Jul, 23, 2021

Advancing Value and Equity in the Health System: The Case for Accountable Communities for Health

A new report released by the Funders Forum on Accountable Health and the California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) reveals how the Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) model is emerging as an important vehicle for improving population health and health equity. ACHs recognize that health is the result of interdependent factors at work in a community and that no single entity controls all the levers. This model brings together health care providers, public health departments, schools, social service agencies, and others, along with residents in a collective effort to make a community healthier, more equitable and resilient. The report and a companion executive summary provides an alternative framework for defining and assessing value that moves beyond the traditional “Return on Investment (ROI)” and captures the transformational nature of the ACH. It identifies three key roles that ACHs play in the community and provides in-depth case studies to demonstrate each role. This new framework will be discussed during a webinar on “Lessons Learned from the Accountable Community for Health Model.” The webinar will take place on August 24, and is part of a new webinar series that seeks to identify key lessons for scaling this model as policy makers across the country increasingly endorse multisector collaboratives focusing on equity as a way to better address social determinants of health.