South Carolina Coalitions Get Continued Support from The Duke Endowment’s Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas Initiative
Columbia, S.C. — The South Carolina Hospital Association is proud to announce that the five Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas community coalitions initially selected to participate in The Duke Endowment initiative (Fairfield Forward, LiveWell Greenville, LiveWell Kershaw, Northeastern Rural Health Network and Tri-County Health Network) have all received additional support from the Endowment to continue their work an additional three years.
The initiative, which began in South Carolina in 2017, promotes behavior changes that address chronic issues such as unhealthy weight, diabetes and heart disease by increasing physical behavior and nutrition, with a particular focus on underserved communities. Local coalitions involve leaders from a wide spectrum of community organizations in developing ways to engage residents in improving their health while recognizing that such changes are created and sustained not just through individual and clinical efforts, but through the cooperation and support of the extended local community.
Having spent the last few years building and strengthening an infrastructure that can support coordinated efforts and seeing the first fruits of those efforts, SCHA and The Duke Endowment are excited to see what these coalitions can accomplish next. By bolstering the local community capacity to focus on a policy, systems and environmental approach and the implementation of strategic interventions, HPHC coalitions have been catalysts for improving health in their communities and creating a common wellness agenda. HPHCs have collectively implemented 71 policy changes, 44 infrastructure changes, and 82 organizational changes, that have the potential to impact more than 80,000 individuals in SC.
“The health challenges facing the Carolinas have been decades in the making,” said Lin Hollowell, Director of Health Care at The Duke Endowment. “They cannot be effectively addressed overnight, though we’re starting to see the roots of progress take hold in the first set of Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas communities. The health challenges also cannot be solved by individuals and organizations working alone. Through Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas, communities are working together to confront their problems and make the most progress in achieving solutions.”
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Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas is an initiative of The Duke Endowment. The program promotes behavior change that address chronic issues such as unhealthy weight, diabetes and heart disease by increasing physical activity and nutrition. Partners for Active Living/Eat Smart Move More Spartanburg have been selected to lead a coalition of leaders from a wide spectrum of community organizations in developing ways to engage residents in improving their health. Participating communities will continuously share and learn from each other as part of a unique learning collaborative.
Based in Charlotte, N.C., and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has awarded more than $3.5 billion in grants.