Introduction

Introduction

At ChristianaCare, we are committed to being exceptional today and even better tomorrow, guided by our values, Excellence and Love. We are committed to embracing diversity, anticipating the needs of others, helping with generosity and compassion, and using our resources wisely. These values and behaviors – and the others we defined - became an even brighter north star and moral compass as COVID-19 struck in March of 2020 and spread across the globe the following winter. ChristianaCare was already mid-transformation: from a hospital to a health system to a system that reaches out into the community to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time, The pandemic accelerated this transformation and brought new challenges to our communities, with ChristianaCare playing a critical role as an essential partner to address those needs. It is a point of pride, tempered by gratitude and humility, that ChristianaCare doubled down on its commitment to the community during the pandemic, when many other organizations struggled to maintain services. Over the last three years we have made progress on the prioritized needs addressed in the 2019 Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP), while also continuing to improve services for our patients and neighbors and responding to a historic pandemic. ChristianaCare’s 2023 Annual Operating Plan has introduced our core strategy and aspirations, including our aspiration to end disparities in access, experience, care delivery, and health outcomes for those we serve.

The needs prioritized in this document align well with the system’s overarching goals. These areas of need are not easily solved and demand a comprehensive approach and partnerships with other stakeholders, especially given the dynamic healthcare environment. In addressing these needs and outlining the substantial work ahead, we are continuing to build on the strong foundation we laid in our prior Community Health Implementation Plans. Our Community Health Needs Assessment 2019-2021 began with the following lessons learned:

• Partnerships within the community are fundamental to effectively addressing patients’ social needs. • Unmet social needs exacerbate health issues. • Racial disparities and other systemic challenges create complex challenges to improving maternal health and infant mortality. • Violence is a public health issue that hospitals can play an essential role in addressing. These lessons will continue to guide us over the next three years. As a nationally recognized leader in clinical quality and safety, academic medical institution, and National Cancer Institute designated community cancer center, ChristianaCare serves our community with exceptional care, education, outreach and research. Our 3