Investment Highlight: Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative (MAC)

The 2024 Milwaukee County Community Health Needs Assessment identified economic opportunities as a key driver of health issues and health outcomes in Milwaukee County.  To advance the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) priority of supporting select community health issue areas, the health system sponsors have invested significantly in the Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative (MAC) to address economic determinants of health through coordinated workforce, procurement, and place-based strategies.

The MAC was formally established in 2021 as a strategic convener of anchor institutions in Milwaukee’s highest-poverty and highest-unemployment ZIP Codes to improve health outcomes through anchor-led workforce and business development initiatives. Achor institutions include the four sponsoring Milwaukee health systems, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and educational institutions. The MHCP sponsor health systems have invested in the MAC since its inception in 2021.

The MAC is supporting three strategic goals with a new 2025-2026 strategic framework. The first works to grow a thriving workforce by sharing best practices for hiring, connecting individuals in key ZIP Codes with training organizations, and implementing retention strategies. The second aims to foster business vitality by identifying high-wage sectors, providing technical assistance to local vendors, and increasing contracts in priority areas. The third advances place-based economic development by aligning academic offerings with labor needs and advocating for policy changes.

MHCP investments are executed through the health system-sponsored MHCP Shared Community Health Improvement Fund (SCIF). To learn more about the MHCP Shared Community Investment Fund, its purpose, and impact, visit the MHCP website.