Creating Opportunities for Optimal Health

CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) views health as a social phenomenon as opposed to merely the absence of disease. Focusing on the intersections among policy, power dynamics, socio-economic factors, and public and community health practice, we help communities and organizations create equal opportunities for all people to achieve optimal health. Building on over two decades of learning from health systems improvement initiatives, CHA works to increase community and organizational capacity to address the social and economic determinants of health. In short, we work with our partners to create community conditions in which all people can be healthy.

CommonHealth ACTION is a national, non-profit, public health organization based in Washington, DC.
  • Slide 1

    What is your perspective on Aging in America? Share your thoughts in our national survey!

    What concerns you most about aging? Do you have expectations about who will provide for your needs in your senior years?

    We would like to get your input via this confidential national survey that seeks to gauge how prepared people are to age. This survey can be completed by anyone over the age of 18, living in the United States, who has computer access. If you are interested in reading the report that was produced from our 2010 survey, you may access it here. In addition, highlights from our 2011 survey are available here, and the final report will be published in November. Read More
  • Slide 2

    PASSIONATE ABOUT The PUBLIC's HEALTH?

    Click on the link(s) below to learn more about and apply for CommonHealth ACTION’s open positions:

    Check back for more job postings coming soon.
  • Slide 3

    Highlights from CommonHealth ACTION’s 2011 Aging Survey Report

    Aging-2012-Cover-Page-thumb.jpgHow do we prepare our communities and our country to ensure that all people age with dignity, good health, economic security, and social support? This is a particularly important question for families, policymakers, healthcare providers, and our society given that people in America are living longer than ever before. The proportion of people 60 years and older is growing faster than any other age group, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates. Although they are in constant evolution, U.S. systems of employment, health care, social welfare, and family and community structures have not kept pace with our changing demographics.  Read report here.



iphi-logoIn 2009, after discussions with key stakeholders in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) began incubating what has become the Institute for Public Health Innovation. CHA’s aim was to create a sustainable public-private resource for the DC-MD-VA region that improves public health outcomes by fostering innovation, leveraging resources, and partnering across the many community and governmental sectors that have a role to play in producing health and quality of life.  IPHi received a $500,000 capacity grant from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as an Emerging Public Health Institutes grant award from the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and mentorship from NNPHI and Public Health Solutions, the public health institute serving New York City.  After a 2-year incubation process, IPHi received its full membership designation from NNPHI in October 2012.  To learn more about IPHi, Click Here.
News and Events
  • [02.05.2013] CHA Presents Strategies to Promote Health Equity at 2013 Winter Action Institute - Read More
  • [10.15.2012] Senior Program Manager, Nehanda Lindsey presents to participants of the 2012 Southern Obesity Summit in Charlotte, NC on the NAACP Childhood Obesity Advocacy Manual and Workbook - Read More
  • [10.04.2012] CHA awarded contract from the Texas department of state health services - Read More
  • [07.05.2012] CHA Press Release: The Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) Ruling Vital to America’s Health. - Read More
  • [05.30.2012] CommonHealth ACTION announces $1 Million grant award from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to provide comprehensive technical assistance to grantees in Mississippi - Read More
  • [02.14.2012] The National Tele-Health Roundtable - Read More
  • [02.01.2012] Dr. Myra Schneider and Dr. Vincent Lafronza publish article in Aging Today - Read More
  • [08.15.2011] CommonHealth ACTION President Natalie S. Burke serves as a subject matter expert on the YMCA of the USA Health Equity Advisory Panel - Read More
  • [08.11.2011] CommonHealth ACTION representatives along with Joint Center staff conducted a two-day site visit to the Mississippi Delta - Read More
  • [08.08.2011] CHA announces an opening for a new Program Associate position. - Read More
  • [07.27.2011] CommonHealth ACTION president Natalie S. Burke presented “Community Leadership 201 – Ready? Set?” at the National YMCA’s Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC) Conference. - Read More
  • [07.26.2011] CommonHealth ACTION staff, Vincent Lafronza and Nehanda Lindsey, provided technical assistance to one of the sites within the PLACE MATTERS Initiative - Read More

Health News