Fulfilling the Bon Secours St. Francis Mission through community health programs
Performing mobile-unit mammograms and cancer screenings. Working with churches to educate congregations about chronic health conditions. Meeting the needs of senior citizens as they age.
These efforts are part of the work Bon Secours St. Francis does in the community by identifying and addressing pressing health and social needs.
“With all the great things happening in Greenville, the one thing we must also look at is: ‘Is everyone benefiting at the same pace?’ And they’re not,” says Rev. Sean Dogan, Bon Secours St. Francis’ community health director and pastor of Long Branch Baptist Church.
“We have areas of our county that are so low-resourced. You can drive around, and you will not see for miles a full-service grocery store, a traditional financial institution, a pharmacy, and sadly to say, even primary care,” he adds.
Such socioeconomic challenges can adversely affect people’s health, Dogan says, because they create stress and leave little room for getting needed care. That’s why the community health team’s various programs are so important.
Their work starts with the Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted every three years to identify the area’s top health concerns. The latest survey in 2022 revealed three priorities: mental and behavioral health, access to care through an equity lens, and affordable housing.
They tackle the priorities in a variety of ways, including:
- As part of the plan to improve housing, Bon Secours St. Francis recently awarded a $50,000 grant to Rebuild Upstate, a community partner that makes housing repairs for low-income seniors. The funds will help more seniors stay in their homes as they age.
- Seniors also can get help with aging in place through the Bon Secours St. Francis LifeWise program. This program provides volunteer opportunities and fellowship activities to combat social isolation, along with education sessions on everything from arthritis prevention to estate planning.
- Through the Community Wellness Outreach, bilingual team members work in community partner locations, such as the Triune Mercy Center, to provide education and meet health needs.
For more information about Bon Secours’s community commitment, including programs and collaborations used to bring communities to health and wholeness, visit bonsecours.com.
