In Infant Mortality and Other Wicked Problems, Jill Haubner Miller and Dr. Meredith C. Smith share how Cincinnati healthcare systems, community leaders and residents, nonprofit organizations, and funders came together to combat infant mortality. Through the lens of this inspiring story, the book also shares an adaptable framework for systems change that every community can use.

You’ll learn how to define and address your own wicked problem by:

• Using data to identify areas of opportunity and drive continuous improvement
• Identifying stakeholders and unifying them around a “North Star” goal
• Building trust among competing systems and sectors
• Challenging assumptions, uncovering inequities, and identifying silos
• Listening to and centering people with lived experience at every stage
• Creating a shareable narrative for change that helps build your movement
• Designing a systems change model that gets to the root of your wicked problem (rather than merely treating its symptoms)
• Remaining adaptable as your model evolves and expands
• Leveraging funding and successes to attract more dollars
• …and more!

The Table of Contents provides a good overview of the strategies and tactics you’ll learn as you get to the root of your problem, build a team to tackle it, create a pilot to address it, and—finally—spread and scale solutions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Introduction: Our “Why” and What’s in It for You
Chapter 1: A Journey to Reduce Infant Mortality
Chapter 2: Let Data Be a Guiding Force
Chapter 3: Challenge Assumptions and Get to the Root Cause
Chapter 4: Create a Narrative That Inspires People to Action
Chapter 5: Learn as Much as You Can From Others
Chapter 6: Try Something New and Scale What Works
Chapter 7: Build a Movement
Chapter 8: Listen to and Center Those Who Are Most Affected
Chapter 9: Co-Design Sustainable Solutions That Transform Systems
Chapter 10: Engage in Advocacy to Achieve Lasting Change
Chapter 11: Let’s Talk Funding
Conclusion
Special Section: The Transformative Power of Trust-Based Philanthropy
Acknowledgments
Endnotes
About the Authors