Collaborative Opportunities to Advance Community Health (COACH)

In FY2016, Penn Medicine initiated efforts to coordinate and streamline CHNAs across our three Philadelphia-based hospitals. One recognized need was “to coordinate access to care and use of health improvement and promotion efforts with the community.” As a result, our institution became a founding member of the Collaborative Opportunities to Advance Community Health (COACH) initiative, a collaborative sponsored by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and supported by Health Care Improvement Foundation (HCIF), that brings together hospitals, public health stakeholders (including U.S. DHHS, Region III; the Philadelphia Department of Public Health; and the Montgomery County Department of Health), and community partners to address community health issues in southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA).

Since its launch, COACH members have implemented a collaborative model, identified strategies for collective action, and prioritized community health needs jointly identified in the FY2016 institutional CHNAs and the FY2019 Regional CHNA. COACH participants have partnered to address food insecurity and behavioral health needs in the Philadelphia region.

Learn more about Collaborative Opportunities to Advance Community Health at hcifonline.org/coach.

See the Southeastern Pennsylvania “Collaboratory” to Improve Community Health brochure.