A new $100,000 grant from the Cigna Foundation to the Methodist
Healthcare Foundation in Memphis will address health disparities in the
community of Riverview – a neighborhood just south of downtown Memphis.
Ninety-eight percent of Riverview’s primarily African-American residents
live below the national poverty line. Poverty is recognized as a root
cause of illness and disease, signaling the need to address health
problems at the grassroots level.
“Cigna has a long history in Memphis and a strong presence as a partner
with Methodist,” said Mary Tate-Smith, vice president for Cigna
in Memphis. “Over the years, we’ve been impressed by Methodist’s
grassroots initiatives to improve the health of Memphis residents.”
The grant will make it possible for Methodist to map community assets to
improve health in Riverview. “Our aim is to work collaboratively to
develop a community-driven, patient-centered medical home model to
provide wellness programs, mentoring, education, advocacy and training,”
said Paula Jacobson, president of the Methodist Healthcare Foundation.
“A key focus will be helping patients navigate the health care system to
access preventive care and self-management of chronic disease,” she
said. “Many members of the community currently access care in emergency
rooms. This project seeks to reduce the number of emergency room visits
while facilitating treatment at more appropriate points of care and
lowering health care costs in the community overall.”
Through the grant, Methodist will build on its Congregational Health
Network (CHN), a relationship among Methodist and more than 500 congregations throughout
Memphis and North Mississippi. CHN is a network connecting the
professional care system – including the hospital – with the natural
caring system of family, neighbors and congregations. In the CHN,
full-time navigators at each adult hospital and more than 550 unpaid
volunteers in participating congregations build “human bridges” as they
help people navigate the journey from home to medical care and back.
Eight CHN churches in the Riverview community are already poised to
participate in this initiative.
“What is unique about this approach is that the congregation becomes a
part of the quality care team,” said Teresa Cutts, Ph.D., director of
research at the Methodist Center of Excellence in Faith and Health, who
serves as Principle Investigator for the grant. “We’re blending the
complementary strengths of congregation and hospital in a tightly woven
network of care.”
The Rev. James E. Kendricks, pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church and key
leader of Health Watch Urban Ministries, said, “There is great need
among my congregation and community members. Together, we can take an
active stance to improve conditions here.”
Through this innovative work, Methodist is employing asset mapping
strategies that it started in 2007, when Methodist first replicated this
model of health care community engagement that has its roots in Africa.
Using the Geographic Information System, the mapping process in
Riverview locates tangible health assets, such as clinics, and
intangible assets, such as goodwill efforts, which are considered useful
in combating targeted health issues. These resources are then catalogued
for health care professionals and congregations to coordinate all
aspects of patient care. Once mapping is complete, existing resources
will be strengthened and aligned with new resources.
Cigna and the Cigna Foundation have provided $300,000 in grants to the
Methodist Healthcare Foundation since 2005. Past projects have focused
on measuring the impact of interventions on heart failure, improving
patient/doctor communication to enhance diabetes treatment, funding
health assets mapping, developing the CHN and supporting a hospice
residence, all with strong results.
Reducing health disparities is a major focus of Cigna Connects, Cigna's
corporate responsibility platform, through which Cigna is bringing
together experts and stakeholders to create lasting improvements in
health. (http://www.cigna.com/aboutcigna/corporate-responsibility/index.html)
“We’re grateful to Cigna for helping us make this important healthcare
initiative possible,” Cutts said. “We’re confident it will make a
difference in the lives of Riverview residents.”
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions
from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna
Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing
the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their
communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna
employees live and work.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively through
operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut
General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company,
Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company
of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of
health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy
and vision care benefits, and other related products including group
disability, life, and accident coverage. Cigna has sales capability in
30 countries and jurisdictions, with approximately 70 million customer
relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®,
including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
About the Methodist Healthcare Foundation
The Methodist Healthcare Foundation is the philanthropic arm of
Methodist Healthcare and serves as an instrument to assist, advance and
strengthen Methodist Healthcare in the ministry of healing; in its
community healthcare services; in its provision of educational
excellence for students in various health fields; and its related health
and humanitarian endeavors. Gifts to the Foundation contribute to
conducting research and education that saves lives; to providing care
for those who can’t afford it; to building important community assets
like our new hospice residence for patients at the end of life; and to
creating unique initiatives like Methodist’s first non-clinical center
of excellence ever, The Center of Excellence in Faith and Health. For
more information, visit http://www.methodisthealth.org/ways-to-help/index.dot
About Methodist Healthcare
Methodist Healthcare is an integrated healthcare delivery system in
Memphis, Tenn. Founded in 1918 by The United Methodist Church to help
meet the growing needs for quality healthcare in the Mid-South,
Methodist Healthcare is a seven hospital system with 6 adult hospitals
and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. An eighth hospital, Methodist Olive
Branch, will open in North Mississippi in 3rd quarter 2013.
The system also owns or operates outpatient clinics, surgery and
diagnostic centers, a residential hospice and several physician
practices in Memphis, Shelby County and the surrounding area.
Methodist’s Memphis Hospitals, licensed as one, has been named the Best
Hospital in Memphis by U.S. News and World Report. With 1,709 licensed
beds and nearly 63,000 discharges, Methodist is the third largest
private, not-for-profit hospital in the country, based on admissions. To
learn more about Methodist Healthcare, including links to follow us on
Facebook or Twitter, go to www.methodisthealth.org
