Historically, sectors have worked independently on projects based on their organizational goals, while many of these sectors share an overall mission to improve the quality of life for all people the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast Healthy Communities Collaborative has launched Collab/ExCHANGE Data Sharing for Action with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s DASH (Data Across Sectors for Health) Program. The overall aim of DASH is to identify barriers, opportunities, promising practices and indicators of progress for multi-sector collaborations to share data and connect information systems in order to improve community health. 

The aim of the Collab/ExCHANGE Data Sharing for Action project is to create a local, working model for cross-sector data sharing that leads to funded place-based projects with evidence for long-term community health impact. The Collab/ExCHANGE project team is seeking interested communities, individuals and organizations to participate in and apply for this opportunity in order to develop innovative ideas that will impact the social determinants of health in a community of need.

Issues impacting quality of life impact community health and are revealed in obesity and chronic illness which are among key priorities identified by our hospitals’ Community Health Needs Assessments. The built environment can and should provide equitable connections and opportunities for all Gulf Coast residents to access meaningful work, childcare, healthy food, and to live healthy lifestyles that can address these issues which are social determinants of health.

The Opportunity:

• Mini Grant Kick-Start Funds: up to $4000 for 2-3 cross-sector teams
• Guided process to form teams across-sector for data sharing and to develop a place-based project with evidence for health impact.