This session will explore how a multi-sector collaboration between CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) and community institutions is reimagining what it means to advance community partnership through place-based investment. In West Baltimore—a community historically impacted by structural disinvestment—CareFirst and its partners launched The Village at Mondawmin (The Village), a 127,000-square-foot community hub that blends workforce development, access to health and social services and local engagement to address social drivers of health. The presentation will walk through the project’s development from vision to activation. It began with data on health disparities within the CareFirst service area, guided by the input of community residents and anchored by the understanding that sustainable health outcomes must be built on a foundation of economic opportunity. After hearing directly from residents about their priorities, partners pivoted from a top-down approach to a truly community-informed model—offering wage-sustaining job opportunities, workforce training, healthcare navigation and wraparound support services. CareFirst was the first tenant to open to the public at The Village, and is partnering with health systems, community organizations and real estate developers to create a community asset that drives economic opportunity within West Baltimore neighborhoods (the 21215, 21216 and 21217 zip codes). Implementation highlights include a workforce development program created in collaboration with Coppin State University and the Center for Urban Families. This program recruits and trains residents for customer service, operations and community health roles within CareFirst and beyond. With five cohorts completed—now including community health workers—this initiative demonstrates how localized employment strategies can support both health plan operations and community resilience. The session will also share how CareFirst is evaluating the initiative’s impact. This includes metrics tied to employment outcomes, healthcare engagement, HEDIS measures, community perceptions and social needs navigation. Attendees will learn about how programmatic data is paired with qualitative feedback from participants to inform ongoing adaptation and deeper community trust. Participants will also gain insights into the intentional design of the space itself, located at a major public transit hub to increase accessibility. CareFirst offers health education classes, in-person insurance support and connections to maternal health and financial literacy resources at The Village. The center is open to all community members—regardless of CareFirst membership status—underscoring the organization’s commitment to inclusive, community-centered care. As the program scales, CareFirst is applying lessons learned to other geographies and planning to expand the range of roles and services offered. The initiative demonstrates what is possible when healthcare organizations leverage their role as anchor institutions to build trust, address root causes and co-create solutions alongside the communities they serve. This session will equip attendees with a framework for advancing health equity through physical space, employment strategies, and authentic partnership—offering a replicable blueprint for health plans and providers across the country.