PHILANTHROPY DRIVES ATRIUM HEALTH’S SOCIAL IMPACT STRATEGY FORWARD A $500,000 grant from The Duke Endowment will support Atrium Health’s efforts to address critical social determinants of health and improve health equity among minority and low-income populations. With support from The Duke Endowment, Atrium Health will expand one of its social impact programs – Building a Sustainable Care Delivery Model for Addressing Acute Social Needs – to be implemented over the next three years across the Greater Charlotte region. Program priorities include optimizing the Community Resource Hub, a digital referral tool; and assembling an interdisciplinary care team to connect patients with resources they need to improve their health. The interdisciplinary care team – comprised of primary and specialty care providers, Community Health Workers, referral navigators, and geographically focused community partners – will serve patients through a centralized referral process designed to improve healthcare utilization and lower patients’ healthcare costs. "We recognize the importance of extending care to homes and communities where patients reside,” shared Jennifer Snow, program director and assistant vice president of Atrium Health’s community health strategy. “The Duke Endowment’s support is critical to address the social determinants of health, especially through our Community Health Workers, who are trusted members of the communities they serve.” A longtime supporter of community health initiatives championed by Atrium Health, The Duke Endowment recognizes the value of collaboration among community-based organizations and healthcare systems to create and sustain wellbeing in the local population. “In order to improve health, we must recognize that where we work or go to school, how we spend our free time — even our ability to access fresh food and exercise in a safe environment — all contribute to our health and well-being,” said Rhett Mabry, president of The Duke Endowment. “To improve health within a community, we have to expand how we think about what affects it locally. We need to address health improvement on the ground, at a very local level.”
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