Why should our community prioritize health equity?
Health outcomes are not the same for every group of people in Fairfield County. On average, Black residents do not live as long as white residents, and their babies are more likely to die at birth. Your gender, income and race can also make a difference in how you are treated as a patient and the quality of care you receive within the medical system.
The State of Health Equity in Fairfield County
How is FCCF bringing people together to fix this problem?
There are proven programs and policies we can build on to improve health outcomes. But progress requires individuals, community leaders, lawmakers, businesses and organizations to come together to take action. With your support, our Health Equity Fund invests in collaborative programs that:
Fuel Proven Partnerships
We are building off the emme Coalition to connect more people to wellness services, support and tools that can help them reach their full potential.
Design Innovative Solutions
We launched the Black Maternal Health Initiative, a multi-year project to work toward better health outcomes for Black mothers in Fairfield County.
Increase Access to Quality Care
We are expanding our work with lawmakers to advance policies like fair pay for community health workers and doulas, and making HUSKY coverage available to everyone.
Strengthen Community-Based Work
We are growing our support to help local groups foster their community leadership and grassroots work to advance health equity, and to fund strategic projects that span several years.
How can I get involved?
Want to move health in Fairfield County forward? Here are three ways you can help ensure every person has access to high-quality physical and mental health services.
DONATE
Contribute to the Health Equity Fund to be part of our collaborative work in this area.
STAY INFORMED
Join our email list to receive information on health equity and how you can make a difference.
ADVOCATE
Write to lawmakers, speak at public meetings, and share information with friends and neighbors about health equity issues.
To learn more about health equity and how the Community Foundation can help amplify your impact, contact Lutonya Russell-Humes, Vice President of Grants & Programs, at LRussell-Humes@FCCFoundation.org or call (203) 750-3200.
DIG DEEPER
Learn more about past & current projects
Learn about projects that have helped the Community Foundation build a strong network of partners, and inform our ongoing work for health equity.
We invest in solutions that address the underlying causes of health inequity.
We teamed up with OPTIMUS Healthcare on an initiative called the emme Coalition that changes how healthcare is delivered to women and girls in Bridgeport. The emme Coalition takes a holistic approach to care by helping women and girls make healthy choices so they can live well. Emme is a model for our approach to ensuring everyone has a fair chance at good health in our area, which requires that we address the challenges that make it hard for women and girls to get good healthcare and reach their life goals.
• Emme delivers health services to women and girls in Bridgeport, aged 12-49, in a way that is responsive to different cultures and takes into account the effects of trauma. The program connects 100 women to trained Community Health Workers who work with them one-on-one. It also offers information and referrals to support services to 1,000 more people.
• Emme’s services include teaching about health, including reproductive health; parenting classes; wellness and mindfulness workshops; life planning and goal setting; the basics of money management; and crisis support. 100 percent of the pregnant women who have participated in emme have had healthy births.
We’re also using the Susan Supple and Justin Scott Brown Fund to work with Bridgeport middle and high schools to tackle issues with teen substance abuse.
From 2016 to 2020, our Fund for Women & Girls also made a big impact at Bridgeport Hospital to support pregnant women. With the Fund’s support, a part-time psychiatric nurse was hired to provide mental health services to about 40 expectant mothers each month. This nurse did important work like screenings, counseling, managing medication, and working with OB-GYN providers to make treatment plans. Over four years, 127 women were served through 640 visits, and 92 percent of them said they felt less stressed within two months.
We influence public policy to reduce inequities and injustices in health. For instance, we’re advocating to make sure everyone has equitable access to maternal health care. In early 2023, we submitted testimony to support a new law (Senate Bill 986) that would introduce a voluntary certification program that would make it easier for doulas to work within the health care system to help expectant mothers across the state. Studies show that doulas can make a big difference in the health of mothers and babies. Our efforts helped make sure the law got approved in the 2023 session.
Also in 2023, FCCF supported another law (Senate Bill 10) that makes sure Community Health Workers get sustainable pay through Medicaid and insurance. These workers are crucial for the success of our emme Coalition program, and are proven to improve health outcomes. By ensuring they get fair pay, we can encourage more people to choose this important career path. Our work helped get this law approved in the 2023 session.
Current state laws make it hard for people who are undocumented to get good health care, which means many immigrants rely on under-resourced clinics and emergency care. We are continuing to work with health policy partners to advocate for HUSKY coverage to be extended up to age 19 for young people with undocumented immigration status.
Through education and narrative change, we’re increasing public will to advance health equity in our region. We speak out on issues affecting women’s health by sharing public statements with the media and online, like a widely-shared statement on the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision on Roe v. Wade.
In 2021, we teamed up with Foundation House to organize a women’s health summit called “Equitable Recovery: Reducing Racial Disparities in Women’s Health in Fairfield County.” The goal was to figure out how addressing inequities at the local level, including healthcare for women and girls, can make a lasting difference in the health of the entire community. The panel featured leaders from Fairfield County groups that focus on women’s health equity, including the emme Coalition at OPTIMUS Health Care, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, and Community Health Centers, Inc.
We strengthen health-focused nonprofits in Fairfield County through strategic grantmaking and support that increases their capacity to make an impact. We also create a space where nonprofits can collaborate on work that aligns with their shared missions.
In 2018, we brought together the Rowan Center, The Greenwich YWCA, The Center for Family Justice, and the Triangle Community Center to create the Sexual Violence Prevention Collaborative (SVPC) and provided three years of grant funding to deliver programming aimed at stopping sexual violence in Fairfield County. The Collaborative made an educational plan for local athletic directors, coaches, and school administrators to help them understand athletic coaches’ important role as trusted messengers who can teach young people in Fairfield County how to prevent sexual violence. SVPC’s Coaches as Partners program trained more than 260 coaches, players, parent volunteers, and athletic directors on preventing sexual violence, and how to step in if they see it happening.
When COVID-19 hit, we started The Fairfield County Covid-19 Resiliency Fund and raised over $2 .7 million from local donors. Grants were quickly distributed to help local organizations and residents impacted by the pandemic, supporting urgent needs. $831,000 in grants from the Fund supported mental and physical health services for over 132,000 residents, with a focus on low-income and vulnerable people such as youth and young adults, elderly and immunocompromised individuals, and those experiencing homelessness.
