Sentara named 2024 Health Quality Innovator of the Year

Sentara Health has been named a 2024 Health Quality Innovator of the Year, an annual award presented by Health Quality Innovators. This prestigious honor recognizes and celebrates organizations that are using successful, evidence-based approaches to improve healthcare quality and outcomes.

Sentara was selected as the winner in the Population Health category for its efforts to improve health equity and expand access to care through its innovative care delivery model known as Sentara Community Care. The award specifically recognizes the program’s impact and partnership with The Union Mission Ministries. The Population Health category celebrates organizations that work to improve the health of patients and communities through prevention, treatment, and improved access to care.

“We are incredibly honored that Sentara has been recognized as a Health Quality Innovator of the Year,” said Dr. Michael Charles, executive medical director for Sentara Community Care. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our team in working together to improve health and well-being for all.”

Launched in 2022, Sentara Community Care offers neighborhood-level access to holistic care in communities with the greatest needs and largest gaps in care. The program’s goal is to reduce traditional barriers to health and wellness by maximizing convenience and providing consistent, embedded medical and wrap-around services in neighborhoods that have historically lacked access.

As part of this new model, Sentara opened a community care center within The Union Mission Ministries homeless shelter in Norfolk, Virginia, to provide on-site care to shelter guests. The center offers diversified and holistic care, including primary care and behavioral health services, mammography services, immunizations, care navigation, and health improvement programs—all of which had been largely inaccessible to guests.

The center also provides educational resources such as colon cancer programs, prostate cancer programs, and cooking classes to educate guests about meal preparation, proper nutrition, and healthy eating.

“Educating our community, removing barriers to access, and providing resources where people live, work, play, and worship gives our family, friends, and neighbors the opportunity to live their healthiest and most fulfilling lives,” said Iris Lundy, vice president of health equity, diversity, and inclusion for Sentara.

Sentara leaders celebrate the opening of a new Sentara Community Care Center in Newport News, Virginia, in January 2025.

Collaborating with the community to address unmet needs

In addition to providing high-quality medical care at the center, Sentara partners with community organizations to connect shelter guests with essential resources to help address social drivers of health, which include housing, transportation, and access to nutritious food. These factors account for 80% of an individual’s health and well-being.

“Our community health workers provide Union Mission patients with continuity of care to improve their quality of life and support them in their path to success—such as finding and maintaining employment, securing housing, and staying out of jail,” said William Crawley, regional director of operations for Sentara Community Care. “These wraparound services and social support resources are critical to promoting long-term health and resiliency.”

Sentara and Union Mission partnered with People's Pharmacy to tackle medication challenges for shelter guests. As a dedicated pharmacy serving this population, People's Pharmacy now fills prescriptions for longer periods and delivers them to the shelter, helping guests better manage their health and avoid the Emergency Department (ED).

Sentara also partnered with the Hampton Roads Community Health Center to bring dental services directly to Union Mission residents via a mobile dental clinic, which was funded through a grant from Sentara to serve communities in need in Hampton Roads.

Reducing Emergency Department visits

A medical center embedded within Union Mission provides guests with direct access to health and wellness services, while also reducing the need for ED visits.

Before the Sentara Community Care Center opened within Union Mission in July 2022, shelter staff called emergency medical services (EMS) about 10 times a month to transfer Union Mission guests to a Sentara ED for medical care. After the center opened, EMS calls/transports dropped to about two per month, an 80% reduction. Over the last two years, the center has maintained a 60% decrease in ED referrals.

“Our community care center provides a medical home for Union Mission guests to seek the care and resources they need, when they need it,” said Dr. Charles. “Having ready access to this level of care has a profound impact on every aspect of life—physical, social, and emotional.”

Sentara has seen more than 900 patients at the Union Mission center since 2023. The program has been positively received by the community, achieving approximately 98% satisfaction among guests.

The Sentara Community Care Center at Union Mission was one of the three initial programs launched in Hampton Roads in 2022. Since its inception, Sentara Community Care has served more than 5,000 Virginians as it expanded to Harrisonburg, Henrico, Newport News, Northern Virginia, Petersburg/Richmond, and Southside Virginia communities.

Now with six community care centers, six mobile care vehicles, school-based telehealth clinics, and numerous strategic partnerships, the Sentara Community Care program continues to extend its reach to provide holistic care in the communities that need it most.

About HQI

Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is an independent, non-profit consulting organization that offers healthcare providers practical solutions backed by objectivity and expertise. They consult on complex government healthcare programs, implement change on the front lines of care, and shine new light on improvement challenges. The Health Quality Innovation Network (HQIN) brings together organizations and individuals who are making health care better for millions of Americans through funding provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Quality Improvement Organization Program. Members include hospitals, providers, community-based organizations, health care associations and families. Learn more at www.hqi.solutions