Aligning Systems for Health

Project Overview

Aligning Systems for Health, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and under the direction of Karen Minyard and Glenn Landers at the Georgia Health Policy Center, focuses on identifying, testing, and sharing what works to align health care, public health, and social services to better address the goals and needs of the people and communities they serve. The project will:

• Synthesize existing research learnings and disseminate findings
• Support original research and evaluation
• Build relationships with those already working in the field

Learn more about the Framework for Aligning Systems here.

The work is guided by the Technical Advisory Committee comprised of local and national leaders.

Through a related project, the Georgia Health Policy Center, in partnership with the School of Public Health at George Washington University and with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is identifying, synthesizing, and disseminating cross-sector policy and implementation opportunities that facilitate recovery from the triple crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacts of the 2020 economic downturn, and the ongoing impact of structural racism. The work – Aligning in Crisis — builds on Aligning Systems for Health: Health Care + Public Health + Social Services.

Latest Resources

Events

Re-live Aligning Systems for Health’s virtual event series via the recordings:

• Cross-Sector Alignment: Built to Last
  • Why Cross-Sector Alignment Matters – Real Life Stories (April 21, 2020)
  • Pixels: Learning from Each Other (May 27, 2020)
  • Theory of Change Charette (June 24, 2020)
• Building Learning Around Cross-Sector Alignment
  • Power & Privilege: Why Is Good Design So Hard To Do? (November 13, 2020)
  • Bridging Trust and Community (December 17, 2020)
  • Moving from Talk to Action: Advancing Equity with Results Based Accountability (February 25, 2021)
  • Community Voices Panel: Shifting Power (April 1, 2021)
• Four Components of Cross-Sector Aligning
  • Building Data Sharing Capacity: Advice from a Panel of Experts (August 10, 2021)
  • Creating Shared Purpose: A Conversation with Paul Born (August 26, 2021)
  • Dollars & Making Sense: Cross-Sector Financing Panel (September 30, 2021)
  • Good Governance Across Sectors (October 14, 2021)
• Aligning Systems for Health Research and Practice Convening 2021

Research Grants & Findings

GHPC awarded $2.4 million in research awards to these seven grantees:

• Public Health Institute
• Texas Health Institute
• Trenton Health Team
• University of Louisville
• University of South Carolina, Columbia
• University of Washington, Seattle
• West Side United (in partnership with Rush Medical Center)

In fall 2019, GHPC awarded six rapid-cycle research and evaluation grants:

• Akron Children’s Hospital/Kent State University (findings)
• Care Share Health Alliance and Healthier Highland
• Communities Joined In Action (findings)
• JSI (findings)
• Public Health Solutions (findings)
• Urban Institute (findings)

In spring 2020, GHPC awarded four rapid-cycle research and evaluation grants to examine cross-sector alignment efforts in response to COVID-19:

• Center for Health Progress and Pueblo Triple Aim Corp.
• Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
• Industrial Areas Foundation Northwest
• University of California Berkeley School of Public Health

Throughout 2021, GHPC awarded rapid cycle grantees to analyze various multisector partnerships models aimed to advance health equity: 

• JSI
• Kent State University and Akron’s Children’s Hospital
• The Public Health Innovation Lab at Public Health Institute
• Camden Coalition

In Summer 2021, GHPC rapid cycle grantees explored specific aspects of the Framework for Aligning Sectors:

• Care Share Health Alliance and Healthier Highland
• Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
• Industrial Areas Foundation Northwest

To round out 2021, GHPC administered rapid cycle grants to explore how cross-sector collaboratives are formed, used to advance equity, and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Camden Coalition
• Center for Health Progress
• Population Health Innovation Lab
• University of California, Berkeley