One of the primary goals for Dartmouth Health is to create a healthy community by delivering outstanding health care services to New England residents. Our Partners for Community Wellness (PCW) program supports that mission by developing and implementing programs that engage community members as advisors, advocates and philanthropists to improve community health and well-being.
By generating discussion about health issues and listening to the opinions and concerns of residents, our community ambassadors can advise Dartmouth Health staff and help them understand the perspective of people in the communities we serve. Our donors support our philanthropic efforts by providing funding and volunteer time for important programs that are administered through community agencies, allowing us to effectively and efficiently provide support to some of our region’s most vulnerable residents. And, our advocate network—our newest community engagement initiative—participates in campaigns to promote policies and laws that support improved community health and wellness.
Our PCW programs allow residents of the communities we serve to take small-scale actions that, together, can have a significant impact on health and wellness. But perhaps most importantly, our programs give community members a voice — and the opportunity to positively influence public health for the benefit of their loved ones, friends and neighbors.
Gregory Crowley, PhD
Director of Community Partnerships
About Partners for Community Wellness
- Partners for Community Wellness (PCW) is a group made up of community members who engage with Dartmouth Health as advisors, advocates and philanthropists to improve community health and wellness across the Dartmouth Health service area.
- Advisory. PCW’s advisory efforts center around community ambassadors, who serve as liaisons between community members and Dartmouth Health staff. Our community ambassadors raise awareness and generate discussion about health issues with people in the community and keep staff informed about how the community is thinking about and responding to health issues. Community ambassadors also learn about health initiatives and promote health and wellness in their communities.
- Philanthropy. PCW members donate time and money to improve the conditions that contribute to health in communities such as education, transportation, food security, and financial stability.
- Advocacy. PCW’s health advocacy network provides individuals with opportunities to learn about laws and policies that affect community health and promote policies that support improved community health and wellness.
I would do this community ambassador program forever if I could. It’s wonderful and just what the community, and hopefully Dartmouth Health, needs …
PCW community ambassador
Partners for Community Wellness program goals
- Improve community health and wellness across the Dartmouth Health service area through advisory, advocacy and philanthropy programs.
- Engage members of the community in conversations about public health issues.
- Develop programs to complement and support our internal Community Health Improvement efforts.
- Advocate for laws and policies that support improved community health and wellness.
By the numbers
25 - Number of PCW community ambassadors who engaged people in conversations about community health issues documented in Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics' community health needs assessment (CHNA)
150 - Number of community members who participated in community ambassador-led conversations about community health issues
75 - Number of people who have donated to help vulnerable populations to access education, transportation, and other conditions that contribute to community health since 2016
$93,811 - Total amount donated to support the conditions that contribute to community health and wellness since 2016
55 - Number of vulnerable community members who have received small monetary grants to help them become more financially stable since 2016
15 - Number of PCW members who participated in a campaign to urge New Hampshire state senators to consider proposals that address New Hampshire’s healthcare workforce shortage.
Your community ambassador program has been extremely meaningful to all participants, including me ...
PCW community ambassador
Finding the “Tipping Point”
We understand that financial stability is a major contributor to good health. That’s why PCW developed the Tipping Point Grants program, which combines community-based mentorship with donor-funded monetary support to help socioeconomically vulnerable people overcome barriers to employment and financial stability.
Financial stability is an important factor in health and wellbeing. The Tipping Point program is based on the idea that small donations can make a big difference—and can even cause a “tipping point” that leads to financial stability and improved health. The Tipping Point program pools modest financial contributions from donors into funds that are administered by human services agencies in the community.
The human services agencies work with vulnerable individuals to help them develop a plan to achieve financial stability and provide small grants to pay for needs such as education, transportation, housing, clothing and other resources. These small grants “tip” recipients toward financial and social stability by helping them implement the first steps in their plan for self-sufficiency.
To administer the program, we have partnered with agencies including Families in Transition in Concord, New Hampshire; Easter Seals in Manchester, New Hampshire; Family Promise in Nashua, New Hampshire; and Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, Vermont.
Since the program’s inception in 2016, 75 donors have contributed more than $47,000 in amounts ranging from $20 to $5,000. So far, 55 people have received Tipping Point grants. Fifty-five percent of grant funds have been used to pay for transportation expenses, 23 percent of grant funds have been used to pay for educational expenses, and 22 percent of grant funds have been used to pay for housing and other employment-related expenses.
Feedback from Tipping Points partner agencies
- "Tipping Points has a significant impact on individuals.”
- "Tipping Points provides a path to self-sufficiency for people, which otherwise would have been very difficult or not obtainable at all."
- "This program helped keep students in college who were ready to quit. It is definitely a worthy program.”
Feedback from Tipping Point grant recipients
Nicholas’ story:
“While my family and I were residing at Anne Marie House, I was a lucky recipient of the Tipping Point Grant. When I wasn’t with my family, I was busy balancing two jobs that I wasn’t passionate about. I’m so grateful that I was able to receive the grant to participate in the online [IT training] program. Continuing my education in a setting that was right for me restored my self-confidence and drive to better myself and in turn bettered my home life. Thank you for the opportunity!”
Advocacy network
The community health policy advocacy network provides opportunities for individuals to learn about laws and policies that affect the health of their communities and promote policies that lead to better community health and wellness.
Our advocacy network— PCW’s newest community engagement initiative—was created in April 2019. In one of our first campaigns, 15 PCW members contacted New Hampshire state senators to urge them to consider two legislative proposals that intend to address the state’s health care workforce shortage. The two proposals aim to build the state’s health care workforce by investing in Medicaid and loan repayment programs.