West Wilmington residents now have a ‘Healthy Village’ at Saint Francis Hospital

Wilmington, Del. – (August 12, 2022) – The saying “It takes a village” symbolizes many people coming together to achieve a common goal. Saint Francis Hospital is taking that well-known phrase literally and reimagining healthcare for the benefit of its West Wilmington residents. The recently announced Healthy Village® at Saint Francis Hospital is a unique model of care that addresses the social influencers of health to form a single system of care. This village’s goal is to meet the “whole person” needs of the community—not just those that healthcare teams can serve.

By working with community-based partners whose services address the drivers of health, Healthy Villages focus on improving quality of life and enriching the vitality of neighborhoods while protecting their heritages, histories and residents. The model has been in existence for more than 25 years; however, few have adopted it to the extent Saint Francis has while extending it into the community—making The Healthy Village at Saint Francis Hospital one of the first in the nation.

“As a member of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, a faith-based organization, Saint Francis stands with all our patients and community members,” says James Woodward, president and CEO of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “However, we are especially committed to the most vulnerable—who typically are low utilizers of healthcare services and experience higher mortality rates. The Healthy Village at Saint Francis Hospital is creating a pathway toward better health and better outcomes for these patients.”

Healthy Village partners are selected according to investments in health and the social influencers of health:

• Economic stability (meaningful jobs and careers)
• Safe neighborhoods (e.g., housing, transportation, parks, retail services)
• Education (from basic literacy to higher education, and everything in-between)
• Food security (including medically tailored meals)
• Social support (e.g., childcare, adult daycare)
• Healthcare (e.g., emergency services, short-term stays, post-acute care such as behavioral health and skilled nursing, primary care, and care management)

These community-based organizations are committed to bringing much-needed services to Wilmington residents—right onto the hospital’s floors. By implementing a Healthy Village, excess hospital space will be renovated in areas that are ideal for the partners’ services. At the same time, Saint Francis is strengthening the critical clinical services offered within the hospital as well as in the community.

Healthy Village plans include a new comprehensive primary care and behavioral health clinic as well as education/skills development (including healthcare). Additional focus will be placed on housing for West Wilmington residents, including supported senior housing.

“Our hospital is represented by more than one-thousand caring colleagues committed to saving lives and preventing disease,” says Christopher Cullom, interim president of Saint Francis Hospital. “It’s exciting to be at the forefront of an initiative that pairs our heroes with others who positively impact lives in their own way. Individually, we do great things. Together, there’s virtually no limit to what we can achieve.”

The Healthy Village at Saint Francis Hospital is seeking additional, interested community-based organizational partners as well as input from community members. We’re just getting started, so please join us! More details will be released in the coming months; however, we are happy to answer any questions. Please reach out to Lillian Schonewolf, interim executive director of The Healthy Village at Saint Francis Hospital, at midatlanticsocialcare@trinity-health.org.