Institute | fwd Health Partners

advancing evidence and practice

for system transformation.

Mission

fwd Health Institute is a non-profit 501c3 organization that exists to close the gap between what we know and what we do in health and public policy. Too often, proven solutions remain trapped in research, while communities continue to experience preventable harm and system inefficiencies. We translate evidence into action - supporting governments, health systems, public health, philanthropy, and industry to design, implement, and scale policies and programs that deliver better health, smarter investments, and lasting impact.

Vision

We see a future where health systems consistently deliver high-quality, universal outcomes because decisions are grounded in evidence and informed by lived experience. In this future, public health and healthcare financing are aligned, rural and underserved communities have reliable access to care, and policies address the social and structural drivers of health - not just symptoms. Research does not sit on shelves; it shapes real-world change.

where evidence is generated and synthesized.

where governments convene and philanthropy invests.

where the field learns and change happens.

What We Do

TRANSLATE EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE

CONVENE LEARNING COLLABORATIVES

We synthesize research, policy analysis, and implementation science into actionable strategies that leaders can use immediately - turning complex findings into clear pathways program improvement and scale.

We design and lead multi-national, multi- and inter-state, and multi-sector learning collaboratives that bring together government agencies, health stakeholders, researchers, and communities to solve shared challenges, test innovations, and scale what works.

ADVANCE SYSTEMS & FINANCING REFORMS

STRENGTHEN PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE

We support the integration of public health, healthcare delivery, and financing - helping states and federal partners design value-based payment models, strengthen accountability, and invest in upstream drivers of health.

We help agencies modernize operations, improve cross-agency coordination, and build the analytic, workforce, and partnership capacity needed for durable impact.

EXPAND ACCESS & CLOSE PERSISTENT GAPS

TEST, EVALUATE, & SCALE INNOVATION

SERVE AS TRUSTED NEUTRAL PARTNER

We focus on closing persistent gaps in outcomes by advancing strategies that improve care quality, strengthen rural systems, and address health-related social needs.

We pilot new approaches, evaluate results, and disseminate practical tools, playbooks, and policy guidance so effective solutions can spread quickly across jurisdictions.

As an independent non-profit, we provide objective analysis and facilitation - creating space for alignment across political, sectoral, and institutional boundaries.

Our Commitment

fwd Health Institute (FHI) advances equity, diversity, and inclusion as an operational, governance, and program design standard. Because FHI exists to translate evidence into practical reform, we recognize that stronger outcomes require institutions, teams, and strategies that reflect the communities most affected by health inequities. This protocol applies to Board recruitment and retention, executive and staff hiring and retention, organizational culture, and the design of all work undertaken in the United States and globally.

1. Governance and leadership

FHI will build a Board and executive leadership culture that includes varied professional, geographic, demographic, and lived-experience perspectives, especially those connected to communities most affected by structural inequities. Board recruitment will use transparent criteria, broad outreach, and intentional candidate sourcing beyond traditional networks. Board retention will include inclusive onboarding, clear expectations, meaningful committee roles, regular feedback, and an annual review of whether members feel empowered to shape strategy and challenge assumptions.

2. Recruitment and hiring

FHI will use equitable hiring practices for executive, professional, and support staff. These will include inclusive job descriptions, skills-based qualifications where appropriate, diverse candidate outreach, structured interviews, consistent evaluation criteria, and attention to bias mitigation in selection processes. Search strategies will seek candidates with substantive expertise in health equity, community partnership, systems reform, and implementation in underserved settings.

3. Retention and workplace culture

FHI will foster an environment in which people from different backgrounds can contribute, advance, and stay. Retention practices will include equitable supervision, transparent compensation frameworks, access to professional development, flexibility where feasible, and routine opportunities for staff feedback. Leadership will review retention patterns, advancement opportunities, and workplace climate at regular intervals and act on identified gaps.

4. Program and project design

Equity will be built into the design of FHI's initiatives from the outset. For each major project, FHI will assess: who benefits, who may be excluded, whose knowledge counts, and whether affected communities have meaningful influence over priorities, design, implementation, and interpretation. In both U.S. and global work, FHI will prioritize approaches that are culturally responsive, informed by lived experience, attentive to structural barriers, and designed for populations facing persistent disadvantage, including rural communities, historically marginalized populations, and others disproportionately affected by weak system design.

5. Community partnership and accountability

FHI will not treat communities as passive recipients of expert solutions. When appropriate, FHI will engage community-based organizations, practitioners, and people with lived experience as co-design partners, advisors, and contributors to dissemination and implementation. We will aim for reciprocal partnerships, fair recognition of expertise, and practical pathways for community input to influence decisions.

6. Learning, measurement, and continuous improvement

FHI will review this protocol annually and apply it through measurable practices, including tracking recruitment pools, leadership and staff composition, retention patterns, partnership diversity, and the extent to which projects incorporate community-informed design. Findings will be used for continuous improvement, not merely compliance.

Through this protocol, FHI commits to making equity, diversity, and inclusion visible in who leads, who is hired, who stays, whose knowledge shapes the work, and how system reforms are designed to improve outcomes for those too often left furthest from opportunity.