Objective:: To help close the gap between health promotion research and practice by using systems thinking. Methods: We review 3 national US tobacco control initiatives and a project (ISIS) that has introduced systems thinking to tobacco control, speculating on ways in which systems thinking may add value to health promotion dissemination and implementation in general. Results: The diversity of disciplines involved in tobacco control has created disconnection in the field; systems thinking is necessary to increase the impact of strategies. Conclusion: Systems thinking has potential to improve synthesis, translation, and dissemination of research findings in other health promotion initiatives.