Community Benefits: Community Services

	Community Services
	LifeBridge Health Develops Initiatives To Address Community Health Needs LifeBridge Health in Baltimore is taking on three major health problems identified in its communities to improve the health status in a measurable way over the next three years. The board of directors of LifeBridge Health, through their new Community Mission Committee, has allocated funds from across the system to support the initiation of three new health programs to address identified high need health problems facing the communities served by Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital Center and Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital. After conducting a comprehensive community needs assessment of the three communities, the board selected the following three problems to be tackled through this new initiative: (1) cardiovascular disease risk among children and families in the Sinai community (2) depression in the elderly living in the Levindale service area and (3) the need for enhanced community-based disease management for patients from Northwest Hospital diagnosed with congestive heart failure Program design teams consisting of hospital administrators, physicians, clinical leaders and community representatives have been meeting over the last several months to develop the three programs that will be launched in early 2006. Sinai’s project to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk in children and families will offer a twelve month education and support program in schools and community sites to promote healthy eating, fitness, engage families, and build self-esteem. Levindale’s program will screen seniors for depression in targeted physicians offices and senior housing facilities and provide treatment and case management to those with this diagnosis. Northwest Hospital is developing a disease management program for patients with congestive heart failure that involves home and telephone monitoring, education, and support to improve compliance with treatment plans and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Each of these community health programs has a defined evaluation plan to track outcomes that will measure the success and effectiveness of the new initiatives.

Community Services

LifeBridge Health Develops Initiatives To Address Community Health Needs

LifeBridge Health in Baltimore is taking on three major health problems identified in its communities to improve the health status in a measurable way over the next three years. The board of directors of LifeBridge Health, through their new Community Mission Committee, has allocated funds from across the system to support the initiation of three new health programs to address identified high need health problems facing the communities served by Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital Center and Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital. After conducting a comprehensive community needs assessment of the three communities, the board selected the following three problems to be tackled through this new initiative: (1) cardiovascular disease risk among children and families in the Sinai community (2) depression in the elderly living in the Levindale service area and (3) the need for enhanced community-based disease management for patients from Northwest Hospital diagnosed with congestive heart failure

Program design teams consisting of hospital administrators, physicians, clinical leaders and community representatives have been meeting over the last several months to develop the three programs that will be launched in early 2006.

Sinai’s project to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk in children and families will offer a twelve month education and support program in schools and community sites to promote healthy eating, fitness, engage families, and build self-esteem.

Levindale’s program will screen seniors for depression in targeted physicians offices and senior housing facilities and provide treatment and case management to those with this diagnosis.

Northwest Hospital is developing a disease management program for patients with congestive heart failure that involves home and telephone monitoring, education, and support to improve compliance with treatment plans and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Each of these community health programs has a defined evaluation plan to track outcomes that will measure the success and effectiveness of the new initiatives.