Community Stories

Health improvement efforts from around the country

Culture of Health Prize Ignites Collaboration between Communities Tackling Complex Issues

December 6, 2017

From a distance, Louisville, Kentucky, and Santa Monica, California, don’t appear to have much in common. One is known for Derby while the other...

Engaging the Community through Health Coalitions

April 22, 2016

Community engagement is helpful to building healthy communities. One Indiana program is centered around developing a model of collaboration and community engagement to identify...

United Way of Greater Toledo Is Using Partnerships and Data to Achieve Community Wide Goals

July 9, 2015

In 2013, the United Way of Greater Toledo (UWGT) embarked on a new approach to goal setting. With the creation of Live United 2020...

United Way of Greater Atlanta: Data-Driven Partnerships to Increase Access to Health Care

February 27, 2015

In a community as large and diverse as Atlanta, the County Health Rankings are a valuable source of data that helps to inform the...

Where everyone chips in to improve health: How United Way of Greater Lafayette helps channel community assets

February 17, 2015

Fundraising can certainly be a challenge for community health improvement efforts, but in Tippecanoe County, IN, an interconnection of resources has proven to be...

Idaho Community Shows Rankings Just the Start of Improving Health

February 25, 2014

On the surface, Gem County, Idaho, looked like it had little to improve upon. Its county seat, Emmett (the only incorporated city in the...

Connecting the Dots in Fulton County, GA: Working Together to Save Lives

May 10, 2013

According to the 2013 County Health Rankings, Fulton County, Georgia ranks 29 out of 156 on overall health, yet 55,000 adults and 25,000 children...

The Power of Relationships: Rapid Response to a Youth Suicide Cluster

March 13, 2013

Known as Washington State's gateway to the Pacific Islands and the Olympic Peninsula, Grays Harbor County, a mostly rural community, is grappling with effects...

PART II: Holmes County, Mississippi’s Ambassadors for Health

March 11, 2013

As Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only...

Part II: Moving Into Action in Clare County/Central Michigan

October 12, 2012

As a result of the 2010 Public Health Summit, the Central Michigan District Health Department created the Together We Can Health Improvement Council, which...