2013 Prize Is Sponsored by the Baxter International Foundation, the American Hospital Association and the Health Research & Educational Trust

Ideas & Innovations for Hospital Leaders Case Examples 8 In 2006, hospital leaders across the country received their first Community Connections resource—a collection of programs that demonstrate the various ways hospitals provide for and benefit their communities. This case example book is the eighth in a series and highlights many more innovative programs. For more examples or to share your own story, visit www.ahacommunityconnections.org. Photos in this publication are courtesy of Doug Haight, photographer, and illustrate programs from recent Foster G. McGaw Prize-winning organizations. Since 1986, the Foster G. McGaw Prize has honored health delivery organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service. The 2013 Prize is sponsored by The Baxter International Foundation, the American Hospital Association and the Health Research & Educational Trust. oday, more than 5,000 This book highlights the unique and hospitals of all kinds — innovative ways hospitals are doing T urban and rural, large this work. Far from a comprehensive and small — are making their list, Community Connections begins communities healthier in ways to illustrate where and how hospitals that are as diverse as the needs are meeting their communities’ many of each community. The men and needs. The stories cover four broad women who work in hospitals are categories: not just mending bodies. Their work Social and Basic Needs extends far beyond the literal and Health Promotion figurative four walls of the hospital Access and Coverage to where free clinics, job training Quality of Life efforts, smoking cessation classes, Every day in America’s hospitals, there back-to-school immunizations, is tremendous good being done. The literacy programs, and so many instantly recognizable blue and white others are brought directly to the “H” sign signifies more than a place people of the community… often that patients and families can depend with very little fanfare. on for care. It signifies the heart of a community. Table of Contents Social and Basic Needs .............................................................................................................3 Health Promotion ......................................................................................................................11 Access and Coverage ..............................................................................................................19 Quality of Life ...............................................................................................................................29 Index ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 community connections 1 2 American Hospital Association Social and Basic Needs Non-medical needs are often intricately tied to personal health and well-being. Hospitals are working to address social, basic and personal needs as a way to improve their communities’ health. The programs described on the following pages illustrate approaches hospitals are taking to meet the basic needs of everyday life, from food and shelter to education and self-reliance, ultimately improving the long-term health of communities. community connections 73 Social and Basic Needs Alice Peck Day (APD) Memorial Hospital – Bon Secours St. Francis Health System – Lebanon, New Hampshire Greenville, South Carolina Program: Partnership with Local Organic Grower Program: Healthy Communities Initiative What is it? APD partners with Acorn Hill Farm, What is it? In an effort to address socio-economic a certified organic producer, for vegetables that concerns in communities surrounding Bon are served to patients at APD and residents of Secours St. Francis Health System, residents and Harvest Hill, an assisted-living facility on the APD stakeholders developed a revitalization project with campus. Educational information cards describing grassroots efforts. The Healthy Communities Initiative the vegetables are placed on tables and trays. The is a multi-faceted effort that addresses root issues partnership is full circle: vegetable scraps from APD affecting the Sterling community of Greenville. are returned to the farm for composting. Programs include Access Health Greenville, Meals on Wheels, Seniors on the Go, St. Francis Community Who is it for? APD patients and Harvest Hill residents. Garden and Community Land Trust. Why do they do it? APD chose to participate in the Who is it for? All residents of Sterling and Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge with the Health surrounding areas. Care Without Harm organization, which encourages building relationships with local farmers, questioning Why do they do it? The goal is to build a more vibrant, vendors about suppliers and educating patients and the safe and prosperous city. community about APD’s sustainable food practices. Impact: Response to the programs has been community cooperation and a sense of empowerment from Impact: Patients and residents are provided fresh, residents. People are grateful for the gardens they organic produce and a local farmer is supported. help create, for new reading glasses, for dental care, Contact: Tony Venti for education and for the opportunity to succeed. Director, Marketing & Communications Contact: Maxim Williams Telephone: 603-448-7442 Director, Community Relationship Building E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 864-477-0844 E-mail: [email protected] Benefis Health System – Great Falls, Montana Program: Native American Programs Brookings Health System – Brookings, What is it? Benefis’ Native American Programs aim to South Dakota improve access and optimize health care outcomes Program: Therapy Day Camp by ensuring Benefis’ services are congruent with What is it? Brookings Health System offered a the values, beliefs and traditions of Native American summer Therapy Day Camp conducted by an people. Strategies include enhanced hospitality occupational therapist and a speech-language in a culturally inviting setting, patient and family pathologist. The theme-based, communication- advocacy and integration of spiritual care and enriched camp allowed participants to have fun traditional healing practices into their health care while working on improving their target need areas services. Core programs include a Native American including speech and language skills, fine motor Welcoming Center in the hospital and a prayer room and sensory processing skills. for smudging and prayer. Who is it for? Local children needing occupational or Who is it for? Native American patients and families speech therapy. from four Indian Reservations as well as the Great Why do they do it? Some children do not receive Falls Indian Community. therapy at their school. The camp allowed those kids Why do they do it? More than 40,000 people in Benefis’ to learn habits they can take back to the classroom. service area are of Native American descent. The For kids who do receive therapy at school, the camp program was developed to improve Native American allowed them to maintain their skills over summer. patient and family satisfaction with Benefis services. Impact: Seven local children completed the camp in Impact: Over the last year, nearly 7,500 people visited 2012. The camp atmosphere allowed children to work the Welcoming Center. In addition, more than 500 on their specific improvement areas in a group setting, Native American patients and families participated in a unique aspect from one-on-one therapy sessions. traditional prayer through smudging. In addition, parents were given tips for helping their Contact: Kathie Avis children to continue making progress at home. Chief Administrative Officer, Strategic Development Contact: Julia Yoder and Native American Programs Director of Marketing and Public Relations Telephone: 406-731-8201 Telephone: 605-696-7768 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 4 American Hospital Association Butler Hospital – Providence, Rhode Island Fairmont General Hospital – Fairmont, Program: Free Mental Health Screenings West Virginia What is it? A free, confidential online screening Program: VolunTEEN tool allows individuals to take an anonymous What is it? The Fairmont General Hospital self-assessment for several different brain-based VolunTEEN program is a student-oriented volunteer illnesses including depression, generalized anxiety program that offers young people the opportunity to disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol addiction, eating learn about the careers available in the health care disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and field, as well as the role of professionals and others adolescent depression. in community health. A typical summer placement Who is it for? Individuals or families needing to may offer as many as 30 hours of career education. determine if they or someone they love may have VolunTEENs also have the opportunity to provide depression or a related mood disorder. needed services to the hospital and the community. Why do they do it? It’s estimated that nine percent of Who is it for? Teenagers ages 13 to 18. Rhode Islanders suffer from depression. Depression Why do they do it? The program became more has been associated with increased risks of formalized when the state established a graduation diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease requirement that teens volunteer time in their chosen and possibly stroke. career path. Several graduates have returned to the Impact: Butler Hospital has been offering

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