As health care migrates from institutions to the community, and as recognition that achievement of health and health care goals requires information systems that transcend institutional barriers, models for community-wide information systems design are needed. This paper reviews various approaches to communitybased information systems design, draws design principles from the experiences of past innovations, and describes our team’s experience in partnering with a community health planning group to create information systems innovations that support health in the community. Key themes that guide community-wide information systems design include (1) partnerships; (2) brokering and integrating existing initiatives; and (3) creating business models for sustainability.