Since 2016, Invest Health, an initiative managed by Reinvestment Fund and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), has engaged 50 small and midsize cities nationwide to tackle some of their communities’ most pressing health challenges. Emphasizing peer-to-peer learning, Invest Health sought to support cities focusing on their neighborhoods facing the most significant barriers to better health.
In the fall of 2023, the culmination of this multisite initiative unfolded in a bustling hotel ballroom, where stakeholders from across the nation greeted one another with palpable excitement. After seven years of collaboration, participants from the 50 cities were eager to reconnect in person and hear updates on each other’s efforts. In fact, over the years, Invest Health has fostered strong relationships, with 61 percent of members continuing to communicate with colleagues from other cities outside of the initiative’s events and 40 percent reporting having implemented a program, project, or policy as a result of learning from other Invest Health cities, according to the final evaluation survey. By creating a supportive network, Invest Health has empowered cities to learn from each other, adapt successful strategies, and implement meaningful changes.
This report, part of the final evaluation of Invest Health, delves into the initiative’s cross-city network. It examines the relationships built, the outcomes of these connections, and the essential elements required to create and sustain such a dynamic and impactful learning network.