CHARLOTTE, N.C. – June 29, 2022 – Novant Health and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library are excited to announce a strategic partnership to address social determinants of health, advance health equity and create sustainable impact across our communities. Novant Health will make a $1 million investment which includes a cash gift of $500,000 to the CommonSpark campaign and $500,000 in in-kind support for program and service delivery over the next five years.
“As our libraries strive to support the health and well-being of our library patrons and the community at large, we are working to expand access to health resources that go beyond books and materials,” said Marcellus Turner, CEO and chief librarian, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. “We are very appreciative of this partnership with Novant Health, creating access to additional health and wellness resources, expertise and services. We know that the communities of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County will benefit greatly from these health centers in our libraries.”
The programmatic aspect of the partnership includes the founding of The Novant Health Wellness Hub at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, which will expand access to high-impact wellness services delivered through Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations.
In early 2022, surveys were conducted in both the Hickory Grove and West Boulevard communities to assess what services would be most beneficial. Based on feedback from the community, the focus of the Hubs will be nutritional guidance, well-being at different life stages, health screenings, health services navigation, and current information about diagnosis and disease. Services will also include:
- A monthly education and speaker series on topics including diabetes, health at every age, nutrition, mental health and more.
- A dedicated on-site community health worker, one to two times per week, to help with connections to health and social services, including housing, food, and access to primary care.
- Regularly scheduled visits from the mobile unit to provide Remarkable You health screenings and immunization events for under- or uninsured children.
- Access to Novant Health’s digital resource library.
- Access to sponsored activities across the community.
- Access to the MyCommunity (Find Help) platform.
Both Novant Health and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library envision engaging additional partners to scale the impact as needed, and to create a replicable collaboration model for other communities within and beyond our region. This partnership is one of only a few similar collaborations between a library system and a health care provider in the U.S.
“We’re honored to come together with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to form this unique partnership and expand availability of health services within our communities,” said Jesse Cureton, executive vice president and chief consumer officer for Novant Health. “The library has always been a multigenerational space for learning and well-being. Together, we’ll offer services to promote health equity though expanded access and education.”
Services for The Novant Health Wellness Hub at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will roll out in phases over the next few years. The first phase will launch in the Hickory Grove and West Boulevard Library branches in July 2022.