In 2020, the St. Joseph Community Partnership Fund invested $1 million through grants and technical assistance for a California program that engages residents in 11 communities to address health issues in their neighborhoods. The Community Building Initiative (CBI) program provides long-term leadership training and coaching to identify issues and build plans to deliver them in partnership with local hospitals and nonprofits.

At one of the sites, in Southwest Santa Rosa, CA, youth crime was identified as a particularly concerning issue. The Community Action Partnership (CAP) was established and with CBI coaching, residents became empowered to address visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder. They also focused on improving quality health, housing stability, and improving community-police relations.

Through CAP’s efforts, the community has seen changes to the Mandatory Rental Inspection Policy, the creation of Spanish language Code Enforcement and Crime reporting forms, and the appointment of the first Latino Police Chief.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected those experiencing homelessness and though the infection rate in Alaska has been one of the lowest in the country, the pandemic has created new challenges for people without stabile access to housing, creating greater risks and fewer options for finding support.

Providence Health & Services Alaska is one of the many agencies that stepped in to help increase access to much needed services for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Through Community Health Investment, Providence earmarked over $3 million in 2020 to help area nonprofit programs provide wraparound services and support, including shelter. This is part of Providence’s five-year $15 million commitment to addressing homelessness in the region.

Education programs and partnerships are an essential part of Providence’s belief that education is an essential component of health. In 2021, University of Providence worked closely with Community Health Investment (CHI) and the Catholic Health Association to launch the new Community Health Investment certificate program.

This program will provide students with the opportunity to learn more about community health, health inequities, community health data analytics, upstream quality improvement, and more with the goal of training leaders in community health/community benefit for hospitals, health systems and community organizations.

This 16-credit, Master’s level certificate program is offered online and is geared toward working professionals with an interest in expanding their knowledge and gaining valuable experience in this field.

Key themes of the CHI program include compassionate caring for those who are poor and vulnerable; advancing community health, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and developing a pathway for equitable workforce development. This program provides an accessible and affordable option for students to develop their skills and become strategic and ethical leaders for their organizations and in their communities.

Learn more about the CHI certificate program.

Global health investment is an important aspect of the work Providence is doing to create health for a better world.

In Malawi, Providence, through the Global and Domestic Engagement team, has a partnership with Seed Global Health, Swedish Family Medicine Residency, and the University of Malawi-College of Medicine to develop and invest in a new Masters of Family medicine training program.

Family medicine is a priority for the Ministry of Health and will be critical for increasing access to primary care across the country. In previous years, Providence and Swedish hosted a group of Malawi’s Family Medicine residents.

Through the pandemic, Providence continues to support the development of this program by sponsoring Seed Global Health’s placement of a full-time physician educator at Mangochi District Hospital. This physician educator manages the family medicine rotation of dozens of Malawian medical students and provides administrative and clinical assistance to hospital staff.

Through hands-on training and support from our partners, the local clinicians are becoming better equipped to serve their communities and help to improve health outcomes for generations to come.