Collaborative Fund – Shift Health Accelerator

Center for Thriving Communities

FLORIDA CENTER FOR THRIVING COMMUNITIES (FCTC)

Shift partnered with the Florida Center for Thriving Communities and Build Healthy Places Network to support community-rooted, place-based health equity work across Florida through Equity Action Labs.

Project Overview

The Florida Center for Thriving Communities is a virtual center working statewide to address health inequities by surfacing community needs and turning them into practical tools, action plans, and real-world examples. Backed by investment from the Florida Blue Foundation and co-led by 904WARD, Florida Health Justice Project, Hispanic Federation, and UF Health Jacksonville, the Center engaged more than 1,200 people through listening sessions that elevated mental well-being as a core priority. Shift joined the Center leadership and Build Healthy Places Network as strategy partners to keep the work equity-driven, community-rooted, and built to scale across places.

Shift Health Approach

Shift supported Center leadership and Equity Action Lab sites with practical strategy, learning design, and implementation support so community-led priorities could move from insight to action, with clear plans for testing and measuring change.

Strategy partnership with Center leadership and Build Healthy Places Network to strengthen equity-driven, place-based work statewide.
Equity Action Lab advisory support to help sites design community-led testing and collaboration across sectors.
Six-month action agenda planning to support consistent implementation, learning, and measurement.
Webinar series for sites and applicants on community engagement, shared vision, community-centered measurement, and resourcing community-led health.

Implementation

At the core of this work are Equity Action Labs (EAL), a model developed through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and led nationally by We In the World. The Labs convene resident leaders and multisector partners to break down silos between healthcare, community organizations, and government, then test community-led change over a six-month cycle. Three selected projects focus on improving mental health and well-being for youth, youth and adults, and women, including efforts led by Center for Children’s Rights (Jacksonville), The Guatemalan-Maya Center (Fort Worth), and Melanin Mother’s Meet (Tallahassee). Alongside Lab support, Shift and Build Healthy Places Network developed a four-part learning series to help sites engage communities well, define a shared vision of health, measure impact through a community lens, and resource work for sustainability.

1200

people reached through listening and engagement

3

Equity Action Lab projects selected

4

webinar sessions developed for EAL sites and applicants

Results & Impact

The Center’s statewide listening work clarified mental well-being as a shared priority and created a foundation for action that is rooted in what residents named as urgent. Through Equity Action Labs, resident leaders and partners are now set up to test locally-led solutions, track progress, and generate evidence that improves accountability and strengthens what works. The longer-term goal is straightforward: build a durable pipeline of place-based initiatives that can attract sustained investment and expand equitable access to the conditions that create healthy, thriving communities.