What does it take for a community collaborative to last?
Across Texas, organizations are working together in new ways to address the non-medical drivers that shape health. But building these partnerships is only the beginning. Sustaining them over time is where the real challenge and opportunity begins.
In a new video from EHF’s Collaborating for Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI), leaders from across the state share what they have learned about making this work last. Their insights are practical and grounded in experience, from establishing shared leadership and clear roles to planning for change and preventing burnout.
CHCI brings together community collaboratives that span health care, public health, nonprofits, and other sectors. The current cohort includes 12 collaboratives and coalitions working across 29 counties, focused on maternal health, food and nutrition security, and diabetes prevention. Through the initiative, participants receive coaching, technical support, and funding to strengthen their partnerships and build long-term sustainability.
Sustainability is not just about financial support. It depends on trust, relevance, and strong relationships that keep the work connected to the communities it serves.
This is where EHF’s Impact Driver -Promoting Multi-Sector Collaboration comes into focus. Improving health across Texas requires more than individual programs or isolated efforts. It requires coordinated, sustained work across sectors, aligned around shared goals and a broader understanding of health beyond medical care.
The CHCI cohort offers a clear example of how this approach works in practice.