Developed and initiated by the Episcopal Health Foundation, Texas Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (TACHI) is a statewide project that goes beyond the doctor’s office to improve the health and well-being of Texans statewide. St. David’s Foundation partnered with Episcopal Health Foundation on this initiative by investing an initial $500,000 to support three Central Texas communities as they implement multi-sector partnerships to improve health in our community. 

ACH Model

Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) are collaborative initiatives bringing groups of local stakeholders together to improve population health and advance health equity by breaking down barriers across sectors, including health care, social services, employment training, economic development and others.

In these initiatives, public and private funders work together to maximize existing resources and promote good health through long-term strategies for prevention and community well-being.

Utilizing clinics as community hubs, this model focuses on all the ways that health is impacted by what happens outside of clinical and institutional settings. Through the model, communities determine the best way to address non-medical community health needs like food security, job training and economic development and more.

ACHs include community-based organizations that are working together to advance community-led, financially sustainable strategies to improve health by focusing on what happens outside of the doctor’s office or a hospital.

Evidence from ACH initiatives in states like California, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington demonstrates how upstream investments and improve overall community health and make financial sense.

By 2026, we expect to see the communities of Bastrop County, Williamson County, and the Austin Rundberg area experience significant gains in health and well-being as Texas’ health care funding shifts from costly, crisis-oriented responses to a cohesive system focused on prevention, recovery, and eliminating disparities.

TACHI Communities in Central Texas

 The Central Texas TACHI locations supported by St. David’s Foundation include: 

 Austin Rundberg: The Austin Rundberg site is a small, urban community located in the City of Austin bounded by I-35 and Mopac. Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA) serves as the backbone for this collaborative. 

 Bastrop County: Located east of Austin, Bastrop County Cares serves as the backbone for this collaborative. 

 Williamson County: North of Austin, the Georgetown Health Foundation serves as the backbone for this collaborative. 

TACHI provides grant funding to each ACH site, depending on specific needs, over a four-year period. Along with grant funding, this initiative also offers the community collaboratives technical assistance and peer-learning opportunities focused on topics related to health equity, community engagement, governance, data infrastructure, and financial sustainability.