Experts Discuss Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is dedicated to building a Culture of Health—a vision of the nation in which everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthy life, regardless of where they live. To transform communities so that better health is available for everyone, the engagement and commitment of all sectors is necessary.

Recently, RWJF hosted a Google+ Hangout to discuss how the community development sector can help to make it easier for people to make healthy choices. Many community development organizations have expertise and resources to invest in the social determinants of health, particularly in low income communities but they don’t often partner with health organizations. Participants heard from experts who are working on ways to change that.

Don Schwarz, MD, MPH, RWJF’s director of Catalyzing Demand for Health Places and Practices was joined by Colby Dailey, MPP, managing director of Build Healthy Places Network and Rebecca Morley, MPP, director of Health Impact Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts. The panel shared inspiring stories about bright spots around the country where cross-sector collaboration is taking place to build equity and create opportunity for residents.

Other key takeaways to foster greater collaboration among the community development and health sectors include:

• Create a space to brainstorm and work together
• Asses the best tools and strategies to reach established goals
• Collect resources and invest based on joint goals
• Remember  to innovative

Watch the Building Heathier, More Equitable Communities Hangout here