Who We Are
The STRONG Accountable Care Community (STRONG ACC) is an independent, regional, multi-sector coalition made up of 400 Partner organizations serving Northeast Tennessee and/or Southwest Virginia.
STRONG ACC Partners are working together to create bright futures for children and youth, by equipping them and their families with the resources and support they need to achieve their full potential. Our collective impact work focuses heavily on early childhood development, educational success, workforce development, and economic mobility
For a list of our Partners, click here.
Our Bi-State Region
We are proud of our region’s rich heritage, vibrant culture, and natural resources. Most of all, our people are what gives our region it’s unique character. Our region encompasses 2 states, 23 counties, and nearly 1 million residents.
Our Backbone Organizations
The STRONG ACC operates with support from two backbone organizations: Ballad Health and United Way of Southwest Virginia. In collective impact, Backbone organizations guide vision and strategy, support aligned activities, establish shared measurement systems, build public will, and mobilize funding. Both backbone organizations are accountable to the Leadership Council for the operational and administrative work of the STRONG ACC and the STRONG ACC staff.
The fiscal backbone organization for the STRONG ACC is Ballad Health. In this role, Ballad provides payroll and benefits for staff, grants management, professional development, and office space. In-kind contributions include marketing and communications, population health data and evaluation, and IT support. While the STRONG ACC receives backbone support from Ballad Health and the United Way of Southwest Virginia, the coalition is led and driven by the region, specifically the Partner organizations that make up the coalition.
Our History
The STRONG ACC was established in 2018 when the merger creating Ballad Health was finalized and discussions ensued about how best to improve the region’s health and wellbeing over the long term. Local leaders decided that an Accountable Care Community would effectively address the social determinants of health through enhanced clinical-community linkages that improve health outcomes and reduce costs.
Over time, the coalition’s purpose expanded to creating a conception to early postsecondary continuum of care, education, and support for the next generation. Hence, the acronym STRONG which stands for Striving Toward Resilience and Opportunity for the Next Generation.
