Purdue University, NCHS partner to boost health equity across several Indiana counties

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University’s Health Equity Initiatives (HEI) and North Central Health Services (NCHS) are teaming up to take on health disparities and improve health for people living in eight north-central Indiana counties.

NCHS is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the health and wellness of communities in Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties in Indiana. It is providing $4 million in funding for the collaborative four-year project aimed at improving the services and capacities of the health departments in each of the counties.

Purdue’s HEI addresses health disparities and promotes equitable health outcomes through education, research, collaboration and community engagement. HEI is leveraging the university’s diverse strengths and resources to establish Purdue as a leader in health equity, using innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to improving health.

In each county’s health department, the Purdue-NCHS project will:

• Identify opportunities to increase capacity by assessing strengths and analyzing gaps.
• Provide program evaluations and training in health equity and trauma-informed prevention practices.
• Offer technical support and help implementing programs.
• Help develop and analyze data tools.

“We are thrilled to have this partnership and support from NCHS to help improve health in these Indiana communities,” said Dr. Jerome Adams, executive director of HEI and Purdue Presidential Fellow. “Through this collaboration, we will work closely with community health departments and their partners to put programs in place, informed by and tailored to each county’s unique needs. This program lays a clear path toward improved health outcomes and healthier communities.”

“In our commitment to addressing community health needs, we’ve identified social drivers of health as a key focus area,” said Stephanie Long, NCHS CEO and president. “By leveraging Purdue’s expertise and resources, this partnership aims to make significant strides in improving overall health and wellness in these communities.”

The NCHS collaboration builds on Purdue’s success in previous initiatives, such as the Indiana Healthy Opportunities for People Everywhere (I-HOPE) project, which has addressed health disparities and improved access to health care through training, technical assistance and support in diverse social areas, including cultural understanding and adverse childhood experiences, equity and inclusion.

About NCHS

NCHS is committed to providing health care and promoting healthy communities for the benefit of the citizens of Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties. Since 1999, NCHS has awarded over $94 million in grant funding to more than 225 organizations. Beyond its Community Benefit Capital Grants program, NCHS initiates strategic partnerships with Purdue University, coalitions, funders, nonprofits and other entities to directly address the most critical community health needs identified by the NCHS and River Bend Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment. These NCHS-initiated community benefit partnerships fund the launch, expansion or strengthening of programs and services that improve health outcomes and develop healthy communities.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Writer/Media contact: Amy Raley, araley@purdue.edu

Source: Jerome Adams, adams616@purdue.edu