Overview of the community care network demonstration program and its evaluation.

This article provides an overview of the evaluation of the National Community Care Network Demonstration Program,which began with 25 public-private partnerships selected from a diverse range of communities across the United States to address problems of lack of insurance, limited access to health care, and the health status of their most disadvantaged residents. The 25 public-private partnerships included an array of individual organizations representing health care providers, public health and human service agencies, local governments,community-based organizations, and religious and educational institutions. The specific findings of the evaluation are the focus of the articles in this issue. This overview article supplies the underpinnings of the evaluation, including the conceptual framework, methodological challenges, and a brief discussion of each of the papers and how they are linked.