Community Benefit Programs and Partnerships

Working to Uplift Our Communities

From food security to better transportation, our Community Benefit programs, initiatives and partnerships work to meet the health needs of our West Florida communities.

Using the insights gained from our Community Health Needs Assessments, we work together with local community organizations and stakeholders to implement effective programs that reduce the social determinants of health that contribute to poverty, unemployment and transportation.

It’s our goal to identify specific health opportunities and implement tailored programs to boost whole-person health — for everyone in our communities.

Food Security: The AdventHealth Food is Health® program (a regional initiative of multiple Community Health Plans) is provided at no cost for community members who do not have the means or transportation to include fresh vegetables and fruits in their diet.

With sites located near our hospitals and in underserved communities, AdventHealth Food is Health® offers health education classes and screenings, in addition to fresh produce, to help improve the overall wellness of adults living in food deserts or low-income/low-access areas.

Through this food security program and others, we’re committed to working together with local community organizations and stakeholders to implement effective strategies to address obesity and access to healthy food.
Mental Health First Aid: We aim to establish new community partnerships with local organizations, leaders and stakeholders to implement strategies that will reduce the stigma associated with mental health by increasing public awareness with mental health education and training opportunities.

Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance-use-related crisis. The class helps you identify, understand and respond to signs of behavioral health crises to offer comfort and assistance to someone when necessary.
Substance Misuse Treatment: We recognize the importance of partnering with local community organizations and stakeholders to strengthen efforts to link community members to substance misuse help and prevention, including tobacco prevention and treatment resources to quit smoking.
Tobacco Cessation: We work with local community organizations and stakeholders to strengthen community access to tobacco prevention and treatment resources to quit smoking and reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among adults.

We’re partnering with the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) to help individuals quit tobacco with free smoking cessation classes. Anyone who signs up to attend a class will receive free smoking-cessation aids, like nicotine patches, gum or lozenges (when available and medically appropriate).
Pasco County Substance Misuse Taskforce Partnership: AdventHealth recognizes the importance of partnering with local community organizations and stakeholders to strengthen efforts to support local community organizations providing services and resources for community members affected by alcoholism.

The Pasco County Substance Misuse Taskforce helps increase awareness of substance misuse in our community. The Taskforce engages community members, public schools, community organizations and other stakeholders to host an annual community forum. The community forum offers youth and their families a chance to speak openly about substance misuse and its effects on themselves, their loved ones and the larger community.
American Heart Association Community CPR: We work with local community organizations and stakeholders to increase access to life-saving skills like hands-only CPR.

We’re partnering with the American Heart Association to offer free, hands-only CPR classes for the community. This train-the-trainer class allows community members to learn how to teach hands-only CPR to their family and friends. Attendees receive a free CPR kit complete with a manikin (an educational, anatomical model of the body), reminder cards and an instructional DVD.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Employability Strategies

We partner with local leaders and businesses to develop collaborative employability strategies that improve job placement. In Hillsborough County, we will establish a new taskforce to increase awareness of the direct and indirect barriers faced by vulnerable populations that impact job retention rates for organizations who hire community members.
Health Care Education

With the Family Healthcare Foundation, we're working to increase access to their free workshop, Navigating the Healthcare Plan. The workshop explains why health insurance is important and shares a range of low-cost or free insurance options, including KidCare, Medicaid and the Hillsborough County Health Care plan.
Addressing Poverty

We support community organizations addressing poverty, including the Agency for Community Treatment Services (ACTS) and Metropolitan Ministries. ACTS will help cover the costs of household supplies in the supportive housing program and Metropolitan Ministries will help cover the costs of textbooks for adults in a self-sufficiency education program.
Transportation Accessibility

A new transportation taskforce will be established in Hardee County and Highlands County to increase awareness of the impact of transportation accessibility on community health and wellness and employment sustainability for community members.