Case study shows how Augusta Health reduces health disparities

The American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity developed a case study of Augusta Health, which received the 2024 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award in the Emerging category. The Fishersville, Va.-based hospital leveraged analytics to identify neighborhoods with limited primary care access and began providing comprehensive services in those communities. The model relies on a community partner in each neighborhood to serve as a chaperone and provide space for the clinic to operate. To close maternal health disparities, Augusta Health hired an infant and maternal health navigator to meet with high-risk pregnant women. Hospitals in the Emerging category receive recognition for leveraging the AHA’s Health Equity Roadmap to dismantle structural barriers in the communities they serve.