The Alliance for Health Equity (aka The Alliance), in collaboration with the Health Services Leadership Task Force, recently hosted a community-centered hybrid town hall event on May 19, 2022. Held in-person and via Zoom, this event — Let’s Talk Allyship: Community Healthcare — discussed how community leaders are forging partnerships to face the recent loss of our local Jennersville and Brandywine Hospitals. Since the event, we are excited about the announcement of Christina Care acquiring Jennersville Hospital. Click here to read all about it!
Let’s Talk Allyship: Community Healthcare is part II of The Alliance for Health Equity’s Let’s Talk Series. From hospital closures to health systems merging, and newly developed models of care, many communities are facing significant shifts in healthcare. The purpose of this timely discussion was to demonstrate how multisectoral groups have formed to holistically address the recent healthcare access challenges in parts of Chester County. Like our prior conversations in the series, topics focused on the importance of Allyship to solve complex issues, align values, and center equity into the discussion and solutions.
For example, the residents of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, struggle disproportionately, in comparison to Chester County as a whole, with health and economic disparities, and the recent closure of the Tower Health Brandywine Hospital has increased barriers to care. As such, forging partnerships and gathering the community to activate change is crucial; therefore, allyship was the focus of our Let’s Talk Allyship: Community Healthcare town hall event.
Let’s Talk Allyship Takes A Multidisciplinary Approach
The key speakers for our most recent townhall event included Pennsylvania State Representative Chief of Staff Bill Shoell and Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz, as well as Patrick E. Bokovitz, Director of the Chester County Department of Human Services, Jeanne Franklin, Director of the Chester County Health Department, Mike Murphy, Director of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services, and Linwood Smith, community health advocate. Speakers were asked questions relating to the efforts of each department, updates on where the community and healthcare stands, and considerations for the future of Coatesville’s healthcare access. To view the Let’s Talk Allyship: Community Healthcare town hall event, click here.
Allyship In Action
Since December 2021, the Health Services Leadership Task Force has continued its efforts to address Chester County’s hospital closures. Activities include the activation of two workgroups tackling the impact of the Tower Health Brandywine Hospital on the Greater Coatesville community. The Advocacy Workgroup is gearing up to launch an education campaign that raises awareness, and informs English and Spanish-speaking consumers on where and when to seek healthcare and emergency services. This workgroup is also nearing the end of a local community survey to assess the impact of the hospital closure on access to and cost of health care and supportive services. This survey will provide insight into consumer attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs about the current state of local healthcare services. Findings from the survey will reveal the most important health and social support needs of the Greater Coatesville community and provide opportunities for partnership and collaboration to implement solutions to address community needs.
The Coordinated Health Services Work Group is working to develop and pilot an integrated model of care that will strengthen outpatient services by co-locating and focusing on reducing barriers, and offering prevention services such as youth mental health prevention, hybrid telehealth, micro-transportation, and health promotion, wellness, and disease management programs. This Workgroup is also tackling care coordination across service providers, and community programs and services to ensure continuity of care.
Through our many initiatives to assist the Greater Coatesville community, including the 2022Cycle4Change event happening this month and our participation in The Greater Coatesville Hospital Closure Group, The Alliance for Health Equity has long focused on advancing a thriving, inclusive and healthy community for all. We partner with hundreds of organizations on a wide variety of endeavors driven by volunteer energy, and we invite you to join us by becoming an ally and making a meaningful impact together. For more information, click here.
The Alliance for Health Equity (formerly Brandywine Health Foundation) is a philanthropic organization striving to advance a more equitable, resilient and healthy community for all residents of the Greater Coatesville area. We pursue our mission by providing grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students that address health and economic disparities and social justice. We also build partnership programs and give voice to those often left out of community solution building to improve the overall health of their communities. 100% of contributions go directly to those in need.