Indianapolis-based Eskenazi Health is launching a $60 million multiyear campaign aimed at reducing health inequities in its service area, according to a March 27 Indianapolis Star report.
The public hospital system, which operates the flagship 333-bed Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital in the city, has designated three health equity zones centered around its primary care facilities in different residential areas where it will engage with the local communities to establish priorities for improving health outcomes, the report said.
Extra staff, including doulas and community health workers, will be employed in the designated zones. Mental health will be another top priority of the new initiative, with current demand for such services far outstripping supply, the report said.
To date, about $36 million has been dedicated to the program, but more will be needed, especially if it is expanded across the whole city.
"If we're going to really change the health of our community, we're not going to do this in five years," said Ernest Vargo II, president and CEO of the Eskenazi Health Foundation. "We really see this as a 20-year initiative."