Anchor collaboratives are a place-based network of anchor institutions that utilize an anchor mission framework in partnership with the community to promote strong local economies through increased economic opportunity, community development, and community wealth building. HAN member health systems continue to amplify their anchor mission strategies through anchor collaboratives.
West Side United (WSU) is an anchor collaborative on Chicago’s West Side whose members include HAN members Rush University System for Health, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Ascension. One WSU project is its partnership with the Chicago Urban League’s Fresh Start Legal Clinic, which provides legal help to people struggling to find work, obtain housing, or access other benefits due to a criminal record. Another transformative initiative is that the Sankofa Village Wellness Center is slated to open in April and will house Rush Medical Center and West Side United.
In Utah, Ogden Civic Action Network (OgdenCAN) is celebrating its 10th year as an anchor collaborative! OgdenCAN is an alliance of several anchor institutions, including HAN member Intermountain Health, committed to aligning resources focused on the five pillars of community health: lifelong learning, vibrant economy, safe and strong neighborhoods, community connection, and healthy lifestyles in Ogden’s east-central neighborhood.