Housing
Health extends far beyond the walls of our hospitals and practices. Housing insecurity, including homelessness and the constant threat of eviction, creates significant barriers to achieving and maintaining good health, and we believe addressing this issue is crucial to our mission of caring for our communities. At Wellstar, we are committed to working with our community partners to advocate for policies and programs that address the root causes of housing insecurity and provide pathways to stable, affordable housing for all. Housing Learning Community In the 2022 CHNA Implementation Plan, Wellstar committed to engaging in collaborative professional learning to strengthen the working knowledge of the housing crisis in Georgia. Wellstar assembled a working committee to assess the needs of unhoused patients. The committee implemented an electronic medical record flag to identify patients who frequently use the emergency room, regardless of their ability to pay. Wellstar then assigned two social workers to provide on-site care in the busiest emergency room (at Kennestone Regional Medical Center) to assist these patients. Our work extended beyond Wellstar’s walls, as we participated in the Cobb County 2024 Point in Time Count of unhoused residents of our communities. Our community participation also included representation on the Cobb County Continuum of Care, and its accompanying Stella Modeling Program for Housing Resources. As a working member of Project HEAL (Homeless Empowerment through Accessible Living), a regional consortium of governmental, healthcare, housing, and private organization partners, Wellstar accesses a shared housing coordinator committed to helping our health system staff understand local housing resource referral pathways to refer unhoused patients into housing. Wellstar remains committed to addressing the non-medical social needs of our patients and communities. We know that by addressing needs such as food access, transportation, and housing, we can positively influence the health and wellbeing of every person we serve. Community Development In the 2022 CHNA Implementation Plan, Wellstar committed to increasing corporate social responsibility investments and to providing positive social value through strategic partnerships and sponsorships in housing. Figure 19 | Community Development Investments – Housing Total investments
$100K
$ 96,500 in total investments for FY2022 through FY2024 across 11 community partner organizations to support housing.
$80K
$85,500
$60K
$40K
$20K
$11,000
$0
FY23
FY24
36 | WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM
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