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Our organization started in 1997, when ChoiceCare sold its health maintenance organization to Humana for $221 million.

The proceeds were invested and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati was created, serving a 20-county region in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. The foundation was charged with changing the way health care was delivered—especially for under-resourced communities.

Early grantmaking focused on community primary care, school-aged children’s health care, substance use disorders and severe mental illness. From the beginning, the foundation did more than just provide funding—grantees received support for advocacy, business planning, communications, data use and more. Research, education and evaluation were also integrated in the grantmaking process, with the foundation quickly becoming a resource for nonprofits.

The foundation determined that policy changes were often needed to improve health. This led to advocacy work in support of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion in Ohio.

In 2013, the foundation responded to the community’s changing needs by shifting its focus to health promotion. Rebranding itself as Interact for Health, the foundation focused on healthy eating, active living, healthy choices about substance use, mental and emotional well-being and Thriving Communities.

As it celebrated 20 years of grantmaking in 2017, Interact for Health began investing in areas where the impact could be greatest: reducing tobacco use, addressing the opioid epidemic and school-based health centers. Learn more about these initiatives on our Prior Work page.

Learn more about our 20 years of working together to create healthier community.

In 2022, Interact for Health once again shifted its focus in response to community needs, committing to advance health justice by improving mental health and well-being, increasing power in traditionally marginalized communities and changing policies and systems.

Policy position statements

Through the years, Interact for Health's board of directors has adopted and issued position statements about policies related to its priority areas. Here are some of our past position statements.