Community Benefit

Community Benefit

A mission centered on helping others is the foundation of everything we do at Community Health Network – and extends from the care we provide to the communities we serve through a broad spectrum of community benefit initiatives. We work closely with schools, community centers, places of worship, senior centers, local government and others with first-hand knowledge of community needs, providing support in ways that expand their capabilities and maximize our collective impact.

We welcome your requests, comments or questions. To get in touch, please email CommunityBenefit@ecommunity.com.

What Is Community Benefit?

Community benefit programs or activities provide treatment and/or promote health and healing as a response to identified community need. They increase access to healthcare and improve community health.

A community benefit program must respond to an identified community need and meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Improve access to healthcare services
  • Enhance public health
  • Advance medical or health knowledge
  • Relieve or reduce the burden of government or community efforts

Examples of community benefit programs or activities* include:

  • Community health improvement services (diabetes health education or health screenings)
  • Research (a study in which the results are published in professional journals)
  • Health professional education if graduates are free to seek employment at any organization
  • Charity care/unpaid cost of Medicaid
  • Community building (housing/economic development)
  • Financial contributions (cost of staff working in a free clinic while on hospital payroll)

*A program or activity should not be reported as "community benefit" if it is provided primarily for marketing purposes.

The Community Benefit Standard

Community Health Network strives to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves. To fulfill this mission and meet federal requirements, we provide services that are beneficial to our communities to meet the “community benefit standard”. To see how we invest in our communities, please view our Community Benefit Reports below.

Community Benefit Reporting

Community Health Network conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) once every three years. The CHNA assesses the health issues within a community and the community’s access to services related to those issues. This allows a hospital organization to plan and implement a strategy to address the health needs of the community it serves.

Explore current reports below. Click the blue button for all reports.

All Community Benefit Reports

Current Reports

Report
Annual Report

How we have served our communities

Read Report (PDF)
Heart medical
Health Needs Assessment

Understanding what our communities need

Read Reports
Cogs
Implementation Strategy

Making our communities healthier places

Read Reports

Community Initiatives

Community Health Needs Assessment data was analyzed and prioritized using these key factors: feasibility for our hospitals to impact change, health system expertise in the field of the assessed need, and the hospitals' ability to be the most effective with the resources available. The five significant health needs identified in all our communities are:

  • Mental health
  • Substance use disorder
  • Social determinants of health
  • Obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease
  • Maternal and infant health

Highlighted Programs

Below, explore programs and services that serve Community Health Network's communities, neighbors, schools and more.

Community Collaboration for Health Equity Grant

The purpose of this grant is to improve health equity and address community needs outlined in the Community Health Network Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Community is excited to partner alongside local, community-based organizations to improve health outcomes and health equity for our neighbors in Central Indiana. We're proud to extend this funding opportunity and look forward to partnering with you!

Learn More

Community Connections

Community Connections is a free search tool to connect patients with social services in the community. The services are offered by verified social care organizations and non-profits offering support with resources such as food, transportation, housing, childcare and more.

Get Connected!

Community Cupboard of Lawrence

To combat food insecurity, Community operates the Community Cupboard of Lawrence, a food pantry that serves Lawrence Township residents in need of assistance.

Learn More

Mabel's Ride

Mabel’s Ride helps eliminate transportation-related barriers to care for patients in east side communities. The service picks up patients right at their door, and takes them directly to their healthcare provider or pharmacy of choice.

Learn More

The goal of the Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) is to provide individualized legal services to patients in a manner that has a significant, positive impact on health-harming issues such as access to clean and safe housing, access to food, and income maintenance. 

More About MLP

Nurse-Family Partnership

Nurse-Family Partnership partners vulnerable mothers, expecting their first child, with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits aimed at supporting mothers and families. Specially trained nurses make regular visits that start early in pregnancy, and continue through the child’s second birthday. These visits help provide the very best start during the earliest, most developmentally critical years. NFP is an international community health program, widely researched and recognized for increasing health care access and improving health outcomes.

Nurse-Family Partnership is implemented in 30 Indiana counties by Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana; five counties by IU Health Community Health in Bloomington Indiana; and one county by Healthier Moms and Babies in Fort Wayne Indiana.

In 2022, the program served 99 pregnant moms, and 95% of participating moms participating in the program-initiated breastfeeding at birth.

Local NFP Services

Serve360º

Building upon a legacy of volunteerism, Community Health Network has an unprecedented volunteerism initiative to demonstrate its deep commitment to the local communities it serves. Serve360º offers Community caregivers a way to live the network’s mission (to enhance health and well-being) and cultivate the spirit of volunteer service. Watch the video below to see our employees in action.

More About Serve360º

Regional Initiatives

As our mission states, we're dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our communities and neighbors. Our ongoing efforts to make healthcare easier for everyone to access in all the regions we serve, even when they have trouble affording it, exemplifies our commitment to create Exceptional care. Simply delivered.

East Region - Rolling Harvest Food Truck
East
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Cupboard food pantry
North
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Community garden in south region
South
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Coats of Caring
Anderson
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Howard Joint Center patient
Howard
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Speedway pavilion
West
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