Document Type

Article

Domestic/International

Domestic

Location

Newton, Massachusetts

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a branch of Mass General Brigham located in Newton, Massachusetts. NWH provides the services and expertise of a major medical facility, with the convenience of being a local, community hospital. The hospital and its staffers are committed to delivering high-quality, safe, and efficient medical care to each and every patient. Herein, NWH’s Office of Population Health focuses on providing programming and resources to consumers that improve their overall healthcare experience, engaging them in their care both in and outside the hospital, and most importantly, that is affordable.

Throughout my internship, my responsibilities largely focused on community interface tasks. I assisted the Community Resource Specialist (CRS) with resource requests, finding a variety of different solutions for patients who may be seeking post-discharge support that included home care agencies, podiatrists, dieticians, singing and exercise groups for seniors, among others. While the hospital’s goal is to provide medical care, it is equally important to form community partnerships, which address social determinants of health that some patients may ultimately face. As part of my summer internship, my responsibilities included scheduling and attending virtual meet & greets with local agencies as part of the Community Interface Team; updating food and housing resource guides to send to patients; and assisting with the planning of a Social Determinants of Health resource fair, where I identified SDOH agencies to invite, gathered required contact information and provided outreach to potential fair participants.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.