The DFMCH’s Melissa Stiles, MD, (left) at the Prairie Kitchen Cooking Club with community partners Marcia Kasieta from the Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN) and Kara Hoerr, a nutritionist from Hy-Vee market.
Why Community Health Matters
Health is more than clinical care. 80% of what keeps people healthy happens outside of the clinic, in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
In the spirit of our mission to strengthen personal and community health, we work alongside communities to create a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and live well.
How We Strengthen Community Health
To improve the health of communities, we:
- Build and sustain long-term, two-way relationships with communities
- Teach family physicians—and doctors learning to be family physicians—how to become community-responsive health professionals
- Support initiatives and research that center community voices and help us achieve health equity