Solving Complex Problems Requires Partnership: REACH Riverside

September 2026

One of the greatest leadership challenges is solving complex, longstanding problems with no clear solution: think economic prosperity, housing affordability, environmental sustainability, improving population health, and many others.

For the leaders in charge, the honest reaction is often, “Where do I even begin?”

If there were a simple answer, someone would have tried it long ago. In my experience, complex problems require multiple coordinated synergistic solutions, with many different people and organizations working in unison toward that common goal.

A great example of how that strategy can be effective is the Purpose Built Communities model, a multisector approach proven to improve quality of life and prosperity without gentrification in neighborhoods across the country. I have been impressed to see it in action at one of Nemours Children’s community partners: REACH Riverside.

Beginning Everywhere at Once

Located just 15 minutes from Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, REACH Riverside is transforming the Riverside neighborhood of Northeast Wilmington, a close-knit community that has endured generations of disinvestment, and whose residents are now driving its revitalization. 

The Purpose Built Communities premise is simple to state and hard to execute: community revitalization is not one problem. It is dozens of problems compounding each another. You cannot solve it by simply building new housing and hoping the rest follows, or by improving a school while families remain underemployed and neighborhood conditions are unsafe. Real solutions require improving mixed-income housing, cradle-to-career education, and community health at the same time, with residents at the center of every decision.

That premise sounded immediately familiar. At Nemours Children's, our goal is to create the healthiest generations of children, and the evidence is clear that we cannot do it solely in our hospitals and clinics: roughly 85% of a person's health is determined by factors outside the clinic walls. Housing. Food. Education. Safety. Economic opportunity. It's why one of the clearest predictors of a child's future is their ZIP code.

Creating healthy children is not one problem either. A pediatrician can prescribe medications for a child's asthma, but without remediating the mold in their apartment, flare-ups will persist. We can counsel a family about nutrition, but it means little if the nearest grocery store is two bus rides away. We can invest in our school systems but without early childhood language and emotional support, children will not learn well. Good medical care is the foundation, but health is built — or lost — when that child leaves the clinic.

Everything REACH Riverside addresses helps children’s health too: safe and stable housing, food security, high-quality education, job placement, and community green spaces. Nemours Children's is the pediatric health partner of REACH Riverside, and REACH Riverside is our partner in improving the health of Riverside’s children.

Investing In Our Beliefs

We don’t just believe in the potential of this approach, we have acted on it.

Inspired by a compelling argument from REACH Riverside CEO Logan Herring, Nemours Children's provided REACH Riverside with a sizable low-interest bridge loan to help build a new Kingswood Community Center. Our loan unlocked additional financing and helped complete the project. Our confidence in Logan and REACH Riverside was validated when it repaid the loan in full, ahead of schedule.

On November 6, many of us from Nemours Children's will proudly attend the ribbon cutting for the new Kingswood Community Center, which has served this community since 1946. The new 81,000-square-foot facility brings many services under one roof, including an early learning academy, community athletic facilities, a coaching center for residents, diverse programming, and a Nemours Children's primary care clinic.

The Nemours Children's team is also collaborating with the community to help neighborhood residents find skilled employment at our hospital through workforce pipeline programs. These jobs offer families economic stability while helping us build a workforce that represents the community it serves.

REACH Riverside is also a key partner in Nemours Children’s K-Ready WORKS initiative to prepare children for kindergarten. We know that children who start school healthy and ready to learn are more likely to achieve academic success and live a longer, healthier life. With other like-minded partners, we are working to give Riverside's youngest the strongest possible future. Read more about this initiative.

Coordination Multiplies Impact

Taken individually, a loan to benefit the community, a new clinic in a high needs area, and a kindergarten readiness program each align with Nemours Children's values. But taken together, in one neighborhood, alongside a partner who is also addressing many of the social factors that impact health, the value of that coordinated investment multiplies.

I can’t pretend the road ahead will be straightforward or easy — nothing worth achieving is. But Nemours Children's is proud to travel that path with a committed partner who shares our vision and is willing to embrace complexity.

If you're a leader staring down a problem that feels too big to start, my advice is this: don't look for the place to begin. Look for the partners willing to begin everywhere at once.