Better Community Health Begins with a Community Focus
July 27, 2012
The people of Greater Cincinnati do much to support their neighbors in need. Yet unfortunately, some of them still fall through the health care cracks. Whether they have difficulty navigating the maze of available services or don’t have the means to access nearby resources, more can be done to help.
Listening and collaboration are the keys.
As a unified health care system, TriHealth’s reach is wide and deep. Our 10,500 team members support three hospitals and more than 80 locations delivering exceptional care. But providing state-of-the-art health care isn’t enough to change the current issues many of our neighbors face. To create true change and improve community-wide health, we must begin by listening to and collaborating with our patients and community.
Creating health care solutions that matter.
We recently assessed the health needs of our neighbors who have unmet health needs. Our findings led us to create outreach programs that provided treatment, promoted health and healing, and improved access to services. For example, we increased our support of the Good Samaritan Free Health Center of Price Hill, a community with an overwhelming need for medical care. We also enhanced our nurse navigator program to help uninsured patients gain access to essential care.
We are committed to doing more.
In 2011, TriHealth contributed more than $82 million in subsidized care, free care, public programs, and education and research—a 46 percent increase over the last five years. However, it’s not enough to meet everyone’s needs. That’s why we are seeking greater partnering and collaborating among hospitals, nonprofit health and human service agencies, physician practices, and city and county public health departments, insurers and employers. Community-wide health begins with all of us.