“We’ve had a lot of energy and activity around becoming a healthy county for quite a few years. But in the past, it was like all the organizations were…people talking in a crowded restaurant. All the different conversations ended up creating a lot of noise. Now, with a shared strategy that is clearly communicated using the strategy maps, it is like being in a theatre with surround sound.”
— Dr. Mark Wallace, Weld County Health Department’s Executive Director

Highlights

  • “TECHNICAL INNOVATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH,” Public Health in the Rockies Conference

  • “PROMISING PRACTICE," National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 

  • “PACESETTER COMMUNITY,” 100 Million Healthier Lives Campaign

Opportunity

The North Colorado Health Alliance and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment are leaders in promoting greater understanding of the complex of factors that contribute to community health. They engage in strategic health planning and innovative management to support the health of all individuals living in the northern regions of Colorado, with a special focus on the underserved.

The North Colorado Health Alliance and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment were challenged with effectively engaging a wide variety of partners and more than 275,000 residents. Although multiple stakeholders are invested in the community, there was no common agenda nor shared metrics for measuring progress. Additionally, they wanted to provide inspiration and motivation for the community at large through current results. They recognized the need for a more collaborative, responsive solution and chose Insightformation as their consultant and InsightVision as their software platform.

 

Solution

Thriving Weld, a diverse coalition of more than 60 organizations, was formed to improve the health and well-being of Weld County residents. Insightformation consultants trained coalition members in strategy mapping techniques and a shared community dashboard—through InsightVision—to improve their alignment and teamwork to address priority health issues and underlying social factors. Launched in 2013, Thriving Weld has developed seven “zoomable” strategy maps to define their common agenda—access to care, active living, education, healthy eating, healthy mind and spirit, livelihood, and health equity—and has deployed more than 40 dynamic scorecards as a shared measurement system to support collective impact efforts.

 

Results

Leaders at the United Way, area hospitals, leading community nonprofit organizations, the health department, and various other stakeholders unanimously attribute their success with health and well-being outcomes to the same set of strategy maps and a shared measurement system. Their efforts have even received global attention.

  • National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) “Promising Practice”  

  • 100 Million Healthier Lives Campaign “Pacesetter Community” (a process with 200+ applicants)

  • Palladium Group white paper feature to a global audience of 60,000+ people

  • Numerous national and regional conferences