The Health Foundation

Scholarship - The Health Foundation provides scholarships to students entering allied Health care professions who have expressed an interest in working in wilkes or surrounding counties in western north carolina. This program helps decrease The percentage of people living in poverty, as Health care professions typically provide living wage jobs. Academic achievement and wealth correspond to better Health outcomes as wealthier people have better opportunities to live healthier lifestyles. Also, wilkes county experiences shortages of Health professionals and this provides an entry point to recruit Health care professionals, which, in turn, increases access to care in our rural, underserved community.

Expanding access to care - people in our rural community are less likely to have access to Health services due to shortages of providers and barriers to care such as transportation and cost. The Health Foundation owns and manages a medical park conveniently located within one-quarter mile of The local hospital which serves as a hub of Health care delivery here. The once declining shopping center is now a vibrant medical park with a variety of primary medical care, medical specialists, dental care, and social support services. The site also connects to The yadkin river greenway and hosts a pre-school playground and an adult exercise equipment zone. In addition, we engage in funding strategies that promote access to care in other locations and through both mobile and tele-medicine.

Prevention - The places where people live, work, play, pray, and learn have a collective impact on The improvement of population Health. The Health Foundation serves as a convener and backbone entity to develop cross-sector collaborations and networks as well as foster evidence based interventions designed to strengthen individual knowledge and skills, promote community education and Health literacy, educate providers, change organizational practices, and influence policy and legislation. The Foundation is currently engaged in funding strategies so that every child (and adult) is safe, healthy, and able to thrive. Current focus areas include healthy eating, active living, addressing adverse childhood experiences and addressing The opioid epidemic.

Child advocacy center: The child advocacy center of wilkes county (cacwc) provides comprehensive, community-based services to child victims of sexual abuse and severe physical abuse in wilkes county, n.c. cacwc benefits child victims and their non-offending caregivers by: 1) providing timely, trauma-informed services in a child-friendly environment; 2) reducing The number of interviews The child victim must endure; 3) coordinating The provision of medical and mental Health services; 4) providing advocacy and support to non-offending family members throughout The life of a case. Cacwc improves The investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases by: 1) conducting or facilitating forensic interviews and child medical evaluations (cmes); 2) fostering collaboration and information sharing between law enforcement, prosecutors and child protective services; 3) increasing accountability and responsiveness through ongoing communication and monthly case reviews. Cacwc is also actively working in The community to prevent child sexual abuse.