What Is Cross-Sector Alignment?

Social and economic factors like housing, food, family, and trauma have a big effect on health. By aligning their work, health care, public health, and social services can better address community members’ needs and goals.

Successfully addressing the factors and the complex challenges that affect community health—such as maternal and infant mortality, food and housing insecurity, the opioid epidemic, and safe places to exercise—involves health care, public health, and social services working together to advance cross-sector alignment.

Across the nation, efforts are underway to align health care, public health, and social service systems to better address individuals’ needs and goals and to ultimately build healthier and more equitable communities. In some communities, these three sectors are fundamentally changing how they work together.

Learn more about RWJF’s approach to cross-sector alignment here.

A searchable resource library, featuring information developed by RWJF grantees, is available here.