07/22/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/22/2025 11:29
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NACHC launched the 2025 Design Sprint initiative to position Community Health Centers (CHCs) as partners of choice for innovative, cross-sector collaborations aimed at advancing health outcomes. Rooted in the Stanford's d. School's Design Thinking Model, the initiative offered a focused period of training, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer learning to drive creative problem-solving, and systems change.
Through this human-centered design approach, participants strengthened strategic partnerships, improved data sharing, and addressed non-clinical factors that impact health-ultimately working to improve outcomes for individuals with complex health and social needs.
For five transformative months, four community health centers across the country joined forces with cross-sector partners to tackle one pressing question:
How can we better serve individuals in our communities facing complex social and health needs?
United by a shared commitment to person-centered care, each team focused on a specific unmet social need, ranging from food insecurity to homelessness, deeply rooted in the communities they serve. These weren't abstract challenges; they were real issues affecting patients' ability to thrive.
Primary Health Care tackled a challenge familiar to many providers: EHR "click fatigue." Partnering with the Iowa Community HUB, they streamlined the referral process by integrating one-click functionality directly into the clinical workflow. This innovation not only lightened the provider burden but made it easier and faster to connect patients to critical community services. In the words of one team member, the result was a "ripple effect" of positive change - for both care teams and patients.
The Primary Health Network took a relationship-first approach to serving people experiencing homelessness. Working alongside the City Rescue Mission and The Cornerstone of Beaver County, they recognized that before they could offer care, they needed to build trust in their community. For months, a Public Health Nurse simply showed up, spending time in the kitchen and common spaces, earning the community's confidence. This deep engagement made it possible to coordinate mobile visits through team huddles, providing individualized, timely care to people who hadn't accessed services in years.
"This isn't numbers driven," said one team member, "this is people driven."
Northeast Valley Health Corporation focused on building the business case for investing in social drivers of health. With support from Dignity Health, they developed a closed-loop referral system and integrated tools like the FICA spiritual assessment to better understand patient needs.
By aligning their efforts with leadership priorities and real-time data, they ensured their approach was grounded in impact, not just ideas.
"We don't just screen patients, we want to make sure we're addressing their needs," remarked one participant. Their work created a foundation for long-term change and readiness when funding opportunities arise.
Meanwhile, New Horizon Health Center used the PRAPARE® screening tool to listen more deeply to their patients. Collaborating with UT Health Houston, they uncovered needs that surprised even seasoned clinicians - clothing and medication access topped transportation as major concerns.
As one team member reflected, "This reminded us of the importance of listening and not just assuming. Every patient's situation is different; everyone has different needs."
This data allowed them to pivot their outreach, launching targeted food and clothing drives, and strengthening partnerships to meet identified needs. For them, PRAPARE® wasn't just a tool; it was a bridge to more meaningful engagement.
At the culmination of their Design Sprint journey, all four teams gathered in Washington, DC to share their journey: the bold ideas they tested, the real-world challenges they navigated, and the partnerships they strengthened along the way. Despite their unique contexts, a unifying mission came through loud and clear-to harness collaboration, creativity, and compassion to build actionable solutions that address the non-clinical factors shaping health.
Every design choice circled back to what patients truly need and value. These teams affirmed a powerful truth: when we center people, lead with empathy, and break down silos, we don't just improve outcomes, we make the best choice the easiest one, and that makes all the difference.