UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health received funding from The Duke Endowment to launch Bridge to Health, a pilot program led by Timothy Daaleman, MD, and UNC Family Medicine. The initiative will expand hospital-based transitional clinics and strengthen partnerships to improve care for patients with complex medical and social needs.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine and UNC Health announced funding from The Duke Endowment to plan and implement a Bridge to Health pilot program, which is a care model aimed at improving health for patients with complex care needs.
Bridge to Health engages proactively to help patients with complex care needs that often cannot be met in traditional outpatient settings. These highest-risk patients often have multiple chronic medical conditions, suffer from substance abuse/mental health conditions rooted in trauma, and have unmet social needs related to homelessness and poverty. Bridge to Health will establish and expand hospital-based bridging clinics (i.e., transitional clinics) for the highest-risk patients to stabilize their acute medical, mental health, and social needs, and develop collaborative partnerships with primary care providers and community-based organizations. The model provides people with comprehensive, individualized care to improve patient outcomes and decrease the total cost of care by reducing hospital utilization for avoidable health conditions.
“We are incredibly grateful to The Duke Endowment for this investment in the health of some of our state’s most vulnerable patients,” said Cristy Page, MD, MPH, CEO of UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine. “I am excited that Dr. Timothy Daaleman and the UNC Department of Family Medicine will be leading this initiative at UNC.”
This four-year grant will include financial support from The Duke Endowment and implementation assistance and evaluation support from The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation in collaboration with the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.
UNC is one of six sites across North Carolina receiving similar funding. Others include: Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Health, Cone Health, ECU Health Medical Center, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, and WakeMed Health and Hospitals.
“We are thrilled to launch the Bridge to Health initiative and partner with NCHF, WakeMed, Duke-Margolis, and the participating health systems to learn together, collaborate, and refine a care model for patients with acute health and social needs,” said Jay Kennedy, senior program officer with The Duke Endowment’s Health Care program area. “Our goal is to provide a coordinated approach to individualized care for this patient population to help them meet their unique circumstances and support them in achieving long-term stability.”
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About The Duke Endowment
Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds, and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $5 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.
About North Carolina Healthcare Foundation
Established in 1964, the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation is the charitable non-profit, innovative and programmatic arm of the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA). The Foundation brings together diverse voices and perspectives to support community-based innovation and develop leading-edge programming to drive lasting change. Its goal is to power system-wide solutions, redefine the healthcare delivery system and improve the health and well-being of people in North Carolina and beyond. The Foundation works in concert with the Association to shape policy, inform the public and drive change. Learn more by visiting https://ncha.org/foundation/.
About UNC School of Medicine
The UNC School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a nationally recognized leader in medical education, biomedical research, and patient-centered care. With a mission to improve the health of all North Carolinians and beyond, the School trains future physicians and scientists, advances discovery through innovative research, and delivers high-quality care in partnership with UNC Health. For more information, visit https://med.unc.edu.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is a state entity and an affiliated enterprise of the University of North Carolina system, comprised of 20 hospital campuses and more than 900 clinics along with the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine. It exists to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others we serve and to further the teaching mission of the UNC SOM. UNC Health provided more than $522 million in charity care during the past five years. Our hospitals have received numerous awards and recognition for quality care, patient safety and the overall patient experience. For more information, please visit unchealth.org.
About UNC Family Medicine
The UNC Department of Family Medicine, part of the UNC School of Medicine, provides comprehensive, community-oriented primary care while advancing education and research focused on health equity. The department supports care for patients with complex medical and social needs, leads partnerships addressing substance use, behavioral health, and homelessness, and conducts research on rural and geriatric workforce development and care transitions for formerly incarcerated individuals. UNC Family Medicine also plays a key role at UNC Health Chatham Hospital. Learn more at uncfamilymedicine.org.