The question of how to marry theory and practice in building healthier communities is among the oldest and most pressing challenges to human flourishing. The urgency of this question is as clear in Plato's Republic as it is in the rhetoric of contemporary politics: the gulf between creative ideas and practical solutions is often wide, and the task of transforming vision into lasting value is rarely easy. Over the past decade, we at Memorial have experienced some of the frustrations and rewards of confronting this challenge in reevaluating both our vision of a healthy community and our understanding of the role we can best play in helping to bring this vision to fruition.

One important lesson we have learned is that working to foster a healthy community is a lot like building a friendship. First and foremost, high hopes, promises, and lavish gifts are no substitute for hard listening, steadfast commitment, and careful stewardship of resources. Moreover, in our friendships and community building efforts alike, there is always more to learn, both about ourselves and from others. Accordingly, we must be prepared in each of these endeavors to address our strengths and weaknesses openly, to discern carefully how they complement the capacities of those working with us, and to risk investing ourselves even though we don't always know at the outset where the relationship will take us.

It is precisely this set of challenges that the Community Health Action Group (CHAG) here at Memorial was convened to address. What follows is the story of the important role that CHAG has played (and continues to play) in the implementation of our initiatives to aid in the creation of a healthier community.