Hartford Business Journal

14 Hartford Business Journal • March 6, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com SPONSORED CONTENT Hartford face higher rates of chronic illness and live about 10 years less than people in neighboring communities. The causes of death in North Hartford – heart disease, cancer, diabetes — are influenced by a wide array of factors, including poverty and toxic stress. But these outcomes are not inevita- ble. It is possible to build on North Hartford's strengths and create healthier community conditions for all residents, they note. In the last four months, a collaborative of organizations led by Trinity Health – New England, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, the City of Hartford, and Commu- nity Solutions, a nonprofit that is convening North Hartford residents and organizations in collaboration with the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity at Saint Francis, has launched a truly people-centered scheme to improve the health of the people who live in the neighborhood. The group is focused on improving health and wellbeing in North Hartford, where poverty levels stand at 47 percent and residents live approximately 10 years less than people from surrounding communities. A similar Trinity Health – New England initiative is also being undertaken by Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, MA. Live Well Springfield, a multi-sector community-based coalition that includes over 26 organizations working in the city, aims to provide services and improve policies that target low-income adults and children disproportionately im- pacted by health conditions related to poor diet, inactivity, tobacco use, and other social determinants. The goal is to develop programs and strategies aimed at reducing obesity, pro- moting tobacco-free living, and addressing social determinants that impact current and future health outcomes for the residents of the North End of Hartford and Springfield. Working together community partners will address socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, clinical care and the physical en- vironment to transform these communities into healthy, vibrant neighborhoods. Of primary importance to people-cen- tered care is the importance of listening: engaging people in their own care, building trusting relationships, and supporting their success back home, which are key tenets of Trinity Health's approach, McKinney empha- sized. It's also important to use data – inside and outside the health care system – to identify opportunities, support local action and track progress. "We've got to measure our findings in order to serve the community better," said McKinney. "It would be nice to measure the factors that clearly impact diseases, such as obesity or smoking, which are high on the list of that which is killing people, but we've also got to be aggressive in addressing other topics." "We've found that 80 percent of being healthy is comprised of a number of factors, such as whether a patient has a physician, or doesn't have insurance, or transportation to get the medicines they need, or even if they don't feel safe going out of their homes," McKinney added. "Clinical health care, either in an emergency department, a hospital, or a clinic, is only about 20 percent of what impacts one's health." It is the 80 percent that Trinity Health – New England and its member hospitals have pledged to tackle through its unique people- centered care approach. In Hartford, this strategy will unite health care systems, community groups, develop- ment agencies, faith-based organizations and local government in addressing over- whelming health disparities, such as those in North Hartford. In addition, North Hartford is also one of 22 federal Promise Zones, one of 50 cities in Robert Wood Johnson Foun- dation's Invest Health initiative, and one of five Wellville communities. Ultimately, the collaborative aims to align these and other efforts for a healthier North Hartford. "We're painting the hospital of the future, where taking care of patients in a clinical setting is just one of the things hospitals will do," said McKinney. "Residents have an important voice and role in determining what matters to their health," said Brush. "For example, how do we improve community safety, employment op- portunities, and programs for youth? How do we make nutritious food affordable? What are the biggest barriers to healthier behaviors? Choices about health are often a function of the choices that are available." ● ' To improve community health, you need the entire community ... working in partnership to make significant changes.' – Rick Brush, CEO, Community Solutions Photo / Joe Driscoll / Trinity Health – New England The Joan C. Dauber Food Bank at Saint Francis provides healthy food to Hartford residents.

• Cover