​​​An 11-Month Initiative for Health Care Delivery Organizations

A major shift is underway in the United States as health care organizations move away from a singular focus on the episodic care of individuals and take up the mantle for maintaining and improving the health of populations.

The Improving Population Health Action Community will help participating organizations and their community partners adapt to meet the changing needs of their communities.

Building on the success of Pathways to Population Health and the framework and related tools, the Action Community will bring together a cohort of health care delivery organizations in pursuit of population health, well-being, and equity.

Participating organizations from across the US will test improvements across the four portfolios of population health in building will, prioritizing ideas, and executing on them reliably, sustainably, and equitably. The goal of the Action Community is to facilitate shared learning and progress across participating teams in pursuit of their population health goals.

What Participants Can Expect

Peer organizations will work together and with faculty to accelerate progress toward their population health goals. Beginning in August 2020, teams will work collaboratively to assess their current state and identify opportunities for improvement. Through in-person and virtual engagement, teams will learn from each other, test improvements, and employ measurement strategies to guide their improvement efforts.

Teams will embark on a 10-step path (as described in the Getting Started Guide) focused on improving health, well-being, and equity. An early focus on building will and prioritizing ideas (steps 1-7 in the guide) — which includes assessing current state and organizational priorities, working with external stakeholders to learn what matters most in a community, and prioritizing sub-populations and health outcomes of focus for immediate action — will set the groundwork for reliable, sustainable, and equitable execution of the most influential change ideas.

On our shared journey, teams will benefit from:

• Interactive Learning Sessions and Webinars on critical population health topics and related issues
• Connections to expert faculty, innovators, and peers within population health, well-being, equity, and quality improvement
• Real-world examples and case studies from a diverse set of providers, hospitals, and health systems
• Tools and resources to help teams on their population health journey, including a Getting Started Guide, access to selected IHI quality improvement tools, and targeted coaching.

Timeline

The 11-month Action Community will begin in August 2020.

Participation Guidelines

We invite you to join if you are:

• A new or existing ACO working to improve outcomes for the populations you serve
• An academic medical institution committed to improving equitable care
• A community hospital striving to deliver on your mission and contribute to a shared community health agenda
• A health care organization seeking to accelerate progress in population health and participate in a network of peers to improve the health of your patient panels and surrounding communities

How to Join

Submit your interest and an IHI team member will contact you.

Learn More

Call or email Joelle Baehrend, Program Director (617-301-4816, jbaehrend@ihi.org).

Pathways to Population Health and the Improving Population Health Action Community are facilitated by the 100 Million Healthier Lives initiative, made possible with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. IHI is grateful to our partners in Pathways to Population Health — American Hospital Association/Health Research & Educational Trust, Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement, Public Health Institute, and Stakeholder Health — for their contributions, including the development of tools and resources available to all.