Hospitals as Community Leaders

Breaking out far beyond the four walls of their institutions, hospitals are engaging with their communities more than ever, with a greater focus on health education, healthy living, and disease prevention. Driven by a competitive healthcare environment, changing reimbursement models, and the rising costs of healthcare, hospitals around the country continue to step up to the plate, embracing their roles as community leaders and preaching health and wellness.

Essentially, hospitals’ traditional role as medical treatment centers has already been redefined, as is the case at Glacial Ridge Health System in St. Cloud, Minnesota. “Our mission is to provide high-quality services, which enhance the quality of life and promote healthy lifestyles for our patients, clients, employees, organization, and communities. To that end, educating our community on disease prevention and early detection is a significant aspect of what we do,” explains Diane Meyer, GRHS marketing and communications manager.

Operating under a similar banner, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, New Jersey, provides about $20 million in unreimbursed medical care every year, and actively serves as an educational resource for the community. “That means education to help people manage their diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure, and it means teaching them about controlling weight or preventing pressure ulcers or falls,” says Public Affairs Manager Donna Mancuso.

Not only do such community outreach events, programs, and classes boost a hospital’s reputation, but they make fiscal sense as well.

“Better [medical] outcomes mean fewer follow-up appointments and hospital re-admits, both critical to managing health and cutting healthcare costs,” Meyer adds.

Whether it’s promoting weight management to prevent diabetes, throwing away cigarettes before the threat of lung cancer, or supporting exercise and good eating habits to reduce the risk of heart attack or strokes, Baptist Health South Florida also embraces community education as a key part of its mission. In addition to the organization’s seven hospitals, Baptist Health runs more than 30 outpatient centers to bring primary healthcare closer to its population.

“Primary and preventive care are the best ways to treat the uninsured and less fortunate in our community who often don’t seek medical care,” CEO Brian Keeley says. “In our system alone, it saves millions of dollars for patients, insurers, and the government by avoiding costly and unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions.”

Meanwhile, Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, actively seeks out partnerships with healthcare providers, the local public health department, universities and technical colleges, and local businesses to combine forces when it comes to promoting healthy living. The local media also has made a similar commitment, as evidenced by its generous coverage of health initiatives and programming, according to Sarah Havens, Gundersen’s community and preventive care services director.
 

Putting theory into action

For example, Gunderson’s Minutes in Motion program challenges community residents to incorporate 30 minutes of activity every day for six weeks, while its Smartest Loser initiative encourages weight loss for health network employees and business partners. 

At St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, the hospital’s Asian Pacific Liver Center has screened more than 10,000 people for hepatitis B virus infection since 2008, while the Multicultural Health Awareness and Prevention Center offers free mammography, flu shots, and other basic screenings at both its own annual health fair and 20 other community health fairs every year, according to Marketing Director Sharon Greengold. In addition, St. Vincent’s Health Benefits Resource Center helps community members obtain insurance coverage, food stamps, and other supportive services.