A significant initiative that’s been in the works here at Winona Health, in partnership with other community organizations (the Winona Wellbeing Collaborative), is the creation and implementation of the Winona Community HUB. The Winona Community HUB was developed based on the “Pathways Community HUB,” a national model of collaboration among community organizations that have knowledge and expertise in various areas (e.g., housing, food resources, transportation, education, medical, etc.). Research shows approximately 80 to 90 percent of health outcomes are determined by factors outside the clinic walls.* So the goal of the Winona Community HUB is to provide well-defined, evidence-based “pathways” to assist community members in addressing needs that fall under the category of social determinants of health, such as access to food, transportation, housing, education and social support among others. In addition to Winona Health, partners in this collaborative include Winona County Human Services, Winona Volunteer Services, Project FINE, Winona Area Public Schools, Live Well Winona, Bluff Country Co-op, Winona Family YMCA, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center, Family and Children’s Center and the Women’s Resource Center. Winona Health and these organizations serve some common customers but, prior to each of our organizations being intentional in our collaboration, we were working in “silos,” with no solid process for closing gaps in services. The HUB brings us all together to prioritize and coordinate services for our community members. Other organizations interested in participating in the collaborative will be able to easily refer their clients to the resources best able to serve them. We’ve also recently hired a Community Connector, Natalie Linders, who will be instrumental in helping individuals referred to the Community HUB. Ending hunger in our community Initially, the collaborative is focused on creating and implementing pathways for addressing food insecurity in our area. Nearly 5,500 Winona residents go to bed hungry, and according to Jennifer Walters, director of food and nutrition services at Winona Area Public Schools, 28% of Winona County children are eligible for free lunch. Research supports that healthy children are better equipped to obtain higher education, enter the workforce and contribute to the community. Even more important, helping families avoid hunger undoubtedly contributes to their well-being. The Winona Wellbeing Collaborative has secured outside funding to support moving the pathways model forward in Winona including grants from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Prevention and UCare, funding from the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation and the United Way. Live Well Winona serves as the umbrella organization for the Winona Community HUB and as a home base, or connecting point, from which organizations in the Winona Wellbeing Collaborative can work with families to help navigate resources at other partner agencies. This helps ensure seamless, effective, and unduplicated assistance and the most efficient use of our community’s resources. Developing the Winona Community HUB is another milestone in Winona Health’s 125-year history and reflects how our staff is thinking differently to meet the changing needs of our community. To learn more about the Winona Community HUB and how it will benefit families and children throughout our community, visit livewellwinona.org/hub. *National Academy of Medicine
English 
Español 
Hmong