Research shows that 80% of health outcomes are driven by factors outside the walls of the hospital. As a Hospital Authority, the FDHA is uniquely positioned to work with stakeholders in the hospital system and “beyond the walls” of the hospital in community settings.
It is through our shared work with community-based partners from various sectors, that we address health disparities and work to end health inequities. Through funded cooperative agreements, we work collaboratively with health and housing providers, the faith based communities and host of actors whose efforts intersect with issues of access to and the social determinants of health.
In communities throughout the country and around the world, faith-based institutions have served as “safe spaces” for people seeking support, comfort and even healing. According to the Pew Research Center, 91% of Black Americans say religion is “somewhat” or “very important” in their lives. Therefore, engaging faith-based institutions as partners and trusted messengers in support of targeted community health promotion, awareness, and education initiatives, increases the likelihood that populations at high risk of illness are connected to resources.
