Distributing fresh produce boxes is part of Advocate Aurora Health's $2.5 billion community charitable care and services in 2020
A partnership between Chicago-area Advocate Aurora Health hospitals and Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks has led to nearly 400 boxes of fresh produce being delivered to patients who need them in 2021 alone. And hundreds more have been sent to community groups for further distribution.
The program is part of Advocate Aurora Health's more than $2.5 billion in charitable care and services in 2020, a 16% increase over the previous year.
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the health system's community health efforts shifted and transformed to meet the most urgent needs, while also remaining committed to its bedrock programs, such as charity care, education, trauma services, behavioral health services and more.
"It's been important to support the farmer's markets in partnership with Advocate Aurora Health as a way to expand access to fresh produce in communities with need," said Shelly Herman, founder of Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks. "We know from our own customers that eating fresh healthy foods improves their health and quality of life."
As the worst pandemic in more than a century hit our communities in early 2020, Advocate Aurora's team members and resources pivoted to provide critical community support including education and outreach, mobile testing and partnerships with federally qualified health centers, especially as it became clear that COVID-19 disproportionately impacted communities of color. The system enhanced preventive services by increasing access to health education, personal protective equipment and community COVID-19 testing, among other initiatives.
Some of those include:
• Advocate Aurora partnered with community organizations serving vulnerable populations and in underserved DuPage County communities to distribute over 10,000 one-time and reusable face masks.
• Advocate Good Samaritan also provided over $15,000 in funding to support the work of organizations serving DuPage County's homeless and low-income populations during the pandemic. The hospital contributed $11,500 in funding to support the expansion of food pantry services in low-income communities with high rates of COVID-19. Additionally, the hospital provided $4,500 in funding to increase opportunities for physical activity among students and families participating in remote learning.
• Advocate Aurora provided COVID-19 tools, resources and community education materials to hundreds of community organizations to combat the pandemic.
• At the height of the pandemic, Advocate Lutheran General offered free testing with 3-4 day turn around, free masks and additional resources. A total of 404 patients were tested for COVID-19.
• Advocate Illinois Masonic ran free micro-mobile community COVID-19 testing and distributed free masks and education materials.
"Advocate Aurora is not just committed to enhancing the health and wellness of those in our care, but to improving the quality of life for our communities aligned with our purpose to help people live well," President and CEO Jim Skogsbergh said. "The diverse programs we support reflect the changing and varied needs within our neighborhoods as we work to close the health equity gap and amplify our social impact."
In addition to a robust COVID-19 response, Advocate Aurora's community health strategy remained focused on services and partnerships that build health equity, ensure access and improve health outcomes. Programs around mental and behavioral health, violence prevention, trauma recovery services, access to care, diabetes and hypertension, maternal health/infant mortality, obesity, substance use, food security, safety and workforce development were top priorities across the system's footprint in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Advocate Aurora Health is one of the largest providers of community care, outreach and education in Illinois and Wisconsin. Community benefit contributions in 2020 included:
• Charity and other uncompensated care that is provided free, at subsidized levels or without full reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid or other government-sponsored programs.
• Subsidized health services that respond to unique community needs, including trauma services, behavioral health services, health screenings, immunization programs, school-based health care and other community outreach programs.
• Community Health Improvement Education Services and Operations including counseling, screenings, support groups, self-help, transportation, health education, school-based health centers, Faith Community Nursing that provides holistic care by connecting patients to spiritual and community resources in addition to health education, and a mobile pediatric clinic and mobile integrated health program that expand access to care beyond hospital settings,, plus many other hospital-based community programs.
• Language assistance and interpreter services, as well as translation for signage, forms, brochures, patient education materials and information in languages other than English.
• Volunteer Services provided by hospital workers who volunteer in their communities and by community members who volunteer at Advocate Aurora hospitals.