From “I Hear You” to “I Can Help”: Impact Grants and Cameron Health
Angola, IN — For years, healthcare conversations reflected the real challenges both patients and providers faced. When a provider asked a patient about their access to food, ability to get to appointments, or support at home, patients often shared their struggles honestly. Caregivers, deeply wanting to help, would document these "Social Drivers of Health" in a digital chart and provide any available resources, such as brochures, before parting ways—knowing it was sometimes a struggle to offer more immediate solutions.
At Cameron, the team was identifying barriers but despite their best efforts, couldn’t always find ways to break them down.
Thanks to the SCCF Impact Grant, that dynamic has fundamentally changed. This grant hasn’t just provided funding; it has empowered the frontline staff with the greatest gift a caregiver can give: the power to say "yes."
Their staff are no longer hesitant to ask the hard, personal questions because they finally have the resources to act on the answers. Whether it’s food insecurity or a lack of transportation, they can now identify new and innovative ways to connect patients to support in the moment they need it most.
Breaking the Cycle of Missed Care
Nowhere is this impact more visible than in their new transportation partnerships. In the past, a broken-down car or a missed bus meant a missed clinical milestone. Today, through the support of the grant, they have a network of collaborators like STAR Transportation, Northern Lakes, Dedicated Cabs, and Taxi Boy ensuring no patient is left stranded.
This new level of support has been instrumental for underserved mothers-to-be. For example-an expecting mother called to cancel—her ride had fallen through for the second month in a row. In the past, that would have been a documented "no-show." Instead, now OBGYN managers can call a transportation partner immediately. Within minutes, a cab can be on its way. The patient will make her appointment, finish her lab work, and be safely home two hours later. What could have been a setback for her and her baby became a seamless experience of care.
Welcoming the Newest Members of Our Community
The Impact Grant has also strengthened bonds with community collaborators like Iris. Through these connections, we are ensuring that financial strain doesn't stand in the way of a safe start for newborns. Through the Iris Family Support Center, their patients now receive essential education and the basic necessities—like car seats—to take their little ones home safely.
Going the Extra Mile
The support doesn't end when a patient is discharged. The Cameron Emergency Department nurses and Social Work Coordinators often meet patients who arrive in crisis with no way to get home. Because of the Impact Grant, they can now provide a safe ride home for those who don't have a local support system to call on.
At Cameron Health, they are no longer just treating symptoms. By listening to what their patients truly need and empowering staff to provide it, they are building a healthier, more supported community—one "yes" at a time.