Our Journey
Moving From Healthcare to Health
In 2008, Palm Health Foundation began exploring ways to increase impact in Palm Beach County’s most critical health areas. As the foundation committed to engaging community more and more, we realized the impact we were seeking could be best achieved through shifting focus to the social determinants of health and embracing resident leadership. This is our journey.
Healthier Together Timeline
2008
Four focus areas established: behavioral health, diabetes prevention and management, family caregiving and nursing advancement.
2012
Interest grows to disrupt status quo of traditional grant making.
2013
Staff and board exploratory work begins through community conversations.
Fall 2014
Healthier Together launches with a shared vision and Theory of Action.
Winter 2014
PHF supports first group of residents to attend a community development conference in Washington D.C.
Spring 2015
First two communities formally engaged, Healthier Jupiter and Healthier Delray Beach.
Summer 2015
Foundation staff change brings new approach to the effort.
Summer 2015
First Resident Leadership Conference held in Belle Glade with 95 residents in attendance from the six communities.
Summer 2015
First Healthier Together Steering Committee Learning Community to share learning and skill building.
2015
Third and fourth communities formally engaged, Healthier Boynton Beach and Healthier Neighbors.
Fall 2016
Mini-grants launch in Healthier Jupiter evolve participatory grant making approach and create shift in power dynamics.
Spring 2016
40 people from Healthier Together trained by Race Equity Institute.
Spring 2016
Let’s Move Community Health Campaign launched in Healthier Jupiter and Healthier Delray Beach, leading to increased community participation and visibility.
Summer 2016
First in-person Tamarack Institute workshop for six communities held in Palm Beach County; 120 people trained in community change work.
Spring 2016
Tamarack publishes paper on Collective Impact 3.0 validating Healthier Together’s shift from “collective impact” to movement building.
Winter 2017
Health Dialogue to Action groups launched in Lake Worth and Glades to reenergize communities and “ready” them for full engagement.
Spring 2017
New CEO joins the foundation with deep community development experience and social work background.
Summer 2017
Fifth and sixth communities formally engaged, Healthier Lake Worth and Healthier Glades.
Spring 2018
FSG publishes The Water for Systems Change paper articulating ways Healthier Together can and has been influencing systems change.
Summer 2018
Foundation changes name from Palm “Healthcare” to Palm “Health” to align with shift away from clinical care to addressing social determinants of health.
Fall 2018
Board adopts equity statement developed in partnership with Healthier Together residents and partners.
Fall 2018
Florida Blue Foundation awards $238,000 grant to fund Mental Health First Aid training for 2,000 residents, largely in Healthier Together communities.
February 2019
Board makes long-term financial commitment to Healthier Together beyond initial five-years, recognizing work takes years to make substantive change.
Spring 2019
New Theory of Change for Healthier Together developed to ground the foundation’s community change approach and serve as a guide for the lasting impact the foundation hoped to see.
Spring 2019
All staff complete Race Equity Institute 2-day workshop as well as 50% of the board members.
Summer 2019
Learning Plan for the Healthier Together initiative, rooted in complexity theory, is finalized documenting key evaluative elements framing the impact of the initiative.
Fall 2019
over 350 people have attended community change and resident leadership national and international learning opportunities since December 2014 with support of foundation.
Winter 2019
Healthier Glades launched first mini-grants to fund grassroots behavioral health efforts.
Spring 2020
Foundation deploys SenseMaker through Healthier Together communities to collect residents’ stories about effects of COVID-19.
Spring 2020
Foundation launches Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund deployed through Healthier Together communities to provide financial relief to residents in crisis due to COVID-19.
Spring 2020
Inspired by COVID-19 SenseMaker story collection, Healthier Delray Beach partners with Spady Cultural Heritage Museum to create virtual gallery exhibit of community’s collective experience.
Summer 2020
Healthier Together project directors commit to new racial equity statement.
