Mobilizing action toward community health: County Health Rankings and beyond

In February 2010, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released the County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH)--the first set of reports to rank the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states. The Rankings focus on health outcomes, measures of length of life and quality of life, and health factors that determine health outcomes, measures within four categories: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. In 2011, RWJF announced a new initiative to expand the scope of the MATCH project to help community leaders work together to translate the Rankings into action and to implement programs and policies proven to improve the factors that most affect health outcomes. The new initiative will focus on 1) connecting communities to evidence-based strategies; 2) fostering a nationwide peer learning network that showcases best practices and connects communities to solutions and each other; and 3) delivering technical assistance and training-with a focus on communities that have ranked in the lowest quartile in the Rankings. This session will give a brief overview of the Rankings, provide examples of the ways that the Rankings have begun to prompt action in communities, and introduce the tools and technical assistance that will be available under the new MATCH initiative.