South Coast Health photo.

Southcoast Health announces Southcoast CARES Program, part of community health, wellness department

image_pdfimage_print

Emphasis on overall community health and wellbeing by focusing on Southcoast CARES initiatives that extend beyond clinical care.

Southcoast Health is proud to announce its Southcoast CARES program, part of the newly rebranded Community Health and Wellness department formerly known as Community Benefits. This title change reflects the department’s expanded focus on Southcoast CARES initiatives, which work to improve health equity and health status across the entire South Coast region. The Community Health and Wellness department also includes Community Relations, Data Analysis and Reporting.

“Socioeconomic indicators such as income, education, race and zip code are major factors that directly influence health outcomes and are often the best predictors of health status and health equity,” says Rachel Davis, Director of Community Health and Wellness at Southcoast Health. “We are proud to strengthen our community outreach efforts with this comprehensive redesign of the program, and we thank our dedicated staff and community partners for their continued support addressing these challenges in our community.”

Southcoast CARES initiatives exemplify the health system’s commitment to community outreach, beyond clinical care, to best serve and support all residents of the region. The program is composed of three strategic areas—Community Wellness Initiatives, Community Engagement and Impact and Community Health Improvement Planning—to address the current and future health and social needs of our region.

• Community Wellness Initiatives: Programs that support ongoing population health initiatives and expand access to services, outreach, education and connection to basic health and social resources. These programs include the new Community Wellness Program, The New Beginnings Program, The Basics, Southcoast and The Southcoast Resource Connect Platform.

• Community Engagement and Impact: Southcoast’s community support through contributions, coalition participation, volunteerism efforts and grant programs.

• Community Health Improvement Planning: A community-driven initiative that focuses on collaboration with a diverse group of South Coast residents and leaders to create long-term, transformational change to the overall health and wellness of the region.

“As we continue developing new community health initiatives, it is important that we not only react to specific community needs but proactively address them,” says Davis. “Focusing on initiatives targeting socio-economic needs, we are hoping to get ahead of the root causes of many current health problems and break the cycle.”

To learn more about Southcoast’s Community Health & Wellness department, including Southcoast CARES please visit Southcoast Health CARES – Southcoast Health.

_______________________________________________________________

About Southcoast Health

Celebrating the system’s 25th anniversary in 2021, Southcoast Health is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region, serving communities in Rhode Island and across Southeastern Massachusetts. Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Out of the 2,743 considered hospitals in the United States, only 250 earned this recognition. In 2020 and 2021, St. Luke’s is a Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals. US News ranks Southcoast 9th among hospitals in Massachusetts, and 2nd among those in the Providence Metro area. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 the Southcoast Health system also received several awards, including Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work, in SouthCoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards voted on by residents and readers.

As a network of more than 700 physicians, hospitalists, and mid-level practitioners, Southcoast Health is a system of three acute care hospitals — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, and Tobey Hospital in Wareham, and also provides behavioral health services in partnership with Acadia at Southcoast Behavioral Health in Dartmouth. Southcoast Health’s System comprises seven Urgent Care Centers, two Centers for Cancer Care, visiting nurse association, and numerous additional ambulatory facilities that offer convenience and access to services for more than 724,000 residents in 33 communities covering over 900 square miles in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

With around 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in Southeastern Mass., and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. Southcoast Health is proud of our mission of providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to our patients and proud of our tradition of eliminating the barriers that prevent access to care. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast Health through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

Check Also

54-year-old New Bedford career criminal, cocaine trafficker, sentenced to prison

“A 54-year-old New Bedford career criminal, who was convicted after a week-long jury trial last …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Translate »