We know kids’ experiences at home, in school, and in their neighborhoods are the biggest drivers of overall health and well-being. Community Connect is a systematized approach that allows Children’s Minnesota to be responsive to families’ health-related social needs, with particular attention to families of color and Native American families who experience greater disparities in health outcomes.
How Community Connect works
The process begins by having families fill out a simple yes-or-no form that asks about their access to nutritious food, adequate housing and other social needs. Screening responses trigger real-time referrals to the team of resource navigators who work with the family to determine which resources may be most helpful. The resource navigators tap into our network of community partners, facilitate warm hand-offs, and then continue to support the family to ensure they have access to the resources they need to be healthy.
The program helps connect families in our Minneapolis and St. Paul Primary Care Clinics to existing community resources, including food pantries and benefit programs, transportation services, legal assistance, housing support, early childhood education programs, employment search assistance and much more.
The proof is in the data
Since the program started in 2017:
- Over 39,000 patients have been screened for health-related social needs.
- Nearly 8,000 families have enrolled in Community Connect, receiving essential support across a range of resource issues.
- A total of 72% of program participants report they have been successful and/or feel equipped to meet their needs.
A robust evaluation of Community Connect data has clearly demonstrated that addressing social determinants of health improves the health of kids, giving them a strong foundation to thrive. Across program participants, we saw:
- Increased preventative care services and well-child visits
- Decreased emergency room visits
- Increased well-controlled asthma
- Increased patient/family satisfaction
Patient story
Meet Amina, a mom of a growing family. After she gave birth to her son, she had questions about parts of their hospital bill. She was referred to a Community Connect resource navigator, Segal, who helped her navigate multiple issues impacting the health and wellbeing of her family.
