The way we practice, cultivate, and pay for individual and population health in the United States is rapidly changing. Emerging research and experience point to social and environmental determinants as key influencers of health and well-being, and payment policies that reinforce value over volume are finally providing sufficient leverage for action. In part, given the recognition that local conditions drive social determinants, place-based strategies for improving population health are gaining traction. In parallel, public and private funders have increased investments in efforts to broaden our collective understanding of how to address the root causes of poor health, and to design systems that anticipate and intervene proactively for better outcomes.

This report characterizes ongoing efforts to improve population health as reflected in select national and regional programs.

Click here to access the report.

The opioid epidemic is having a devastating impact in communities across the nation, fueling a dramatic increase in premature deaths. In California, there were almost 2,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2016. In late 2015, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) launched a statewide network of 16 local coalitions in 23 counties focused on three priority strategies — safe opioid prescribing, use of medication-assisted addiction treatment (MAT), and access to naloxone to reverse drug overdoses.

A report released by the Public Health Institute,  Tackling an Epidemic: Evaluation of California Opioid Safety Coalitions Network, looks at the impact these local coalitions are having in their communities.