2011 Annual Report - Summa Health System

Edgewood Village is a neighborhood
in the city of Akron, Ohio – near
the Helen Arnold Community
Learning Center and the Akron
Urban League – where healthcare
is evolving. A grass-roots initiative
known as A Better Community
(ABC) began when Summa Health
System’s residency program in
family medicine added a critical
component to its curriculum: to
reach, interact and serve patients
not only in hospitals and clinics, but
also in the communities where they
live and work.
s t a r t s a t h o m e .
What is unique about this program is
its approach. Rather than healthcare
professionals determining the
healthcare needs of the community,
the community is determining
its own health priorities. Care,
education and support are provided
by the medical staff and residents
of Summa Health System, along
with partners that include the Akron
Metropolitan Housing Authority,
the University of Akron
College of Nursing and
The Ohio State University
extension program.
The initiative began when
community members and
healthcare providers met to
discuss disparities in health
and healthcare. In order to
create a constructive dialogue about
the social determinates of health,
medical staff from Summa Health
System asked residents of Edgewood
Village to participate in an exercise
called “photo voice.” Community
members were given disposable
cameras and asked to take photos
that showed positive and negative
aspects of their neighborhood.
Positive images included walking
paths and park benches, while
negative images included vacant
lots and “food deserts” – city
blocks containing retail and fast
food restaurants, but no markets or
stores where
individuals
can purchase
fresh produce.
When the
photos were
assembled
into a
montage,
community members met again
to review and discuss “what the
pictures told them” about their
community and health concerns.
They then prioritized their health
issues and chose to focus on weight
management and opportunities for
physical activity.
While the program is in its infancy,
much of the groundwork has been
laid. For example, a representative
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