STRONG Accountable Care Community

What STRONG Accountable Care Community does

STRONG Accountable Care Community is a regional multi-sector coalition founded in 2018, headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, that coordinates collective-impact initiatives across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. It unites 400+ partner organizations spanning healthcare, education, government, business, social care, and faith communities across 2 states and 23 counties, serving nearly 1 million residents. The coalition focuses on social determinants of health, early childhood development, educational success, workforce development, and economic mobility, organized around a "conception to career" continuum.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its operating model is the collective-impact methodology itself, delivered through backbone support from Ballad Health and University of Virginia's College at Wise, which provide payroll, benefits, office space, grants management, IT, and population health data and evaluation in-kind. STRONG ACC delivers three primary programs: STRONG Kids (bi-monthly educational forums and workshops for child- and youth-serving professionals, run with Speedway Children's Charities and Ballad Health Niswonger Children's Network), annual Resilience Awards (recognizing partner-affiliated individuals and organizations), and an annual Regional Symposium convening regional stakeholders and state legislators.

Revenue is generated through foundation grants (Niswonger Foundation, Speedway Children's Charities, Wellspring Foundation, and other regional/national funders), backbone in-kind support from Ballad Health and UVA Wise, and modest event registration fees ($40–$60 per organization for the Regional Symposium). Partnerships are free for organizations, which join by completing a Partner Agreement. The Leadership Council governs the coalition, with representation from partner organizations across both states; Ballad Health and UVA Wise hold ex officio voting seats. No private equity, venture capital, or institutional investment ownership is evidenced.

Name

STRONG Accountable Care Community

Legal name

STRONG Accountable Care Community

Website

https://strongacc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STRONG Accountable Care Community is a regional multi-sector coalition founded in 2018 that unites 400+ partner organizations across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to address social determinants of health, early childhood development, education, and workforce outcomes for nearly 1 million residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collective Impact Coalition Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Collective impact coalition
• Social determinants of health
• Early childhood development
• Workforce development services
• Regional community partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Backbone Organization Support: STRONG ACC operates with support from two backbone organizations: Ballad Health and UVA Wise. These organizations provide payroll and benefits for staff, office space, professional development, mileage/travel to conferences, marketing/communications support, population health data and evaluation, grants management, and IT support.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from Regional Symposium registration fees. Early Bird registration (July 15-31) costs $40 for entire symposium, with discounts for day-only or reception-only attendance. Regular registration (August 1-29) costs $60 for entire symposium.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as Niswonger Foundation, Speedway Children's Charities, and other regional and national foundations supporting early childhood, workforce development, and community health initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STRONG Accountable Care Community is a regional multi-sector coalition that coordinates collective impact initiatives across 23 counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, uniting 400+ partner organizations to improve outcomes for children and youth from conception through career. The coalition delivers the STRONG Kids educational forum series, an annual Regional Symposium, and Resilience Awards while providing backbone coordination, shared measurement, and cross-sector collaboration addressing social determinants of health, early childhood development, educational success, workforce development, and economic mobility.

Product overview

The STRONG Accountable Care Community is a regional multi-sector coalition, not a product company. It offers three main programs/initiatives: (1) STRONG Kids - an educational initiative providing forums and workshops for child- and youth-serving professionals; (2) Resilience Awards - an annual awards program recognizing individuals and organizations demonstrating exceptional resilience; and (3) Regional Symposium - an annual conference for regional collaboration and problem-solving. These offerings are community programs focused on collective impact work around early childhood development, educational success, workforce development, and economic mobility in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STRONG Kids: An educational initiative of the STRONG ACC in partnership with Speedway Children's Charities and Ballad Health Niswonger Children's Network. Through bi-monthly STRONG Kids Forums and periodic workshops, professionals in child- and youth-serving organizations have opportunities to learn, engage with subject matter experts, and gain access to evidence-based solutions and resources.

Products and services

• STRONG Kids An educational initiative providing bi-monthly forums and periodic workshops for professionals in child- and youth-serving organizations throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, offering access to subject matter experts, evidence-based solutions, and emerging resources.
• Regional Symposium Annual two-day symposium bringing together community leaders, advocates, and changemakers from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee for keynote speakers, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and networking focused on regional collaboration and addressing pressing regional challenges.
• Resilience Awards Annual awards program honoring individuals and organizations affiliated with STRONG ACC partner organizations who have demonstrated exceptional resilience leading to positive impacts.
• STRONG Families NETN Family-focused program within STRONG ACC that supports parents and caregivers in providing safe, stable, and nurturing environments for children across Northeast Tennessee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Addresses social determinants of health through enhanced clinical-community linkages that improve health outcomes and reduce costs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ballad HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Backbone organization providing payroll and benefits for staff, office space, professional development, mileage/travel support, marketing/communications support, population health data and evaluation, grants management, and IT support. Has ex officio, voting seat on Leadership Council, Executive Committee, and Governance Committee.
• University of Virginia's College at WisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Backbone organization providing payroll and benefits for staff, office space, professional development, mileage/travel support, marketing/communications support, population health data and evaluation, grants management, and IT support. Has ex officio, voting seat on Leadership Council, Executive Committee, and Governance Committee.
• Ballad Health (multiple divisions)majorOthersMajor partner including Ballad Medical Services, Behavioral Health, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Johnson City Medical Center, Niswonger Children's Hospital, Niswonger Children's Network, and Population Health. Multiple divisions participate in STRONG ACC initiatives across the region.
• East Tennessee State University (multiple colleges)majorOthersMajor educational partner including ETSU College of Nursing, College of Public Health, Quillen College of Medicine, Clemmer College of Education and Human Development, Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning & Development, and Strong BRAIN Institute.
• Niswonger FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey foundation partner supporting STRONG ACC's mission to improve physical, social, and economic health in the region. Dr. Nancy Dishner serves as President & CEO Emeritus and is a member of the Leadership Council.
• Speedway Children's CharitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in STRONG Kids initiative, providing funding and support for educational forums and workshops for professionals in child- and youth-serving organizations.
• Ballad Health Niswonger Children's NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in STRONG Kids educational initiative along with Speedway Children's Charities, providing bi-monthly forums and periodic workshops for child- and youth-serving professionals.
• Delta Hotels BristolminorOthersVenue partner for the 2025 Regional Symposium at 3135 Linden Drive, Bristol, VA 24202 on September 10-11, 2025.
• United Way of East TN HighlandsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey nonprofit partner in long-term recovery and resilience efforts, particularly following Hurricane Helene. Leslie Dalton serves as President & CEO and speaks at regional events.
• United Way of Southwest VirginiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey nonprofit partner in regional recovery efforts. Megan Parks serves as Executive Director and participates in panel discussions on regional challenges.
• New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey workforce development partner supporting the region's economy through collaborative approaches to meeting needs of businesses and job seekers. Marty Holliday serves as Special Projects Manager.
• Frontier HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor behavioral health and community services partner. Kristie Hammonds serves as Chair of the Leadership Council.
• Wellspring Foundation of Southwest VirginiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner supporting regional initiatives. Sean McMurray serves as Executive Director and provides testimonials about STRONG ACC's collaborative approach.
• Uplift AppalachiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based partner equipping and mobilizing faith community to foster health and flourishing. Dr. Andi Clements serves as Co-Founder and President, and as Leadership Council member.
• Kingsport ChambermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey business chamber partner. Miles Burdine serves as President & CEO and advocates for regional health improvement through cross-sector collaboration.
• A.C.T.I.O.N. CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development partner connecting smaller communities to resources. Trish Burchette serves as Executive Director.
• Crutchfield CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting regional workforce initiatives. Dan Minahan serves as Director of Southwestern Virginia Operations and Vice Chair of Leadership Council.
• Emory & Henry UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner. Dr. Dennis Carter serves on the Leadership Council representing the university.
• Senator Todd PillionminorOthersVirginia Senator participating as panelist in 2025 Regional Symposium discussing state politics and policy agenda.
• Senator Bobby HarshbargerminorOthersTennessee Senator participating as panelist in 2025 Regional Symposium discussing state politics and policy agenda.
• Representative Rebecca AlexanderminorOthersTennessee Representative participating as panelist in 2025 Regional Symposium discussing state politics and policy agenda.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aspen Institute (Ascend Program): Convenes a national network of two-generation (2Gen) programs addressing the needs of children and parents together. Closely aligned with STRONG ACC's family-focused STRONG Families NETN work and two-generation framing.

Regional players

• Frontier Health: Regional behavioral health and social services provider in Northeast Tennessee / Southwest Virginia with a Leadership Council seat in STRONG ACC. Comparable as a regional safety-net provider offering case management, counseling, and community-based support services.
• United Way of East Tennessee Highlands: Regional United Way affiliate that is itself a STRONG ACC partner and operates in the same Northeast Tennessee / Southwest Virginia footprint. Comparable in providing community-based grantmaking, convening, and cross-sector coordination for social services.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee: Regional food bank and STRONG ACC partner (2025 Organization Resilience Award recipient). Comparable as a regional nonprofit addressing social determinants of health through community-based service delivery in the same service area.
• United Way of Southwest Virginia: Regional United Way affiliate covering Southwest Virginia and a current STRONG ACC strategic partner. Comparable in mission to mobilize regional resources for child and family wellbeing, and operates in overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places coordinators inside schools to connect students to community resources. One of STRONG ACC's recognized 2024 award partners. Comparable in the integrated student-support and case-management approach, though at a national scale.

Direct peers

• Promise Neighborhoods Institute: Operates the Promise Neighborhoods model of place-based, cradle-to-career pipelines for children in distressed communities. Comparable to STRONG ACC in its focus on integrated education, health, and family support across a defined geographic footprint.
• StriveTogether: National cradle-to-career network supporting 70+ community partnerships using collective impact to improve outcomes from cradle to career. Closest structural peer to STRONG ACC in methodology, multi-sector coalition model, and population-level outcome framing.

Others

• Ballad Health (community health initiatives): STRONG ACC's backbone sponsor and regional health system running its own community health programs. Included as a peer because the Accountable Care Community model it helped incubate is structurally embedded in Ballad Health's population health strategy.
• Niswonger Foundation: Regional foundation focused on early childhood, K-12, and economic mobility in rural Appalachia. Funds STRONG ACC and operates parallel place-based initiatives in Northeast Tennessee — a peer in mission and funding region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/STRONGAccountableCareCommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strongacc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about STRONG Accountable Care Community