Because good health contributes to a strong economy and lower health care costs, health is an issue that impacts us all.
Connecticut and Greater New Haven are relatively healthy regions by national standards. Good health, however, is not evenly distributed.
In low-income neighborhoods, adults are much more likely to be hospitalized for severe conditions such as heart disease and diabetes at an early age. For New Haven adults ages 20-44, the rate of hospital encounters for diabetes was 282 per 10,000 adults. This compares to 45 per 10,000 in Connecticut's nine wealthiest towns.
See these and other indicators in The Community Progress Report: Measuring the Wellbeing of Greater New Haven.
What the Community Foundation is Doing
The Community Foundation supports organizations and initiatives that promote wellbeing and access to health care and supportive services for individuals and communities. Health is a significant area of interest for donors at The Community Foundation; nearly half of all preference funds focus on health.
Recent Highlights:
- Since 1989, The Community Foundation has run New Haven Healthy Start, which coordinates the systems of care for women, children and families in New Haven to ensure healthy birth outcomes and community wellbeing. In 2014, Healthy Start received a 5-year $5.4 million federal grant to continue its programs.
- 2016 grant recipients include: BHCare, Bridges, Clifford Beers Guidance Clinic, Fellowship Place, Lyme Connection, Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut and the Women and Family Life Center.