History

In January 2017, the core partners, MUSC Health, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Trident United Way launched Healthy Tri-County (HTC), a multi-sector regional initiative to improve health outcomes in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in South Carolina. The long-term aspirational goal of HTC is to improve the health and well-being of every person and community within the Tri-County region.

HTC grew out of the collaborative work implemented by MUSC Health, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Trident United Way (TUW) on the 2016 Tri-County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The breadth of medical services provided by our participating healthcare institutions and the depth of community connections held by TUW positioned us well to assess the health issues impacting residents in our region. When our institutions partnered to conduct the CHNA, we quickly recognized that our efforts would extend far beyond the collection and dissemination of the report data, and that we were at the beginning of a partnership to help facilitate collaborative health efforts in our region, rooted in the engagement of diverse community stakeholders. The group continues with this cycle, every 5 years conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment, and as a result, a Community Health Improvement Plan to provide actionable ways to improve the health of Tri-County residents. In 2024, Trident Health joined the team, further uniting the major health systems in the region. 

The complex and monumental health challenges facing Tri-County residents impact not only their length and quality of life, but also their ability to contribute to the region’s growth and economy. No single organization, no matter how well-resourced or powerful, can tackle these issues alone. Research shows that successful collective impact initiatives typically meet five conditions that assure true alignment and lead to powerful results:

  • A common agenda
  • Shared measurement systems
  • Mutually reinforcing activities 
  • Continuous communication 
  • Backbone support organizations