Networked for Change: Empowering Health Innovators and Communities

In this episode of the HIT Like a Girl podcast, Joy Rios welcomes Lisa Bari and Jolie Ritzo from Civitas Networks for Health, a national nonprofit focused on health data sharing for health improvement. Lisa, the CEO, and Jolie, the Vice President of Strategy and Network Engagement, discuss how Civitas was formed by merging two leading national networks, the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement and the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative. Their mission is to empower local health innovators as change-makers within their communities and work with Regional Health and Improvement Collaboratives to serve communities more effectively. The organization aims for regional innovation with a national impact, emphasizing transparent processes and diverse perspectives. With 165 members, they value neutral convening and information sharing to align on shared goals. They stress the importance of engaging multiple people from member organizations to foster meaningful community involvement. The episode highlights Civitas Networks for Health's efforts to drive positive change in healthcare and technology through strong networks, community engagement, and health data sharing for societal improvement.