Integrating Primary Care and Public Health – Lessons Learned from a National Collaborative

The ASTHO-supported Primary Care and Public Health (PCPH) Collaborative was formed in 2012 following a two-day meeting in response to the Institute of Medicine’s 2012 report Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health that brought together key individuals from many sectors. Four committees were created to address priority areas of focus identified in a strategic map that could accelerate integration (capturing successes, making the business case, identifying resources and funding streams, sustainability, preparing the workforce, and measuring integration). Bi-monthly calls are held with the over 150 individual partners and organizations to report on committee work, align and expand efforts, and share best practices. Tools and resources developed by the collaborative include: a grid that captures initiatives throughout the country to measure integration of primary care and public health, a guide for state innovation model states looking to integrate primary care and public health more efficiently, and a collection of stories from local and state primary care and public health partners who have collaborated successfully. Although ASTHO has experienced challenges and barriers to leading a national collaborative of partners with sustained momentum and limited resources, information sharing, making connections, and networking between and among PCPH Collaborative members have been of high value. This presentation will describe lessons learned from this experience and how they can be applied by others looking to better integrate primary care and public health or support a national collaborative.