Healing beyond the hospital

For months, Chris came to the Emergency Department nearly every day. Chris wasn’t returning because of a medical emergency. He was returning because he had nowhere else to turn. 

He was living on the streets without shelter, transportation or access to his Social Security benefits. He didn’t have a phone. He had no support system. Every time one immediate need was addressed, another brought him back through the hospital doors.

Then Chris was referred to the Community Health Hub. Instead of simply treating the immediate problem, caregivers and community partners took the time to understand what was keeping Chris from getting well. Together, they helped him regain access to his benefits, activate his phone through a low-income assistance program, connected him with shelter, transportation and recovery services, so he could begin rebuilding his life.

Chris hasn’t returned to the Emergency Department since.

Stories like his are exactly why PeaceHealth imagined a different approach to care — one that extends beyond medical treatment alone. Thanks to the generosity of philanthropic donors who believed in that vision, the Community Health Hub became a reality.

Chris’s story reminds us that healing doesn’t begin and end with medical care.

Nearly two years after opening, the Community Health Hub at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is proving what compassionate, community-supported care can accomplish. Made possible through philanthropy, the Hub was designed around a simple but powerful idea: healthcare doesn’t end when a patient is medically stable — it continues by helping people overcome the challenges that brought them to the hospital in the first place.

Instead of leaving the hospital with a list of phone numbers and referrals, many patients now meet with housing advocates, recovery coaches, case managers and other community partners before they ever leave the hospital. These warm handoffs remove barriers, build trust and dramatically increase the likelihood that patients receive the help they need.

The Community Health Hub has continued to grow since opening in 2024. Today, it supports patients not only in the Emergency Department, but throughout PeaceHealth Southwest, connecting more than 1,200 patients over the past year with resources that address challenges like housing, food insecurity, behavioral health, transportation and recovery support.

Every warm handoff represents something philanthropy made possible. Often times, those connections change the course of a life. One patient preparing to enter treatment for substance use shared that a previous attempt at recovery had fallen apart because of miscommunication after discharge. Although she had planned to enter a 30-day inpatient treatment program, she never made it there and eventually relapsed. When Community Health Hub staff explained that a Recovery Navigator could meet her before discharge and personally accompany her to treatment, she became emotional.

“You can do that?” she asked.

The answer was yes. Her Recovery Navigator met her at the hospital, stayed connected after discharge and ensured she arrived safely at her treatment program. Months later, she remains actively engaged in her recovery.

Another patient arrived at the Emergency Department in the midst of a mental health crisis. She had recently relapsed, was struggling with substance use and had just learned she was going to  lose her apartment. Because housing specialists were already onsite through the Community Health Hub, help began immediately.

Within an hour, her case manager arrived at the hospital. She reconnected with her recovery coach, secured her housing and re-engaged with recovery services. Today, she is maintaining stable housing, volunteers every week and continues to thrive in her recovery.

These stories are deeply personal, but together they reveal something bigger.

Every time a patient leaves the hospital with housing resources, recovery support, transportation or food assistance already in place, they’re less likely to return to the Emergency Department. That means emergency caregivers can focus on patients facing life-threatening medical conditions while others continue healing with the support they need.

This is the power of philanthropy — not simply creating new programs but making new possibilities for care.

Because generous donors believed healthcare could look different, the Community Health Hub has become a place where medical care and community support come together. It is helping people find stability, dignity and hope while strengthening the healthcare system our entire community depends on.

One conversation. One partnership. One warm handoff at a time, philanthropy is helping transform an Emergency Department visit into the beginning of healing that continues long after a patient leaves the hospital.

About PeaceHealth Foundations: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. Since 1890, PeaceHealth has been guided by a Mission of healing and compassion. Today, PeaceHealth Foundations carry forward that legacy — powered by philanthropy and grounded in community. As the philanthropic partner to PeaceHealth’s nine medical centers and more than 160 clinics, we help expand access, advance technology and empower caregivers to provide exceptional and compassionate care. Every gift ensures that outstanding care continues to reach families, friends and neighbors throughout the Northwest. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Discover the impact of philanthropy at peacehealth.org/foundation.