Cooper, Virtua, and United Way launch million initiative to combat poverty in Camden.
In a significant initiative aimed at addressing the persistent challenges of poverty in Camden, New Jersey, two of South Jersey’s most prominent health systems, Cooper University Health Care and Virtua Health, have joined forces with the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. The collaboration, announced recently, involves a comprehensive four-year commitment totaling million, called the Camden Community Uplift Initiative.
Camden struggles with a high poverty rate of approximately 34%, limited internet access, and low workforce participation. The organizers of the Camden Community Uplift Initiative, including United Way leadership, have taken almost two and a half years to meticulously plan the project, with a focus on identifying fundamental barriers to employment that, while seemingly basic, are crucial to address to tackle more complex issues effectively.
The initiative consists of two primary strategies designed to enhance access to critical benefits such as health insurance and employment opportunities that can uplift families economically. The participating employers extend beyond the health sector; notable contributors include Holman, a car dealership company, NFI Industries, a trucking firm, and PNC Financial Services, illustrating a robust cross-industry effort to combat local poverty.
Interestingly, the cooperation marks a notable departure from traditional competitive practices between Cooper and Virtua. Typically rivals in the healthcare arena, the CEOs of both institutions—Kevin O’Dowd of Cooper and Dennis Pullin of Virtua—are co-chairing the initiative, highlighting a shared commitment to community welfare. Their partnership originated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since evolved through consistent collaborative dialogues over breakfast meetings.
The initiative’s momentum gained traction following a successful gun buyback program facilitated by both healthcare systems in 2021 in cooperation with state and county officials. The program’s success prompted O’Dowd and Pullin to explore additional avenues for positively impacting the city, particularly focusing on economic opportunities and bridging the increasingly critical digital divide.
The community health needs assessments required by the Affordable Care Act have persistently highlighted key areas such as housing, food security, mental health, transportation, and job availability as pressing needs in Camden. Pullin emphasized that business leaders have a responsibility to foster communities characterized by wellness, where residents are not just healthy but also gainfully employed and educated, with access to affordable housing.
The Camden Community Uplift Initiative represents a bold step forward in addressing systemic issues in Camden, illustrating how collaborative efforts across healthcare and social sectors can drive meaningful change in underserved communities.
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