Improving Community Health
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has a long-standing history of serving urban, suburban and rural populations, representing a unique set of health care expectations, needs and challenges by collaborating with a broad network of community organizations. LG Health coordinates all community health improvement work with the end goal in mind, helping it develop a collection of strong programs and initiatives that successfully impact the overall well-being of its community.
In 2019, LG Health continued to work together with community partners to keep Lancaster County healthy. We are proud of these efforts to improve our community:
Making healthy food accessible for all. Within our own health system and in the community, we are creating an environment that supports healthy eating. LG Health, with partners in Columbia, provides fresh produce, milk, eggs and healthy dry goods to several hundred low-income individuals and their families each month through the Fresh Express mobile pantry program.
LG Health also partnered with the American Heart Association to install filtered water drinking stations at Lampeter-Strasburg High School to make it easier for students to drink more water instead of sugary beverages like soda and sports drinks.
Encouraging active living. LG Health has been a Partner for Place with the Lancaster County Planning Commission since 2015 to design a community that supports health. This year, LG Health employees provide input to the Lancaster County Active Transportation Plan, which will add bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the community so that everyone can walk and bike safely.
Promoting mental health. Since 2014, LG Health has worked with partners in the Let's Talk Lancaster coalition to reduce stigma around mental illness, increase access to mental health services and ensure better integration of medical and behavioral healthcare.
Reducing harm from substance use. In April 2019, LG Health won the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania’s Community Champions Award for coordinating Lancaster County Joining Forces, a strategic partnership that reduced overdose deaths in Lancaster County by 38% between 2017 and 2018. This year, LG Health distributed over 1300 lifesaving naloxone kits through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and received a new $350,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency to implement evidence-based programs for children and families who have been affected by the opioid crisis.
Quality health care for all. LG Health helps individuals and families achieve an optimal level of health by ensuring they receive care that meets their needs. The health system continues to provide care for women before, during, and after pregnancy through Healthy Beginnings Plus and Nurse-Family Partnership, and operate school-based health clinics to keep children healthy and ready to learn.
In 2019, LG Health trained over 1,700 community members about the impact of adverse childhood experiences in Trauma 101 classes. In September, LG Health held a two-day conference in collaboration with local and national partners for nearly 250 attendees to increase their knowledge about how to build resilience and help people heal from trauma.
In 2019, as measles cases increased throughout the country, we increased outreach to communities at risk and provided free vaccinations to 636 children through the ChildProtect program.
Finally, LG Health was proud to be recognized as a leader in LGBTQ healthcare equality by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation in 2019.