
program continuation beyond initial grant funding?
A. Charging a sliding-scale fee to participating families
B. Integrating program components into the school district's existing wellness policy and budget
C. Selling produce from the garden to local restaurants
D. Applying for a new grant every two years
Answer: B
6. A state health department is using a health impact assessment (HIA) to evaluate a proposed
highway expansion through a low-income neighborhood. Which finding would most strongly
warrant recommending an alternative route?
A. The highway would reduce commute times for suburban residents
B. The construction would create 500 temporary jobs
C. The highway would increase particulate matter (PM2.5) levels by 20% near three schools and two senior
centers
D. The project would cost 15% more than the alternative route
Answer: C
7. A community advisory board (CAB) is reviewing a proposed intervention to reduce intimate
partner violence (IPV). The intervention focuses on screening all women at primary care visits and
providing safety planning resources. A CAB member argues that this approach may miss the most
vulnerable women. Which critique is most valid?
A. Screening may cause harm if not linked to immediate support services
B. Women who do not attend primary care are excluded from the intervention
C. Safety planning is not evidence-based for all types of IPV
D. The intervention does not address male perpetrators
Answer: B
8. A county health department is using a collective impact model to address childhood asthma.
Partners include the housing authority, school district, and a local hospital. Which condition is
most essential for the collective impact approach to succeed?
A. All partners contribute equal funding
B. A backbone organization coordinates the effort and maintains data systems
C. Each partner implements its own program independently
D. The hospital is designated as the lead agency
Page 2
,Answer: B
9. A population health researcher is analyzing survey data on mental health stigma in a rural
community. They find that stigma scores are higher among older adults and those with less than
high school education. However, after controlling for exposure to a anti-stigma campaign, the
association between education and stigma disappears. This suggests:
A. Education is a confounder of the campaign-stigma relationship
B. The campaign mediates the effect of education on stigma
C. Education moderates the effect of the campaign on stigma
D. The campaign is a mediator between education and stigma
Answer: D
10. An urban health department is planning a syphilis outbreak response. The outbreak is
concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) who use geosocial networking apps.
Which intervention approach is most likely to achieve rapid outbreak control while respecting
privacy?
A. Mandatory reporting of all syphilis cases to law enforcement
B. Partner notification via app-based anonymous messaging services
C. Mass media campaign urging all sexually active adults to get tested
D. Closure of all public venues where MSM congregate
Answer: B
11. A community health assessment reveals that a rural county has a higher incidence of
preventable hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to the
state average. The population has limited access to pulmonary rehabilitation services. Using the
Population Health Improvement Plan framework, which intervention would most effectively
address both the social determinants of health and the disease-specific gap?
A. Establish a telehealth-based pulmonary rehabilitation program with home monitoring devices, coupled with a
community health worker (CHW) home visit program to address housing quality and smoking cessation.
B. Increase the number of pulmonologists in the county by offering loan repayment incentives to recruit
specialists.
C. Implement a mass media campaign to promote smoking cessation and encourage individuals with COPD to
seek care at the emergency department for exacerbations.
D. Construct a new hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation center in the county seat, staffed by respiratory
therapists and nurses.
Answer: A
12. In a population health improvement plan for a metropolitan area with high rates of opioid
overdose deaths, a cross-sector coalition proposes a multi-pronged strategy. Which combination of
interventions aligns with the CDC's 2022 evidence-based recommendations for opioid overdose
prevention and the Population Health Improvement Plan's emphasis on upstream, midstream, and
downstream approaches?
Page 3
, A. Expanding naloxone distribution to first responders (downstream), implementing prescription drug
monitoring programs (midstream), and launching a public education campaign on pain management alternatives
(upstream).
B. Funding more addiction treatment centers (midstream), increasing law enforcement patrols in high-drug areas
(downstream), and requiring prior authorization for all opioid prescriptions (upstream).
C. Providing free naloxone at pharmacies (downstream), mandating prescriber education on opioid guidelines (midstream),
and establishing a needle exchange program (upstream).
D. Creating a centralized hotline for overdose reporting (downstream), subsidizing methadone clinics (midstream), and
banning all opioid prescriptions for non-cancer pain (upstream).
Answer: A
13. A population health team is evaluating a community-based intervention to reduce
cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among adults with hypertension. The intervention includes
home blood pressure monitoring, pharmacist-led medication management, and culturally tailored
dietary counseling. Using the RE-AIM framework, which outcome measure would best assess the
'Reach' dimension of this intervention?
A. Percentage of participants who maintained blood pressure control at 12 months.
B. Number of healthcare providers who adopted the intervention protocol.
C. Proportion of eligible individuals in the target population who enrolled in the program.
D. Average cost per participant for delivering the intervention components.
Answer: C
14. A health system is developing a Population Health Improvement Plan focused on reducing
racial disparities in maternal mortality. Which combination of interventions demonstrates a
comprehensive approach that addresses both clinical care and systemic racism?
A. Implicit bias training for all obstetric providers, standardizing postpartum visit timing, and providing doula
services for Medicaid beneficiaries.
B. Expanding Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum, requiring all hospitals to have maternal mortality
review committees, and increasing the number of obstetricians in underserved areas.
C. Collecting race/ethnicity data on all obstetric patients, implementing a risk stratification tool for
preeclampsia, and offering telehealth lactation consultations.
D. Funding community-based organizations that provide prenatal education, creating a hospital-based patient
navigation program, and distributing infant car seats.
Answer: A
15. A population health improvement plan for a region with high rates of childhood asthma
includes an intervention to reduce indoor allergen exposure. The intervention provides
allergen-impermeable mattress covers, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum cleaners,
and integrated pest management (IPM) education. Which of the following best describes the
primary level of prevention this intervention represents?
A. Primary prevention, because it aims to prevent the development of asthma in children who are at risk.
B. Secondary prevention, because it aims to reduce allergen exposure to prevent exacerbations in children
already diagnosed with asthma.
C. Tertiary prevention, because it aims to manage established asthma and reduce complications.
Page 4
