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NCC is one of the original 12 partners in the organization, which is focused on improving the health of Stamford's West Side neighborhood, surrounding Stamford Hospital.
This neighborhood was identified as a priority by a 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted by Stamford Hospital and the Stamford Department of Health and Social Services, because the population was identified as having a disproportionate share of chronic diseases.
The Vita Health and Wellness vision includes the Vita Health Sciences Institute, where nurses and allied health professionals can not only attend classes but also get hands-on experience at Stamford Hospital.
The Vita Health and Wellness District is contending for a Robert Woods Johnson Foundation grant to expand the health enhancement work being done in Stamford’s under-served communities.
Fifty communities, including Stamford, are competing for this prize. Six winners will receive a $25,000 prize each. The Vita Health and Wellness District also has received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Housing and Urban Development Identifying Health Needs in the Community. The 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment identified four key community health priorities that needed to be addressed: health and wellness; chronic disease; behavioral and mental health; and access to services.
These issues are being addressed with a three-pronged action plan: improve lifestyle and social/environmental factors that contribute to chronic disease and lead to preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary ER visits; improve access to primary, specialty and preventive services for all community residents to reduce documented racial and ethnic health disparities; and improve the coordination of care among the hospital, outpatient providers, home care and patients to facilitate a more seamless connection between the hospital system and the community.
For additional information, contact Kathleen Fries, director of the Division of Nursing and Allied Health at kfries@norwalk.edu or call (203) 857-7105.
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