St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center said it has been selected by its new parent company for a program that will target health disparities in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
The so-called Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) will see St. Francis, city officials and nonprofit Community Solutions partner to develop programs to reduce obesity rates, promote tobacco cessation and address social determinants that affect health outcomes in Hartford’s North End.
St. Francis is the sixth participant selected by Trinity Health for such a program and the second within the Trinity Health New England system. Mercy Medical Center in Springfield was selected in May.
Trinity Health said it will invest approximately $80 million in grants, loans, community match dollars and services in its TCI communities over the next five years.
According to a Community Health Needs Assessment Report, the rate of obesity in Hartford is 33 percent, comparable to that of the state of Alabama. In contrast, the state of Connecticut is ranked 43rd for overall obesity rates. In Connecticut, more than 8 percent of adults are diagnosed with diabetes, while in Hartford the rate is 12 percent of adults. And, 16 percent of youth and adults in Connecticut are smokers.
“This creative, community-oriented partnership, backed with a generous commitment of resources, has the potential to make a real difference in improving health and quality of life for our residents,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said in a statement.
