Doctors and Lawyers: An Innovative Partnership in Kalihi

Northern Maine is home to some of America's poorest - but it ranks high on national measures of health. Hospital programs visit more patients in their homes where they can be more comfortable and receive everything they need, which in turn reduces medical costs.

Hospitals in the United States spend over $340 billion on health services, but with those funds, they could also help the numerous neighborhoods struggling with poverty. The Democracy Collaborative is a research center that helps hospitals link up with local institutions to encourage job growth, buy regionally produced food, and reinvest into their local economy.

Barbers in Niagara are using the casual intimacy of their client relationships to offer needed healthcare. They now recommend clients to clinics and provide educational materials.

A hospital in Nairobi, Kenya is setting up the country's first breast milk bank with help from the government and an NGO to ensure infants get breast milk even if their mothers cannot provide it. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding children for at least the first six months of life and officials estimate the breast milk bank will reduce neonatal deaths by 10 percent. However the effort could still face skepticism by the public over the safety of donated milk.

Syringe exchange programs throughout the United States have been surrounded by controversy, but that doesn't mean they haven't had positive impacts on the community they serve. In northern California, the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction not only provides clean syringes and overdose medications, but also serves as a place for building community, treating mental health concerns and preventing disease.

Young mothers don't always have access to the resources they need to better understand breastfeeding, but programs in Philadelphia, are working to address this. From creating a city-wide awareness campaign to meeting people where they're at, whether that be on social media or in their hospital room, the efforts of community members and city officials are showing results.

Vermont’s South Burlington fire department has started offering its firefighters yoga and meditation services as a way to cope with trauma. The services are offered by the Vermont Center for Responder Wellness, which was created as a response to the traumatic experiences many first responders face. The training includes mindfulness, breathing, stretching, and refocusing.

Community health workers are a key part of Connecticut's public health response to COVID-19, particularly in marginalized communities. CHWs connect people to health care and other services, like rental assistance, help with contact tracing, and effectively increased vaccinations by taking the time to answer questions and dispel misinformation. Living in the communities they serve is a critical part of the model’s success and helps clients trust them more readily. The state now offers a CHW certification program, but the largely grant-funded model would be more sustainable with steady funding.

Milan’s tampone sospeso or “suspended test” initiative provides rapid COVID-19 tests to stop the spread of the virus. The initiative sets up in highly visible public areas of Milan and is based on a model of mutual support where everyone pays what they can. It is run with the help of over 50 volunteers and Medicina Solidale, a group of medical professionals who provide free medical advice to those who can’t afford to access care. The project has raised 24,000 euros from 436 donors, which has enabled them to administer rapid antigenic swabs to more than 3000 people.

El Recovery Institute of Southwest Michigan, Inc., usa un método que se llama apoyo entre pares (emparejando personas con experiencias similares) para ayudar el proceso de recuperación. El Recovery Institute ofrece grupos, clases, reuniones individuales y reuniones sociales, y su también participan en actividades de divulgación en la comunidad. En los últimos años, el Recovery Institute ha atendido a miles de personas.