Family Health completes health equity project with Johnson & Johnson
October 10, 2022
Family Health completes health equity project with Johnson & Johnson
MOBILE, Ala. — Family Health, the primary care division of the Mobile County Health Department, was selected earlier this year to participate in the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Pro Bono for Health Equity Program. Only four Community Health Centers in the United States were chosen for this honor.
In 2020, J&J shared the aspiration to help eradicate racial and social injustice by eliminating health inequities for people of color with a $100 million commitment to invest in and promote health equity. Pro Bono for Health Equity, which supports the J&J Our Race to Health Equity commitment, is a virtual program designed to build capacity and enhance the services of U.S.-based Community Health Centers (CHC) supporting under-resourced communities of color.
J&J personnel provided pro bono support to help CHC’s tackle projects dedicated to transforming the patient’s experience and improving health outcomes. J&J is working in partnership with the Taproot Foundation, a leader in pro bono service, to bring this program to life.
Family Health and MCHD’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program partnered with a team of J&J professionals for a 12-week period. Over the course of the assignment, they worked closely with their J&J teams to develop a deliverable and implementation plan that addresses a submitted challenge.
“Family Health and WIC spent much of the summer working with Johnson and Johnson’s Healthy
Equity team,” said Claris Perkins, WIC’s District Nutrition Director. “The goal is to improve the health of our youth in Mobile County.
“The result of this partnership was many learned lessons in communication, strategy, and partnership. Together, we created a Wellness Checklist. This checklist will be provided to families and children to help connect them with age-appropriate health services within the agency and community.”
Even though the project is finished, Health Officer Dr. Kevin Michaels said the lessons learned will be used across Family Health and MCHD to improve the community. “Our Health Equity Office remains busy as well supporting the community,” he said.
Since its inception in 1979, Family Health has provided services to the uninsured, underinsured, insured, and medically underserved populations of Mobile County. In addition to the general population, the center has also targeted special populations (such as migrant and seasonal workers, refugees, public housing residents, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Call 251-690-8889 for an appointment today.