Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare has launched three community care programs.
The programs seek to provide healthcare access to vulnerable populations and improve health equity, Howard Kern, Sentara's CEO, said in an Aug. 30 news release from the health system. The programs plan to use geographic information systems and de-identified patient information to identify social determinants of health and partner with local organizations to address them.
The first initiative is a mobile unit that will travel across the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The second, a care center in Berkley, Va., will provide complimentary healthcare, social and wellness services for underserved communities. Those services will include cooking and health education, financial literacy and housing assistance. The final program partners with a homeless residential facility in Norfolk to provide on-site care for residents.
Sentara plans to create more programs in the next two years, according to the release.