/ en Sun, 15 Jun 2025 02:43:13 -0500 Wed, 11 Jun 25 07:42:18 -0500 /advancing-health-podcast/2025-06-11-ecosystem-approach-health-across-michigan-communities <p>To celebrate Community Health Improvement (CHI) Week, June 9 – June 13, two experts from Corewell Health share how an impactful health care ecosystem model is supporting local Michigan communities, and why creating region-specific programs, from school-based clinics to school nursing initiatives, has been effective for improving community health.</p><p>Visit <a href="/center/community-health-improvement-week">/center/community-health-improvement-week</a> to learn more about the work hospitals and health systems are doing for their communities.</p><hr><div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"><details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> <span>View Transcript</span><br> </h2> </summary> <p> 00:00:01:04 - 00:00:31:25<br> Tom Haederle<br> Welcome to Advancing Health. An increasing number of hospitals today are part of a larger health system. How can the big systems support the mission of their local member hospitals, while avoiding a one size fits all approach that may not work for everyone? As we recognize Community Health Improvement Week, we learn more about Michigan-based Corewell Health's approach, from tactical support to collaborative community partnerships that helps each hospital or health system be the best it can be. </p> <p> 00:00:31:27 - 00:00:54:23<br> Andrew Jager<br> My name is Andrew Jager at the AHA. Today, it's my pleasure to be joined by two colleagues from Corewell Health in Michigan. With me we have Dr. Corey Smith and Vanessa Briggs. Today, as part of Community Health Improvement Week, we're going to talk a little bit about the role of a health system in supporting hospitals to maintain a really robust process in identifying and understanding the health needs of the local communities that they serve. </p> <p> 00:00:54:26 - 00:01:09:14<br> Andrew Jager<br> Now, I'd like to turn to our guest to hear a little bit about how you see the role of health systems like Corewell Health in supporting local hospital offers to identify, understand and to address community health needs. Starting with Vanessa, how do you see the role of Corewell in this? </p> <p> 00:01:09:17 - 00:01:45:24<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> That's a really great question. And some of the lessons I think, that we've learned here at Corewell Health. It really does take a collaborative process. And that really requires diverse voices and perspectives and lived experiences, because that engagement process is really critical, because we think about -when we do CHNA - as an ecosystem. And an ecosystem model that can be replicated across all three regions, given the spanned and reach that Corewell Health has within Michigan. </p> <p> 00:01:45:27 - 00:02:29:05<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> And so our CHNA ecosystem is made up of public health partners, health and human service organizations, community based organizations, as well as community advocates. And we also include our Corewell Health local community board representatives and health professionals that have local but yet regional specific insight into the needs that are happening and needed within community. And so when we work alongside all of those individuals, when we call our ecosystem, it really allows us to deliver programs and work alongside our community to engage throughout the entire process for the CHNA. </p> <p> 00:02:29:07 - 00:02:40:04<br> Andrew Jager<br> I love that, Vanessa, really taking that ecosystem approach and then intentionally bringing in those local community voices to create that strong effort. Corey, what would you add to Vanessa's response? </p> <p> 00:02:40:06 - 00:03:03:02<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Well, the one thing I would add is, for a health system like Corewell Health, it can be sometimes easy to think, given our size, that we are kind of the main actor in a space. Right? And I think it's important, especially at the regional level, at the local level, to remember the kind of the legacy and positionality that some of these local hospitals have in their communities and that they are a part of the fabric. </p> <p> 00:03:03:02 - 00:03:30:00<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Right. And so I think in some of our regions, and one of the things that we're trying to lift up as best practice is to be conduct doing the needs assessment process as part of a collective, right, a collective group in collaboration with public health departments, with local organizations, with school districts and other stakeholders that have some interest and where it's relevant for them to be aware of and participating in the process of defining community health needs, </p> <p> 00:03:30:00 - 00:03:30:18<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> right? </p> <p> 00:03:30:20 - 00:03:55:13<br> Andrew Jager<br> Yeah, I love that sort of intentionality of recognizing the true complexity across the communities, the legacy, different perspectives, and the intentionality of bringing all those together in a process is great. So moving on to that process, I guess I'd ask Vanessa, you know, from the system level, what would you say are some of the most important resources or tools that that you can use to support that local priority identification? </p> <p> 00:03:55:15 - 00:04:22:08<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> Yeah. At Corewell we firmly believe that technical support to help prioritize and help our local hospitals and stakeholders. It really has to align all focus areas effectively. And so having that technical support that Corey's team actually provides for my team in healthier communities is critical to the success. And that's a huge resource that's beneficial to us. </p> <p> 00:04:22:10 - 00:04:28:18<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> And I'm sure Corey has some other examples that that he would like to share in terms of some resources as well. </p> <p> 00:04:28:21 - 00:04:44:24<br> Andrew Jager<br> Yeah, I'd love to hear Corey's thoughts, especially around, you know, what do you think about when you try to balance standardization across the hospitals in your health system and data collection, reporting, etc., with the flexibility that local teams really need to to get at those needs and address them in a local way? </p> <p> 00:04:44:26 - 00:05:16:09<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Yeah, it's one of the main tensions that we wrestle with, right? And it can be enticing to want to go with standardizing across systems. Right. It's simpler. You know you can feel like you're focusing, but when you bring it to local stakeholders, it can feel misaligned with what they actually need and what they experience. So, you know, I think stepping back from the actual process of identifying the needs rather than bringing forth a standard set of here are the needs that we're going to identify at each hospital across our system. </p> <p> 00:05:16:11 - 00:05:52:24<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> We try to frame it as here is our broad theory of change for how we think we can address health needs across the Corewell Health service area, right? We think we need to have a balanced approach to investing in, initiatives that are going to create change at lots of different levels. And so rather than saying this is exactly, you know, the condition or the need that you need to work towards trying to offer a way to work rather than a how to work, I think is a critical part of what we try to bring into both the CHNA, the community health assessment needs process, but also the development of the strategies and response to that </p> <p> 00:05:52:24 - 00:06:17:18<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> process. So I think that's part of the way we balance that tension. And then we've thought a lot about, you know, what is a system's sort of backbone look like for local teams doing this work. And what kind of technical support can we bring to the table, whether it's, you know, in the in the form of how to create better surveys, whether it's in the form of bringing forth access to publicly available data sets that look more at community need. </p> <p> 00:06:17:21 - 00:06:41:15<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Mining census data. Mining other forms of information that, you know, the communities themselves, they may have the capacity, but not the time necessarily to do that work. And even more recently, what tools are available from a technology standpoint site now that even boost the efficiency of accessing that kind of information even more, right? There are tools now that, you know, make that an even simpler process. </p> <p> 00:06:41:15 - 00:06:49:23<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> And then how do we make that data more publicly available to people to use as part of the CHNA process or in their own work? Right? </p> <p> 00:06:49:25 - 00:07:09:10<br> Andrew Jager<br> Those are such good examples of kind of how you think about balancing that tension, as you mentioned, between kind of having a standard set of measures and having things resonate with the local communities that you serve. You talked about, I think, Vanessa, there are three regions across Michigan that you serve. So I wonder, you know, from a practical level, what does this work look like? </p> <p> 00:07:09:10 - 00:07:14:24<br> Andrew Jager<br> Could you share how it plays out, maybe, in one of the initiatives from 1 or 2 of those regions? </p> <p> 00:07:14:27 - 00:07:47:06<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> So the way that we like to approach our work is we sort of like to say we use a system wide approach and we're developing what we're calling program portfolios that allows us to encapsulate programs that healthier communities can deliver at a regional level. This approach gives us a system wide strategy, but it gives us local context within the regions across east, west and south by addressing the needs that we have identified within our 21 hospitals. </p> <p> 00:07:47:08 - 00:08:28:13<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> And so examples of those programs, it ranges from doing school based clinics on the east side of the state, where we're actually providing primary care in the school for our students, as well as for residents in community. And the west side of the state, we have a school nursing program that allows us to have a different model, but yet still in the schools, providing training for the school administrative staff, providing basic care for our students in the schools, and helping them manage their chronic diseases whether it's asthma or diabetes. </p> <p> 00:08:28:15 - 00:08:54:09<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> So that's why we're able to sort of customize our approaches, but yet still have, if you will, a collection of programs in a portfolio that addresses the needs of children, adolescents in a school environment. And so that's a good way and a good example to show how you can have a system wide strategy, but yet still keep it very, very local based off of the needs that are in community, </p> <p> 00:08:54:17 - 00:09:33:28<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> the partnerships that we have in community. Because we know, as I mentioned, it takes an ecosystem to do this work. And so Corewell has deep relationships with other nonprofits within organizations to help us execute programs, whether it's prevention programs, chronic disease management programs, and even coalition building and doing what we like to call collective impact work. And so it's a variety of programs and interventions that are derived from our implementation plans and, as you know, come from the priorities that are identified in our community health needs assessments. </p> <p> 00:09:34:00 - 00:10:00:26<br> Andrew Jager<br> Such a powerful example, I think, of the ways that you're thinking about understanding what are the local assets of your communities and then partnering to address those needs in a way that that is really having an impact across the state. So thank you for that work. Corey, one of the questions I frequently get, and I imagine maybe you hear something like this too, is, you know, how do we show the impact of the work that we're having, you know, both through metrics as well as through sharing the stories of the work across our community. </p> <p> 00:10:00:26 - 00:10:13:00<br> Andrew Jager<br> So how do you share your work in a way that that gets people excited about the work you're doing, brings in partners, and also that can help to develop a system wide culture of learning, adaptation and continuous improvement? </p> <p> 00:10:13:02 - 00:10:36:26<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Definitely a question that I get. You know, my background is in evaluation. And so this is something I've been thinking a lot about. Corewell Health for the time I've been here - and, and I think the question that's been sitting in my head for five years has fundamentally been, how do we evaluate at scale, you know, have three regions, with, you know, over 100 individual initiatives. </p> <p> 00:10:36:28 - 00:11:02:08<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> How do you think about evaluating at scale? Right. You want to have evaluation where it makes sense, but you also have limited resources. And so what we've been doing is working to establish a systematic way of making choices with our regional leadership about where to invest, evaluation resources based on local priorities. Right. So really trying to define first where do we need to do this evaluative work. </p> <p> 00:11:02:08 - 00:11:24:21<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> Where do we feel it's most important for us to either generate learning or evidence of impact. And then through that designing, evaluation and monitoring processes that are really going to help us hone in on the indicators that are going to be useful for tracking our progress over time, but also the critical outcomes that our stakeholders have helped us develop, </p> <p> 00:11:24:23 - 00:12:03:13<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> that our regional leadership has decided are most important. And then it's just a technical task, right? Then it's designing methodologies, whether they're quantitative and qualitative, whether they're optimally mixed. You know, the application of both is most often the best way to answer the evaluative questions that you may be trying to answer. The last thing I'll say about that is, you know, we really have been working to try and establish a set of regional sort of priority indicators that can serve as a guidepost where they're not going to be right the first time, and they're going to have to get better over time in terms of their relevance to local needs, but really trying to </p> <p> 00:12:03:13 - 00:12:15:21<br> Corey Smith, Ph.D.<br> establish what are some of our, you know, our north stars, our guideposts that we can organize around as we try to make decisions about what to do, and where to invest some of our resources. </p> <p> 00:12:15:23 - 00:12:29:22<br> Andrew Jager<br> Really well said. Any last words? I mean, a lot of the listeners are health system leaders. So what do you think they need to know about supporting a process that's locally led and owned with the system level resources? </p> <p> 00:12:29:24 - 00:12:58:04<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> The way that I sort of think about it is it really is important to have a system wide strategy, as I mentioned, whether or not it's in the interventions and creating portfolios to allow you to house like programs, or whether it's having Corey's team do evaluation, provide technical assistance across the entire system in doing our community health needs assessment. </p> <p> 00:12:58:06 - 00:13:39:14<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> But what's most important and critical is that that system wide strategy still needs to have and allow for adaptability and customization based off of local context. While we can move to centralize and provide benefits from economies of scale within a system wide approach, we can't lose sight that the relevance and the effectiveness of addressing unique needs at a local level or regional level is still critically important, because that's when you're able to address the needs that have been identified within community. </p> <p> 00:13:39:17 - 00:14:01:26<br> Vanessa Briggs<br> And I think that that's what's most important. We can have system wide strategies but that local context is what really matters, because then we know we're moving the needle to address health disparities, access to care, partnering with organizations, addressing transportation, food access. </p> <p> 00:14:01:28 - 00:14:24:17<br> Andrew Jager<br> Thank you so much for encapsulating the important work that hospitals do across the country every day to support the communities and to help people be as healthy as they can be. Well, thank you to each person listening for the work that you do to support health and resilience in your communities. Community Health Improvement Week is really about recognizing the important work that you do every day on behalf of America's hospitals and health systems, and more importantly, the communities that we all serve. </p> <p> 00:14:24:19 - 00:14:38:06<br> Andrew Jager<br> Special thanks to Vanessa and Corey for sharing your thoughts and expertise, for the great work that you're doing at Corewell for Michigan communities. Be well. And until next time, this is Andrew Jager from the wishing you all a very happy Community Health Improvement Week. </p> <p> 00:14:38:09 - 00:14:46:20<br> Tom Haederle<br> Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. </p> </details></div> Wed, 11 Jun 2025 07:42:18 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-keck-school-medicine-usc-makes-hearing-breakthrough-studying-mouse-inner-ear <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-06/ths-usc-keck-hearing-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="USC Keck School of Medicine. Illustration of soundwaves entering an ear canal" width="700" height="532"></div><p>Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, made a major discovery in understanding how the brain may help regulate hearing. And they did it by adapting an imaging technique currently used in ophthalmology offices, called optical coherence tomography.</p><p>The team used OCT to capture real-time images of the cochlea — a part of the inner ear involved in hearing — in mice, revealing that the brain can send signals to the inner ear to enhance sound sensitivity. The study found that while the cochlea doesn’t respond to short-term brain state changes, it does increase activity in response to long-term hearing damage in mice with genetic hearing loss. The study suggests the brain compensates for hearing loss by boosting the function of remaining sensory cells.</p><p>The team is now preparing clinical trials to test whether blocking certain brain-to-ear signals could help reduce symptoms in patients with sound sensitivity disorders. Findings could lead to new treatments for conditions like tinnitus (ringing, buzzing or other phantom sounds) and hyperacusis (where everyday sounds become uncomfortably loud).</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://scitechdaily.com/new-brain-discovery-could-revolutionize-hearing-loss-treatment/" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Building Healthy Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:08:29 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-hartford-healthcare-hospitals-provide-person-centered-diabetes-care <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-06/ths-hartford-healthcare-diabetes-700x532.jpg" alt="Hartford HealthCare. A man pricks his finger for a glucose test" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>More than 38 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/communication-resources/diabetes-statistics.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> and the <a href="https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics">American Diabetes Association</a>. That’s about 1 in every 10 Americans, of which 1 in 5 don’t know they have the condition. About 98 million American adults — more than 1 in 3 — have prediabetes. People with diabetes are at higher risk of serious health complications, including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and loss of toes, feet or legs. It’s estimated that diabetes contributes to the death of nearly 400,000 Americans annually.</p><p>Hartford HealthCare’s Diabetes and Endocrinology program offers classes, individual counseling sessions, monthly support groups, resources and special events designed to help people with diabetes take care of themselves and prevent long-term complications. The health system website links to free online tools, including a diabetes risk assessment, diabetes maintenance (or care) assessment, and a diabetes toolkit available in English, Spanish and Polish.</p><p>Hospitals in the Hartford HealthCare system across Connecticut provide comprehensive diabetes care that matches a patient’s medical diagnosis, personal needs and lifestyle:</p><ul><li><a href="https://backushospital.org/services/endocrinology-diabetes-and-metabolism">Backus Hospital</a> in Norwich offers specialized services to help patients manage endocrine disorders such as diabetes, including an outpatient diabetes self-management program.</li><li><a href="https://hartfordhospital.org/services/diabetes">Hartford Hospital</a>, one of the largest teaching hospitals in New England, leads a program based on the results of a 10-year research study that demonstrated that better control of blood sugar decreased long-term complications.</li><li><a href="https://thocc.org/services/diabetes-endocrinology">The Hospital of Central Connecticut</a>, with campuses in New Britain and Southington, provides individual care for people 18 and older with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, as well as for pregnant women with diabetes.</li><li><a href="https://midstatemedical.org/services/diabetes-endocrinology">MidState Medical Center</a> in Meriden offers a diabetes self-management group program and individual counseling on such topics as medical nutrition therapy and insulin management.</li><li><a href="https://windhamhospital.org/services/diabetes-endocrinology">Windham Hospital</a> in Willimantic, the first community hospital in the U.S. to meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education, creates a customized plan for patients that may include group classes or individual education sessions.</li></ul><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://hartfordhealthcare.org/services/diabetes-endocrinology">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:58:09 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-keck-medicine-usc-wildfire-relief-medical-supplies <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-05/ths-USC-LAFireRelief-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="USC Keck Shool of Medicine. Photo of palm tries and LA buildings against the backdrop of smokey has and the glow of fires in the distance" width="700" height="532"></div><p>When the Eaton and Palisades wildfires devastated areas of Los Angeles County earlier this year, they sparked a swift response from students at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. <br><br>In January, the student-run organization Blueprints for Pangea — a nonprofit that reallocates unused medical supplies from areas of surplus to those in need — coordinated a team of volunteers to collect personal protective equipment and other supplies. The Master of Science in Global Medicine program donated an array of medical supplies, as well.  <br>A total of 28 Keck School of Medicine of USC student volunteers convened Feb. 6 to process and deliver thousands of N95 masks, gloves and other supplies. They distributed them to Tapestry LA, a shelter connecting evacuees with resources; Share A Meal, a mobile kitchen providing food for those in need; Helping Hands Senior Foundation, which provides support for older adults; and Stray Cat Alliance, which helps pets affected by the fire.   <br><br>“Since the fires impacted large communities, there wasn’t just one organization that we could donate to,” said Emily Hsieh, a progressive degree student in the Master of Science in Global Medicine program and senior advisor of the operations branch of Blueprints for Pangaea USC. “So, we started the day early at 6 a.m. in preparation for distribution to multiple sites. There was a great sense of urgency to get supplies out because the wildfires impacted so many people and took long to contain. Many families had lost everything including their homes, which housed their supplies—whether that was personal possessions or even medical equipment.” </p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="#" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Building Healthy Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 22 May 2025 15:51:50 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-norton-healthcare-celebrates-life-and-legacy-facility-dog-juno <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-05/ths-NortonHealthcare-Dog-Juno-700x532.jpg" alt="Norton Healthcare. Comfort pup Juno shown here curled up with a patient on a hospital bed." width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Juno, a 66-pound blonde with four paws, a sassy smile and a fondness for carrying stuffed animals in her mouth, spent six years providing comfort and companionship to patients and staff members at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky. Her service ended too soon after the 10-year-old pup was diagnosed with cancer; complications led to her death on April 21. However, her legacy lives on.</p><p>Juno was a member of the <a href="https://nortonhealthcare.com/facility-dog-program/">Heel, Dog, Heal program</a>, part of the Norton Healthcare Foundation and Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Juno just had this amazing ability to read the room,” said Heather Stohr, manager of child life at Norton Children’s and Juno’s handler. “She always seemed to know who needed her most. I am so grateful that I got to work alongside her every day helping to support patients, families and our medical teams.”</p><p>The program now includes 12 dogs who work across multiple facilities. One member of the team? One of Juno’s daughters, Yarie, who frequents the hallways of Norton Children’s Medical Center, bringing smiles and cuddles to the patients and staff there — just like mom would have wanted.</p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 22 May 2025 14:10:18 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-healthy-food-focus-mainehealth-hospitals-promotes-good-nutrition <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-05/ths-MaineHealth-HealthyFood-700x532.jpg" alt="Maine Health. A male health worker in scrubs stands at a buffet preparing a plate of food" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>At MaineHealth, increasing access to healthy food in the community starts at its hospital campuses. The health system’s commitment to providing healthy hospital food to patients, their families and team members includes:</p><div class="col-md-8"><ul><li>Serving more fruits and vegetables.</li><li>Purchasing more local food.</li><li>Encouraging healthier drink choices.</li><li>Preparing healthier recipes.</li><li>Marketing healthy food in cafeterias and on menus.</li></ul></div><p>“Plant-Powered Mondays” are one example. Every Monday, MaineHealth hospital cafes highlight plant-based meals, which support decreasing meat consumption that can help reduce chronic disease and aid environmental sustainability. The health system prioritizes purchasing and serving locally grown fruits, vegetables and seafood, working with local farmers and distributors to procure fresh, seasonal food with no added salt or sugar.</p><p>In addition, Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment programs at MaineHealth offer education, support and skill-building on healthy cooking and eating. Patients set and meet their own health goals and learn to self-manage chronic conditions through healthy lifestyle changes. HBLT programs are built around four components: evidence-based chronic disease programming; in-person peer support; community partnerships and resources; and healthy food and recipe access.</p><p>Among its other “food is medicine” initiatives, MaineHealth partners with Good Shepherd Food Bank to operate three hospital-based food pantries in the state — in Farmington, Norway and Portland — that are set up like small grocery stories. These pantries distribute nutritious, often local foods with information on how to use and prepare them.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.mainehealth.org/healthy-communities/prevention-and-wellness/food-medicine/healthy-hospital-food" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Fri, 16 May 2025 14:09:52 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-commonspirit-st-elizabeth-hospital-provides-toiletries-clothes-and-other-necessities-community-members-through <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-05/ths-commonspirit-st-elizabeth-clothing-toiletries-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="CommonSpirit St. Elizabeth Hospital provides toiletries, clothes, and other necessities to community members through its Care Closet" width="700" height="532"></div><p>CommonSpirit St. Elizabeth Hospital's Care Closet is a compassionate initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals and families in the community. By providing essential items such as clothing, toiletries, and feminine products, the Care Closet offers crucial support to those experiencing hardship.</p><p>St. Elizabeth President John Swanhorst emphasizes the importance of access to these basic needs, highlighting the hospital's commitment to extending a helping hand beyond its walls. “We believe access to these basic needs is crucial for overall health and well-being, and we are proud to offer this support to those who need it,” he said.</p><p>The Care Closet is accessible through St. Elizabeth staff members who identify a need in patients or community members. Although not open to the public, anyone who inquires can receive materials. The hospital provides toiletry bags, clothing, and other necessities for both children and adults. Generous community support has enabled the Care Closet to participate in local events, distributing items like coats and gloves.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.mountain.commonspirit.org/news/commonspirit-st-elizabeth-hospital-provides-toiletries-clothes-and-other-necessities-community-members-through-its-care-closet" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Supporting Public Health</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 08 May 2025 13:10:46 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-uconn-health-community-outreach-program-improves-access-mammograms <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-uconn-mammogram-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="UCONN Health. A patient is escorted to a mammogram screening" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>The benefits of screening for breast cancer are well documented; for example, having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. Saving lives is the impetus behind a community outreach and engagement program led by UConn Health, based in Farmington, Conn.</p><p>As part of this UConn Health program, community health workers attend events in the community and at other UConn Health offices to share educational information about prevention and screening for breast cancer. They also help people who are uninsured or underinsured schedule mammogram screenings and follow-up appointments.</p><p>During a presentation at a local YWCA literacy group in New Britain, Conn., community health worker Rosa Agosto spoke with Vanessa Neira, a New Britain resident with a history of breast cancer in her family. At the time, Neira did not have insurance, so Agosto helped Neira connect with the UConn Health free mammogram program. Neira’s mammogram detected a “concerning spot,” but follow-up testing ruled out cancer. Neira remains grateful for support from the UConn Health team.</p><p>Agosto emphasizes that lack of insurance “should not be a barrier to mammograms, and here at UConn Health we are proud to be able to provide assistance to those who need mammograms, so they have access to early diagnosis, interventions and treatment.”</p><p>“To tell a woman with no insurance we can offer her a free mammogram can be life changing,” adds Kim Hamilton, program coordinator, community outreach and engagement, at UConn Health.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://today.uconn.edu/2024/10/uconn-health-community-programs-helping-under-insured-and-uninsured-with-breast-cancer-screenings" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:50:56 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-southeast-colorado-hospital-district-taking-skies-how-doctor-cares-patients-rural-colorado <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-southeast-colorado-hospital-district-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Southeast Colorado Hospital District. Rural landscape under cumulus cloud-filled sky" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>Many daily commutes are on the ground — car, train, bikes — but what if you took to the air? Charles Frankum, M.D., has spent over two decades flying himself to some of the most remote hospitals in Colorado and Kansas, including the <a href="https://www.sechosp.org" target="_blank">Southeast Colorado Hospital District</a> in Springfield, Colo. His daily four-hour commute in his plane showcases the need and complexity of providing critical medical care to rural communities.</p><p>Frankum's journey as a pilot-doctor began in 2003, driven by the need for an efficient way to reach multiple rural hospitals. His efforts have been crucial in towns like Springfield, where the Southeast Colorado Hospital District serves as a vital health care hub. “[Frankum] comes in once a month, and just since I’ve been here the last couple of years, I know numerous people he has found cancers on or snipped polyps off of,” said Heather Burdick, chief nursing officer and nursing home administrator at the Southeast Colorado Hospital District. “His work not only saves lives but also strengthens the health care systems in these small towns.”</p><p>“My work makes it so that only one person has to travel instead of all these other people having to travel,” said Frankum, “and it allows some very rural hospitals to turn their wheels and do procedures in their town.” Frankum’s efforts, and those of many other traveling physicians, ensure that residents of these rural areas receive the medical attention they need without having to travel long distances.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/housing-transportation/charles-frankum-colorado-doctor-pilot" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:57:53 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-st-lukes-regional-medical-center-idahos-first-hospital-home-program-showing-promising-results <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TTHS-St-Lukes-Regional-Medical-Center-Hospital-at-Home.jpg" data-entity-uuid="870e9f8a-ba45-4d6b-b28f-0d2f38f63a58" data-entity-type="file" alt="Idaho’s First Hospital-at-Home Program Showing Promising Results. A paramedic listens to a women's heartbeat using a stethoscope as part of hospital-at-home care in Idaho." width="700" height="532"></div><p>The St. Luke’s Hospital at Home program, launched in late 2024, provides hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their homes. This initiative is especially timely given Idaho's rapid population growth, which has increased the demand for health care services. The program allows patients with conditions such as heart failure, infections requiring IV antibiotics, pneumonia or asthma to receive necessary treatments at home, reducing the strain on emergency departments.</p><p>Patients in the program are equipped with medical devices like scales, tablets, blood pressure monitors and IV pumps. Paramedics visit patients twice daily and are connected to doctors and nurses through a tablet, ensuring continuous care. This setup not only provides medical support but also allows health care providers to understand the patient's living environment and involve social work if needed, enhancing overall care</p><p>The program is supported by Medically Home and offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional hospital stays. St. Luke’s is the first hospital in Idaho to start the program, which has been around since the 1960s. “We have a type of care that is very comparable to the outcomes of a brick-and-mortar hospital,” said the program’s Medical Director Adam Balinger.</p><p>It also provides a healing environment where patients can be with their families and pets, which can aid in recovery. With Medicare authorizing billing for hospital care at home since 2021, programs like St. Luke’s Hospital at Home are becoming more viable and beneficial, especially during times when hospitals are overwhelmed, such as during the pandemic.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/hospital-care-at-home-st-lukes-launches-hospital-at-home-program/article_e740f5ca-ea40-11ef-94d8-bbde4c8e5aba.html" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Supporting Public Health</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:19:29 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities