Involving Community Partners in Data and Policy Initiatives to Advance Health Equity

Communities across the U.S. face an array of complex health equity challenges, including meeting the health care needs of people experiencing homelessness, reducing poverty, and improving care for rural populations. Addressing these issues requires robust collaboration and cross-sector data sharing to better understand how community members access health care. While states and community-based organizations (CBOs) have developed data sharing and policy initiatives across sectors, community members are often not included in these efforts. As part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships initiative, Data Across Sectors for Health and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) are working with states, CBOs, and community members to integrate community voice in data sharing and policy reform activities to better address health equity challenges.

This panel discussion held on October 11, 2022 explored how state agencies, CBOs, and community members in Arizona, Utah, and Washington State are partnering to advance health equity through data sharing and policy reform activities. Participants learned about opportunities to meaningfully partner with community members to promote health equity at the state and local levels.