What Makes a Community Healthy?
Access to quality healthcare, nutritious food, safe and affordable housing, education, green spaces, and opportunities to thrive are just some of the factors that shape health and well-being. But how do we ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life, both here in the Upstate and across South Carolina?
At the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH), those questions drive our work every day. We connect Furman University with communities to advance education, research, and collaborative initiatives that address the social drivers of health. Together with our partners, we envision collective wellness through transformative initiatives that elevate health for all.
We advance our vision through three interconnected priorities:
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Educating the next generation of community health leaders. We provide students with immersive internships, observation experiences, research opportunities, and community-engaged learning that prepare them to make a meaningful impact. -
Advancing community-engaged research. We collaborate with community members and organizations as research partners to better understand local challenges, evaluate innovative solutions, and generate evidence that informs lasting change.
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Inspiring action through collaboration and engagement. We convene diverse partners, elevate community voices, and foster dialogue through public programs, educational initiatives, and strategic partnerships that strengthen communities and improve health.
Learn More About Our Work
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40%Furman students pursuing careers in health
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225high-impact student learning internships available in health-related fields
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1,000+Students involved in health internships since 2016
Student Experiences
IACH champions high-impact student experiences and lifelong learning. We offer transformative educational programs, internships, and professional development opportunities that equip students at all stages with the skills, knowledge, and passion to lead in addressing social drivers of health. By nurturing the next generation of leaders, we ensure a continued focus on innovation and excellence in our field.
Community Action
The Community Action team focuses on translating our research and insights into tangible community initiatives. By working directly with local organizations and stakeholders, we co-design and evaluate interventions that address pressing community health issues. Our efforts emphasize practical, community-driven solutions and foster partnerships that drive meaningful change.
Community Health Conversations
IACH is dedicated to fostering dialogue and engagement around key health issues. Through public forums, workshops and collaborative discussions, we engage students, community members, professionals and policymakers in meaningful conversations about health challenges and opportunities.
ENGAGE WITH IACH
Building a Stronger Foundation for Community Health Across South Carolina
Communities thrive when people have a shared understanding of the factors that influence health and well-being. To help build that foundation across South Carolina, the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health at Furman University...
Continue Reading >New from IACH: The Community Health Exchange Podcast Launches March 13
What does community health really look like in practice? At the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, we know that health is shaped by much more than clinical care. It’s influenced by where we...
Continue Reading >IACH Welcomes Two Postdoctoral Fellows to the AMPLIFY Research Team
IACH is pleased to welcome two postdoctoral fellows to its A.M.P.L.I.F.Y. research team. These appointments reflect IACH’s continued commitment to advancing community-engaged research and strengthening the next generation of scholars trained to elevate community voice...
Continue Reading >Support IACH
Your gift supports and ensures the IACH has the operating resources to facilitate high impact student experiences, conduct community engaged research, and champion key community programs, furthering our commitment to health equity, justice and diversity.