Showcasing the power of unity in community health

NWH Community Collaborative Annual Assembly showcases the power of unity in community health

By Jessica Zimmerman

On Oct. 2, the Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) Community Collaborative hosted its 2026 Annual Assembly, bringing together health leaders, clinicians and community partners to reflect on efforts to improve community health in NWH's catchment area of Newton, Needham, Natick, Weston, Waltham and Wellesley.

Established in 2017, the NWH Community Collaborative comprises nearly 200 NWH staff and clinical experts, nonprofit and community leaders and residents. The Collaborative creates an ongoing structure for the hospital and community to identify needs, share expertise, build relationships and develop responses that extend beyond clinical care.

The theme of this year's forum was "Community Health: We Are One," a statement to reflect both the interconnected nature of issues affecting health and the value of working in partnership to address those concerns.

"We already have the pieces we need. We have the data. We have the institutions. We have the resources. And most importantly, we have communities that know themselves," said Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a former Massachusetts General Hospital physician and keynote speaker of this year's forum. "The challenge - and the opportunity - is to connect them: to turn expertise into partnership, data into action, listening into trust. And to turn the extraordinary resources we have in this Commonwealth into something people can actually feel in their lives: better health, greater opportunity and the chance for every person in every community to live a healthy life - the chance to thrive."

The Collaborative's eight councils lead efforts in key areas of community health - such as substance use, maternal health and youth mental health - and meet regularly to champion and operationalize community-based programs.

Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, chief community health and health equity officer for Mass General Brigham, shared how adopting a more focused, systemwide approach to community health is making a measurable impact.

"Our community health work starts with listening to the communities we serve and understanding where we can make the greatest difference. That means being intentional about where we focus our efforts," she said. "By bringing our expertise and resources together around maternal health, cancer, substance use and cardiometabolic health, we can work alongside our communities to make meaningful progress and a lasting difference in people's lives."