Creating Accountable Communities for Health: Common Language, Common Vision

“Creating Accountable Communities for Health: Common Language, Common Vision" is a working conference to accelerate the implementation of community-based preventative healthcare in the Midwest and across the United States.  The event will be held on September 17 in Duluth, Minnesota and and will include presentations by healthcare and community development experts from around the country. Details are available at www.commonshealth.org

The Affordable Care Act has created a requirement for healthcare leaders to think differently, to learn a public health lexicon and to reach outside of hospital walls for new allies and collaborations. Public health and community development practitioners and leaders are recognizing the need to redouble their efforts to improve the health and socioeconomic conditions in communities by understanding the complex relationships between community issues -  such as affordable housing, food access, employment - and overall healthof individuals and communities.

These sectors are now in a position to align their strategies to effectively move the needle on community well-being. This one day working conference is designed for health care and community leadership interested in accessing and developing the tools necessary to improve community benefit, develop community collaboratives, support an effective Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process, and respond to the requirements of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model.