Building a Culture of Health

Developing and sustaining hospital-community partnerships to address community health needs are crucial for building a Culture of Health. That is, a culture that gives every individual access to affordable, quality health care to maintain, or reclaim, health. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust collaborated to release “Creating Effective Hospital-Community Partnerships to Build a Culture of Health.” This guide offers best practices and recommendations for hospitals and communities to 1) identify community health needs and reach consensus on priorities, 2) enhance existing partnerships or initiate new partnerships, 3) create sustainable partnership structures, 3) overcome obstacles and challenges, and 4) assess interventions and the partnerships. To understand how hospital and communities have successfully developed and sustained partnerships, HRET conducted 50 interviews with hospital, health system and community leaders from 25 diverse communities. Case studies from seven hospitals are included in the guide, along with partnership surveys and assessments.