Community Health
Dignity Health East Valley cares for the health of our community, especially those most vulnerable and in need, through targeted community healthcare programs.
Due to the massive population growth in Maricopa County, the community's need continues to outpace available services. Our most recent community health needs assessment identified “access to care” as the most significant health challenge in this community. Social determinants of health impact this access to care, especially for the uninsured, underinsured, and non-English speaking persons of all age groups. Approximately 25% of Chandler and Gilbert’s population is Hispanic and another 15% are other minorities. Additionally, there are disparities experienced across members of certain racial/ethnic backgrounds, with Hispanics and American Indians being least likely to have health insurance, particularly dental insurance.
Dignity Health East Valley focuses on addressing these challenges through a growing investment in community outreach, education programs, advocacy efforts and collaborative community partnerships in the primary service area of our two affiliated nonprofit hospitals in Chandler and Gilbert, Arizona. One way this has been accomplished is through our Children’s Health Care Building Blocks programs, which ensures school readiness by providing free medical and dental care, immunizations, and health education to more than 5,000 individuals annually. These programs are improving individual access to health services, enhancing public health, advancing general knowledge about health care, and relieving the burden of government to improve health.
Community health services to qualifying low-income families are provided free of charge at two main locations (Chandler CARE and Gilbert Heritage Centers) in addition to outreach conducted at schools, churches, and other local community hubs. Dignity Health offers free medical and dental clinics, immunizations, hearing and vision screenings and health educational support. All community members that visit one of these centers for any services are screened and guided to additional programs or services for which they qualify. In the same facilities, families can access additional wraparound services which include a WIC office, case management, behavioral health services and a food bank. Both sites are located within the low-income neighborhoods of central Gilbert and Chandler, Arizona and the buildings that house these services are provided rent free by the town and public school district. The full service medical clinic is currently only at our Chandler site. Dignity Health serves as the medical and dental service provider; while other nonprofit organizations and direct service providers offer the additional wraparound services to make these two facilities together a community hub of resources.