A Closely Knitted Community Creating Safe Space for Deaf Persons in Lagos

Northern Maine is home to some of America's poorest - but it ranks high on national measures of health. Hospital programs visit more patients in their homes where they can be more comfortable and receive everything they need, which in turn reduces medical costs.

Hospitals in the United States spend over $340 billion on health services, but with those funds, they could also help the numerous neighborhoods struggling with poverty. The Democracy Collaborative is a research center that helps hospitals link up with local institutions to encourage job growth, buy regionally produced food, and reinvest into their local economy.

Barbers in Niagara are using the casual intimacy of their client relationships to offer needed healthcare. They now recommend clients to clinics and provide educational materials.

Syringe exchange programs throughout the United States have been surrounded by controversy, but that doesn't mean they haven't had positive impacts on the community they serve. In northern California, the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction not only provides clean syringes and overdose medications, but also serves as a place for building community, treating mental health concerns and preventing disease.

People with HIV/AIDS don't always know where to go for help or don't feel empowered to return when psychiatrists or doctors seem unwelcoming. Organizations throughout Washington, D.C. are working against perception by providing comprehensive approaches to health care services.

Young mothers don't always have access to the resources they need to better understand breastfeeding, but programs in Philadelphia, are working to address this. From creating a city-wide awareness campaign to meeting people where they're at, whether that be on social media or in their hospital room, the efforts of community members and city officials are showing results.

Providing a comprehensive approach helps veterans struggling with addiction. At the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, when VA campus police who identify drug-related cases, patients are also paired with social workers and representatives of job placement programs. The benefit plan of the VA system provides a range of services, including medical care, addiction treatment, counseling, and social services such as housing or job assistance.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down school buildings and led to many people working from home in New York City, a city child care program was launched to give children a place to go while they were learning from home. However, the program failed to accommodate children with disabilities who required the assistance of a paraprofessional. After realizing the gap in care, the city is now working to increase access.

Milan’s tampone sospeso or “suspended test” initiative provides rapid COVID-19 tests to stop the spread of the virus. The initiative sets up in highly visible public areas of Milan and is based on a model of mutual support where everyone pays what they can. It is run with the help of over 50 volunteers and Medicina Solidale, a group of medical professionals who provide free medical advice to those who can’t afford to access care. The project has raised 24,000 euros from 436 donors, which has enabled them to administer rapid antigenic swabs to more than 3000 people.

El Recovery Institute of Southwest Michigan, Inc., usa un método que se llama apoyo entre pares (emparejando personas con experiencias similares) para ayudar el proceso de recuperación. El Recovery Institute ofrece grupos, clases, reuniones individuales y reuniones sociales, y su también participan en actividades de divulgación en la comunidad. En los últimos años, el Recovery Institute ha atendido a miles de personas.