Local Place-Based Partnerships as a Pathway to Health Equity

Improving the health and well-being of children and families across the United States is a critical imperative, and it is no easy feat. Social determinants of health, including neighborhood conditions such as socioeconomic and environmental factors and structural and systemic inequities that are rooted in racism and discrimination, drive over 80 percent of health outcomes. Research suggests that multi-sector partnerships for health equity can improve local health system capacity and health outcomes. More and more community-based organizations are bringing organizations together in their local communities to focus on neighborhoods and the ability of the communities’ residents to flourish and thrive. 

The core research question I studied is, what can be learned from the experiences of community-based organizations that have leveraged partnerships to create healthy and equitable communities? The community-based organizations that I studied span the country and had their start in housing, community development, and economic development.