Our Purpose
There is more to health than healthcare itself
Through investments and partnerships, we commit our time, talents, and treasure to partners who support behavioral health, workforce development, community development, and nutrition security. Together our work dismantles barriers to improve access to care, fostering a healthier tomorrow.
Letter from the CEO
At Sentara, our commitment to the health and well-being of the individuals we serve is our north star.
Whether we are providing direct care to patients in our clinical settings, or navigating benefits details with health plan members, our team works to ensure that those we serve experience simple, seamless, and personalized care that is easier to access than ever before.
Within our communities, we partner with dedicated allies to drive greater access to the health and community resources we all need to thrive. Our investments reflect Sentara’s enduring pledge to extend our reach beyond our facilities and uniquely address challenges affecting the ability of our fellow community members to live their fullest, healthiest lives.
President & CEO, Sentara Health
Social Determinants of Health
Sentara Cares about transforming the lives of our neighbors by focusing on the root factors that affect our health beyond the clinical care we receive.
What are the social determinants of health?
As a provider of both direct patient care and health plan coverage, through Sentara Health Plans, Sentara interacts with hundreds of thousands of residents throughout Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina every day.
And whether we’re administering an annual check-up, preparing patients and their families for a surgical procedure or reaching out to a community services provider on behalf of a plan member, one certainty often rises to the top. There’s always more to the story when it comes to a person’s health, and we must use our knowledge and resources to understand and influence how that story evolves for individuals, families and entire communities.
The Importance of Community Health Needs Assessments
Sentara Cares about understanding our communities’ needs and priorities and seeks out additional information to help us act more intentionally to make impact.
To ensure we’re consistently meeting locally identified needs, Sentara in collaboration with community partners conducts community health needs assessments for our inpatient hospitals and outpatient surgical centers in the areas that we serve.
These assessments blend valuable input from the community with data points to help us address disparities in partnership with the residents of those communities.
Where We’re Focusing
Our Community Health Needs Assessment findings, coupled with what we learn from our patients, plan members, and community partners every day, guides our mission and our focus on three primary areas:
Behavioral & Mental Health
Improving the mental and emotional well-being of every member of our communities by increasing access to services and striving to improve models of care and support.
Chronic Disease
Reducing the impact of chronic disease on overall health outcomes through access to care and screenings, as well as greater availability of educational resources and community assets that support healthy behaviors and activities.
Social Determinants of Health
Aligning ourselves, other healthcare providers, and community-based organizations to increase awareness and access to resources to help address social and economic issues affecting health outcomes.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and there is no one single entity that can tackle these issues alone — It takes partnership, collaboration, communication, commitment and consistency.”
Making an Impact
See how Sentara has been working to make impact over the years.
Our Impact
Sentara’s presence in our communities has never been defined solely by the care we provide. We are always looking for new ways to support those we serve.
See Our Impact