A regional learning health system of congregate care facilities for COVID-19 response.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected congregate care (CC) facilities due to communal living, presence of vulnerable populations, inadequate preventive resources, and limited ability to respond to the pandemic's rapidly evolving phases. Most facilities function independently and are not organized for collaborative learning and operations.

Methods: We formed a learning health system of CC facilities in our 14-county metropolitan region, coordinated with public health and health care sectors, to address challenges driven by COVID-19.