Community Hospital South exterior

Community Benefit - South Region

Community Health Network’s commitment to expand access to quality health care brought the organization to the South Region in 1989, when University Heights Hospital became Community Hospital South. Very quickly, Community started bringing much-needed services to the area, beginning with a hospital expansion that added maternity services just a few years later.

2021 Community Health Needs Assessment - South Region

View all Community Benefit reports.

UIndy Partnership

The University of Indianapolis campus in the South Region showcases a far-reaching higher-education partnership, centered on a clinical pavilion where students and faculty can work alongside Community professionals who provide health and wellness services on-campus. The partnership results in hands-on learning opportunities, internships, even research connections such as the Community Health Network Research Symposium held on campus in 2016.

Nursing Academy

The Nursing Academy is a unique academic partnership between Community Health Network and the University of Indianapolis that offers an accelerated path for students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

UIndy campus

Community Gardens

Carson Heights, University Heights and Bethany community gardens, located on or near the University of Indianapolis campus, supply fresh produce to local residents. The projects are part of an ongoing partnership with the University of Indianapolis and Community Health Network to provide health and wellness opportunities to the Indianapolis southside.

More about Community Gardens

Little Food Pantry

The SoIndy Health & Wellness Action Team is helping Southside neighbors connect with the resources they need right in their neighborhood. Little Food Pantry is a community building strategy to increase access to food and hygiene items for SoIndy community members. The idea is similar to the Little Library concept, "Bring what you can, take what you need". Each pantry will have non-perishable food, self-care products and toiletry items. In 2018, SoIndy residents renovated a NUVO newspaper box that a group of young artists painted. The box is installed in the University of Indianapolis' University Heights community garden.

See the Little Food Pantry

Educational Partnerships

Education plays a strong role in enhancing well-being, which is why we build vital connections to schools in all of our regions. In the South Region, we partner with Decatur Township, Franklin Township, Perry Township, Beech Grove and Greenwood schools in multiple ways:

  • Providing school nurses to meet the needs of students.
  • Operating an employer clinic that makes it easier for teachers, staff and their families to get well and stay healthy.
  • Putting healthier athletes on the field through a variety of sports medicine services.

School nurse encourages kids to be superheroes

In this video, Brea Middleton-Keen, RN - a school nurse in Decatur Township - uses Wonder Woman to teach kids that they can be and do anything!

Quality of Life

Community Hospital South is a key supporter of the South Indy Quality of Life Plan (QoL). In the Spring of 2015, Local Initiative Support Corporation of Indianapolis (LISC), University of Indianapolis (UIndy) and Fifth Third Bank announced the ninth QoL planning area in South Indy. This includes the following neighborhoods: Bean Creek, Garfield Park, University Heights, Carson Heights, Meridian Raymond, South Village, Northwest Perry, and Rosedale Hills. The South Indy QoL effort is just the beginning. In 2017, residents and community partners will move from planning to implementation. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/southindyqol/.

Healthier Johnson County

The Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County health partners include hospitals, the health department and hundreds of individuals from businesses, schools, social service agencies and civic and faith-based organizations. Its mission is to plan and implement collaborative, measurable strategies to improve the health of the residents of Johnson County - from improving quality of life for asthma sufferers and helping smokers kick the habit to coordinating health services for kids and moms.

This strategy, developed 12 years ago, continues to be our “Best Practice” and sets the stage for who we participate with and how we measure the success of our participation. Each service area (or in many cases, combined service areas) have unique neighborhood and community initiatives that we support. Learn more at https://healthierjc.org.