Broward County healthcare systems unite to combat medical care disparities
Broward County, Florida – Under a major effort to enhance community health in Broward County, Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System have teamed together in a multi-million-dollar project known as “Better Together.” With an eye toward primary and maternity care, the cooperation seeks to improve access to basic healthcare services by addressing local food insecurity. Presenting the project at a recent event, Shane Strum, President & CEO of Broward Health and Interim CEO of Memorial Healthcare System, emphasized the transforming possibilities of this alliance.
“Through ingenuity, strategic partnership and determination, Better Together will revolutionize primary and maternity care for our community,” said Shane Strum. “Today, the traditional healthcare delivery model changes.”
Three important health concerns noted in the county—poor maternal-fetal outcomes, a high incidence of hypertension, and major food insecurity—are in the focus of the “Better Together” campaign. In particular, a shockingly 35% of all Black newborn deaths in Broward County have happened in particular areas targeted by this program. Furthermore, the seriousness of these problems is evident because almost 200,000 people struggle to find wholesome food and many adults miss the yearly health checks.
Melida Akiti, Chief Transformation Officer at Broward Health, emphasized the commitment to changing these troubling statistics.
“Better Together is determined to ensure that adults in our community no longer have to accept these negative health outcomes,” said Melida Akiti. “This initiative will provide women with access to maternal care close to home, fostering safer pregnancies and deliveries, while also expanding primary care options for adults.”
The effort includes the building of extra healthcare facilities in places known as “medical deserts,” lacking sufficient medical services. Better Together will also set up mobile health units around Broward County to offer underprivileged communities continuous care and on-demand exams. These teams are supposed to stop at churches, community centers, and other important sites inside the designated zip codes.
The initiative’s emphasis on hypertension—a key health risk connected with maternal-fetal health problems and heart disease—is one important feature. Program participants who are pregnant will get a blood pressure cuff and navigator assistance to help them across their pregnancy and the first year following birth.
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Another component of the Better Together project, addressing food insecurity, proposes a cooperation with Feeding South Florida. This project will set food distribution sites in strategic locations depending on data to efficiently serve people most at danger.
Apart from these direct initiatives, Better Together will systematically gather data to track the effect of its programs. Metrics will include r eductions in emergency room visits, improvements in prenatal care, postpartum follow-ups, and better treatment of chronic diseases including diabetes and hypertension.
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Strong community and organizational partnerships support an all-encompassing approach to healthcare, which offers a hopeful road toward much improved health results for Broward County. As Strum and Akiti underline, the strength of this project is its cooperative attitude, which really reflects its name: Better Together. Resources and contact information are accessible on the official websites of both Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System for individuals looking for more information or wishing to participate in the program.
For more information about Better Together, visit BrowardHealth.org/BetterTogether or MHS.net/BetterTogether.
