As policymakers look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening collaboration between public health and health care system partners is critical to a modernized public health system that is robust, interconnected, and capable of promoting the health of all communities. Although efforts to modernize public health systems predate the pandemic, lessons learned from successful community and cross-sector partnerships in pandemic response underscore the need to further integrate these systems toward common goals.
States can harness this momentum by supporting a whole-of-government approach that aligns resources and planning across public health and the rest of health and human services (including Medicaid), while also engaging private sector partners in addressing common health priorities. Public health can be a leader in advancing collective action and community investment approaches that more effectively and efficiently leverage the resources of each sector. This can be achieved by creating coordination mechanisms and facilitating a culture of collaboration that brings together health care delivery systems, human and social service partners, and community leaders to drive informed collective action toward improved population health.
While there is no “one size fits all” approach to fostering collaboration among public health and broader health care system partners, state leaders can look to a number of principles and strategies that can bolster collaboration across a variety of settings. This toolkit builds on efforts to strengthen public health by providing state policymakers with a menu of strategies and innovative practices for aligning public health and broader health care system efforts around key public health priorities. It starts concretely with strategies for high burden, high-cost health conditions that are priorities for both sectors.
Drawing on interviews with cross-agency state leaders and public health experts, local leaders, and scientific and grey literature, this toolkit highlights essential commitments, key priorities, and policy strategies for fostering collaboration among public, private, and community partners to work together to improve population health outcomes.
Learn more about why robust partnerships between public health and the health care system are increasingly important for effectively responding to emergencies and addressing community health needs, as well as key principles and strategies that states are using to strengthen collaboration between public health and health care system partners.
NASHP’s Public Health Modernization Toolkit provides state policymakers with a menu of strategies and innovative practices for aligning public health and broader health care system efforts around key public health priorities. Learn more about essential commitments, key priorities, and policy strategies that state leaders are using to foster collaboration and align efforts among public, private, and community partners.
- Essential Commitments for Supporting a Modernized and Connected Public Health Care System
- Key Priority: Develop a Shared Vision for Public Health Priorities at the State, Local, and Community Level
- Key Priority: Encourage Multi-Sector Investment in Community Health
- Key Priority: Implement Processes for Sustained Cross-Sector Coordination
- Key Priority: Improve Exchange and Accessibility of Public Health Data
- Key Priority: Strengthen Collaboration between Medicaid and Public Health
Funded by:
The Commonwealth Fund