Wellville

Wellville is the national nonprofit sponsor of a 10-year project to improve health, well-being and financial outcomes in five U.S. communities: Clatsop County, OR; Lake County, CA; Muskegon County, MI; North Hartford, CT; and Spartanburg, SC. The organization was founded by angel investor Esther Dyson, and selected its five communities in 2014 through a national search that drew 42 applicants from 26 states. We recognize that what matters most to health happens outside the health care system—before we get sick in the first place. Our goal is to demonstrate the value of investing in health—at the community level—to reduce the need for health care and the enormous spending that comes with it, and to increase resilience, happiness and productivity. Wellville supports its communities the way a business accelerator helps startups. Each Wellville community receives a dedicated advisor for 10 years. We help them develop strong leadership teams, target outcomes that matter, collaborate across sectors and silos, implement approaches that are responsive to changing conditions, and demonstrate value that will generate the kind of investment needed to scale, spread and sustain impact over time. Along the way, we share what we are learning to help other communities find their way to Wellville. Visit: wellville.net.