Our 27 communities share one vision: To transform the Western Suburbs into the healthiest region in the country. In 2015, Community Memorial Foundation launched a Regional Health and Human Services Agenda for the Western Suburbs. This integrated agenda identifies health and human service priorities for the Foundation’s service area and highlights corresponding indicators to track progress over a ten-year time frame. It was created with input from community focus groups and developed in consultation with McAlpine Consulting for Growth; the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health; and a cross-sector Advisory Council of local leaders.

The Foundation uses the agenda to define our strategies, programs and grantmaking; however, because this is a community agenda, we encourage businesses, nonprofit agencies, schools and faith-based communities to develop their own unique strategies to address agenda priorities and achieve collective impact. Toward this end, we have engaged community leaders to participate in the agenda’s Implementation Council and Action Teams; together, these groups set goals and strategies for implementation throughout our region.

Ultimately, successful implementation of the agenda will reflect the triple aim of healthcare: improve population health; improve the patient’s experience of care; and reduce cost.