Current Grantee Partners

Health First Collaborative

Catalyzed by a response to the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism, Health First Collaborative (HFC) invests in community-led, innovative solutions to address the root causes of racial health inequities in Chicagoland.

HFC is an incubator and amplifier of community-driven ideas that have the potential to transform health.

To date, collective investments have been focused on improving access to care through technological interventions and supporting hyperlocal approaches to health outreach by community leaders, a key aspect of the public health workforce.

Health First Collaborative Partner Organizations

  • Chicago Community Trust
  • Coleman Foundation
  • Community Memorial Foundation
  • Crown Family Philanthropies
  • Healthy Communities Foundation
  • Michael Reese Health Trust
  • Polk Bros. Foundation
  • United Way of Metro Chicago

The Work of HFC – Hubs of Transformation

Hub 1: Care Delivery Transformation

This hub supports community health centers as centers of health transformation.  Beginning in 2020, three pilots were supported with approximately $1M each over three years. In 2023, a small grant to each pilot site will support evaluation as implementation continues.

  • The South Side Population Health Collaborative – Improving health outcomes for South Side residents by building a unique database that integrates electronic health records across five health centers.
  • Telemedicine Microsites – Expanding access to care for people without health insurance through the placement of telehealth-assisted services within trusted community-based organizations.
  • Telecounseling – Increasing behavioral healthcare access for Latino communities through expanded service options.

Hub 2: Community Led Health Outreach

The Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership (CVP) is the second hub of the Health First Collaborative, focusing on community-based organizations as centers of health transformation.

CVP works in three ways:

  • Mobilizes trusted community leaders to share quality information about COVID vaccination.
  • Educates community members about the latest COVID science and opportunities to grow their public health skills.
  • Elevates coordination between community-based organizations, government, health care, and philanthropy to improve vaccination efforts and public health workforce development.