Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, which includes hospitals, pharmacies and health plans, will give Bon Secours Baltimore Health System $1.7 million to construct a community resource center that is designed to spur economic activity in West Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a subsidiary of Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente.
The initiative is spurred by the belief that increasing residents' ability to gain employment and earn a living will ultimately lead to improved health.
"It is not enough to provide excellent healthcare," said Celeste James, director of community health initiatives at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. "People need their basic needs met around economic stability to really focus on health."
Through its program called Community Works, Bon Secours Hospital in Baltimore already provides many of the services that the new resource center will offer. The partnership will enable Bon Secours to expand its service offerings, which include job training and a transition program for people being released from prison.