 The NIH's Clinical and Translational Science Awards, CTSAs, provide a unique opportunity for academic institutions and local health systems to work together to improve population health. Seven CTSA hubs have partnered with local health systems to create a collaborative network focused on bridging the gap between research and practice. This partnership has allowed for the development of shared goals, resources, and expertise, as well as the identification of barriers to successful collaboration. These barriers include competing priorities, differing timelines, bureaucratic hurdles, and unstable funding. Despite these challenges, the partnership has been able to make progress towards improving population health through the development of joint projects, training opportunities, and the promotion of best practices. This article was authored by Amity Stofigi, Alison Sumberger-Equa, Tomos J. Aragon, and others.