Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - non-construction - cabell huntington hospital ("CHH") in huntington, WV requests $267,000 to implement uniteus west virginia - a…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - non-construction - cabell huntington hospital ("CHH") in huntington, WV requests $267,000 to implement uniteus west virginia - a collaborative continuum of physical, psychosocial, and emotional care facilitated by CHH and local community-based organizations. CHH is requesting funding to 1) purchase and implement the uniteus digital platform, 2) provide staff support to faith health appalachia ("FHA"), and 3) provide critical transportation services to vulnerable populations in rural west virginia. Uniteus west virginia will provide services to underserved and under-represented communities, including hrsa-designated rural communities. Like most health care systems serving rural and underserved communities, CHH needs to make every dollar count and therefore has limited resources to invest in large-scale programming. Furthermore, the covid-19 pandemic placed an unprecedented ?nancial strain on already narrow budgets. Uniteus west virginia will provide a critical opportunity to address the social determinants of health that contribute to the poor health outcomes of the region, such as lower educational attainment, food insecurity, lack of transportation, low health literacy, and more. Many of the social determinants of health plaguing the region exacerbate medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney failure, and heart disease. For example, there have been at least 33 RE-admissions to the hospital attributed to missed dialysis appointments in the last three years. Without reliable transportation, individuals with serious health conditions miss crucial treatments, leading to costly and preventable stays at CHH. With a united continuum of care, providers can reliably connect patients with traditional medicinal treatments and transformative community-based resources. This funding request would also sustain and grow the efforts of faith health appalachia ("FHA"), an initiative of CHH, but now operating as an independent nonpro?t, through the support of key staff positio NS. FHA forms connections between community resources, hospitals, faith communities, health care facilitates, and social service programs based on care and education to improve the total wellness of huntington county. The organization exists to integrate spiritual guidance and congregational efforts into the community's existing systems for addressing needs in substance use disorder, homelessness, hunger, loneliness, and more.