Community Health Investment
At Providence, we leverage our influence to invest in mutually reinforcing strategies that transform the health and well-being of our communities. These investments are data driven, effective, and focused on addressing disparities.
We are committed to improving community health through purposeful economic investments and partnerships across all seven states we serve. Called by our Mission and driven by our belief that health is a human right, we are steadfast in serving all with a special focus on our most vulnerable neighbors. This core purpose guides the intentional way we approach our community health investment strategies, and how we continue to address the health and wellbeing of our communities.
In practice, we work in close partnership with local organizations to address our communities’ most pressing needs, informed by our Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA). We bolster the work of our partners as change makers by leveraging our resources to collaboratively develop innovative ways to improve health and community engagement.
Our community health investment is broadly based in these categories:
- Community health improvement and strategic partnerships (including cash/in-kind donations, grants, Community Benefit operations, and community building activities)
- Health professions education and research
- Subsidized health services
- Free and discounted care for the uninsured and underinsured
- Unpaid costs of Medicaid and other means-tested government programs
Our core work is focused on alignment, support and influence to create stronger communities. We partner with social service and government agencies, charitable foundations, community and faith-based organizations, schools and other educational entities, and many other partners to identify the most pressing needs in our communities through our Community Health Needs Assessments.
In response to these assessments, we develop Community Health Improvement Plans, invest strategically into our communities, work to influence practices and policies that can bolster the health and wellbeing of individuals, and continually monitor our impact and outcomes to adjust our recommendations for continued alignment and effectiveness of investments.
Through these partnerships and strategies, we believe we can realize our mission as we improve the health of our communities, our nation, and achieve our goal of Health for a Better World.
Community Health Investment is just one way we leverage the power of Providence to invest in mutually reinforcing strategies that transform the health and well-being of our communities.
We prioritize community health because it is core to our mission and heritage, and we recognize that social and community well-being impacts individuals in significant ways. Responding to the needs of the poor and vulnerable is integral to our organizational identity, and the public has entrusted us to invest locally – particularly in underserved communities.
Our goal is to know and engage our communities, and use coordinated strategies, collaboration, innovation, proactive planning, and assessment to respond to the health needs of communities we serve, with an intentional focus on the vulnerable individuals within those communities, and to work toward the common good.
Our community benefit investments are an important and visible way we live out our Mission of service, compassion and healing. Our Providence family of organizations is dedicated to creating health care access for everyone and improving the health of our communities. Our community benefit program identifies unmet needs and responds with tailored investments designed to improve health and well-being and is central to how we care for our populations.
Our partner institution, University of Providence, offers a Community Health Investment Certificate. In this program, students will explore health equity and social determinants to develop a broad understanding of population health. Students will also work to identify collaborative opportunities for healthcare providers and community-based partners.
Course work includes an emphasis on skill set development in:
- Interpreting data from health systems
- Community health needs assessments
- Payers
- Public data sets
- Emerging geospatial analytics
- Information systems
Students will delve into the roles of policy and regulatory requirements, along with emerging funding models that include pay for success and socially responsible investing principles.
Visit University of Providence’s page to learn more about this certificate, and to apply.