From 1995 to 1997, the Hospital Educational Research Trust, Chicago, co-sponsored two Leadership Action Forums designed to foster effective collaboration between the public and private sectors that would result in improved community health.

Participants included invited representatives from public health organizations at the local, state, and national levels; business; health care organizations; faith communities; and community-based and advocacy organizations.

Key Results

• The first forum, held November 13–16, 1995, was attended by approximately 200 representatives of public health organizations at the local, state, and national levels; business; health care organizations; faith communities; and community-based and advocacy organizations.
  
  Federal employees, however, were forced to withdraw when, on the first day of meetings, the federal government shutdown and furlough began.
  
  The forum resulted in the production of an agenda based on common ground identified and assented to by all participants, as well as the creation of 13 ongoing Action Teams. These teams were charged with developing concrete actions to improve community health and quality of life.
  
  In order to further shape the agenda, and to include federal input as well as that of elected officials and law enforcement, a second forum was planned for June 1996.
• The second forum Leadership Action Forum II: Building Bridges Between Public and Private Sectors for Community Health Improvement, was held June 20 to 22, 1996.
  
  During the forum more than 85 organizations signed a Declaration of Principles that represented the beginning of a five-year agenda for improving public-private collaboration in health care.

Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) helped sponsor the forums with two grants totaling $64,052 between October 1995 and January 1997.