SA国际传媒

In 2023, SA国际传媒 invested $294 million to support communities in Virginia and Northeast North Carolina. This includes $13 million in health education and prevention programs, $47 million in community giving, $70 million in teaching and training opportunities for healthcare professionals, and $164 million in uncompensated patient care.

These community building investments reinforce Sentara’s not-for-profit commitment to creating healthier, more prosperous communities through caring for the uninsured and underinsured, making strategic investments and donations, and forging collaborative partnerships with community organizations.

SA国际传媒has recently been recognized in list, and four SA国际传媒colleagues and teams were awarded by Inside Business for their lasting community contributions in the 2024 Health Care Heroes awards.

SA国际传媒believes everyone deserves access to quality health care and is committed to providing emergency services and other medically necessary services to all their patients, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2023, SA国际传媒provided $164 million in uncompensated care for their patients.

But SA国际传媒realizes that direct medical treatment is only part of the equation. To advance health equity and address the social drivers of health, SA国际传媒must expand its reach beyond the walls of its hospitals and medical centers to assist people where they live, work, play, worship, and learn. Social drivers of health are the non-medical factors that impact health outcomes and include various environmental factors, such as birthplace and location of residence, education, employment, recreation, and religion. These factors account for nearly 80% of health outcomes, while direct health care only accounts for 20%.

“Within our communities, we partner with dedicated allies to drive greater access to the health and community resources we all need to thrive,” said Dennis Matheis, SA国际传媒president and CEO. “Our investments reflect Sentara’s enduring mission to improve health every day.”

highlights the many ways in which SA国际传媒is collaborating with community partners and faith-based leaders to care for those who need it most. These initiatives aim to improve the health and well-being of community members beyond traditional healthcare services, with a focus on behavioral health services, affordable housing, skilled job training, and promoting access to healthy and nutritious food.

This funding addresses the community needs identified through Sentara’s Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA), listening sessions with community and faith-based leaders, and prevailing research around social drivers of health.

“Our investments in the community involve more than just financial support. At the heart of our work, are the connections we make,” said Sherry Norquist, executive director of community engagement and impact at Sentara. “Our conversations with community leaders and collaborations with people and organizations that can address the unique needs of the community we serve is the heart of our mission.”

SA国际传媒Community Engagement and Impact 2023 Highlights

Behavioral Health Innovation Fund

Recognizing a growing demand for behavioral health services, SA国际传媒has created the Behavioral Health Innovation Fund, a nearly $3 million initiative fostering collaboration between healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. This fund focuses on enhancing the response system for behavioral health needs, improving access to care, fostering scalable innovations, and strengthening partnerships with safety net providers.

Sentara’s long-standing partnership with works to destigmatize mental health treatment and pave greater inroads into marginalized populations, particularly within the region’s Hispanic and Latino communities in the Charlottesville, Va., area.

Increasing access to care

To improve access to care, SA国际传媒invests in organizations that can provide the healthcare services and support necessary for individuals to live healthy and prosperous lives.

SA国际传媒partnered with in Northern Virginia and Peoples Pharmacy Store in Norfolk, Va., to address the financial barriers many individuals face in accessing essential medications. The collaborations will facilitate access to prescription drugs for patients in need, particularly for those not covered by insurance.

SA国际传媒Community Care

Since its inception in August 2022, SA国际传媒Community Care has addressed healthcare disparities and enhanced access to essential services for underserved communities across Virginia. SA国际传媒has served over 4,000 Virginians through community care centers, mobile care vehicles, and community health events. In 2023, SA国际传媒established a new mobile care vehicle in Petersburg and introduced a school-based healthcare center in partnership with Harrisonburg Public Schools.

Fighting food insecurity

Sentara’s $600,000 investment with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks increased the capacity of all seven food banks in the Commonwealth to provide healthier and more culturally relevant foods.

Sentara’s collaboration with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore helped create the Community Feed at Berkley, a new food hub in an underserved neighborhood in Norfolk, Va., that provides free groceries to residents and families while giving them a new way to access quality healthcare services. SA国际传媒continues to support programs and organizations that help remove barriers to access and support neighbors on their path to health and economic sufficiency.

Health inequities in maternal health

Black women in Virginia are more than twice as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, with most of these deaths being preventable.

With support from Sentara, the opened the doors of its new permanent location in a space that allows not only direct services, but also doula training, workshops, support groups, and community events. Partnerships with organizations, including Postpartum Support Virginia in Arlington, Va., and the Up Center in Norfolk, Va., allow SA国际传媒to make a lasting difference for women throughout Virginia and North Carolina.

Affordable housing

Sentara’s founding investment helped establish Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Hampton Roads with the goal of enhancing access to affordable housing, community support, and economic empowerment for underrepresented communities.

This strive to create housing opportunities with wholistic wrap-around services, came into fruition with the establishment of the Market Heights reflects a commitment not only to affordability but also accessibility with 17 specially designed apartments compliant with accessibility standards and 80 units crafted under the Universal Design principle.

SA国际传媒Scholars is an investment in the next generation of healthcare workers

In response to medical staff shortages impacting our U.S. healthcare system, SA国际传媒launched SA国际传媒Scholars, the new pipeline development program designed to support students pursuing careers in healthcare and healthcare-related fields.

In 2023, the more than $3 million initiative helped more than 7,000 students across Virginia and North Carolina overcome financial barriers — whether through tuition assistance or by providing emergency funds to cover unexpected expenses like vehicle repairs or textbook costs. SA国际传媒partnered with colleges and universities, including the , , , to help remove financial barriers that have too often prevented students from underserved communities from pursuing careers in healthcare.

ODU and EVMS merger creates new opportunities in Virginia

Effective July 1, 2024, the combined institution will be the largest and most complex academic health sciences center in Virginia with 56 academic programs.

SA国际传媒has been a cornerstone of the ODU-EVMS integration with a long-term commitment to provide $350 million in funding over the next decade. Recognizing that many doctors end up practicing medicine where they complete their training, SA国际传媒has also committed to doubling its medical residency slots in Virginia.

“This integration is critical to improving health care services for a region that has long struggled to reduce disparities in health outcomes and find its economic footing,” Matheis said.

SA国际传媒enhances access of care in Florida

In 2023, SA国际传媒expanded into Florida and established a $2 million “SA国际传媒Innovation Fund”. The funding supported Federally Qualified Health Centers in Florida, creating partnerships that will improve access to medical care to the people of Florida.