Building healthy communities is an important part of advancing racial, social and health equity. Together, we can improve the socioeconomic determinants of health, advance health equity, racial equity and social justice through community engagement, and enhance behavioral health and well-being for all in the communities we serve. Good health doesn’t begin in the hospital or the clinic. It starts in our communities, our homes, our schools and our workplaces.
Community Engagement
Together, we will address the socioeconomic determinants of health, such as poverty, food insecurity, adverse childhood experiences and racial equity. Through collaborative partnerships in the communities we serve, we aim to improve housing affordability and infrastructure; food security and nutrition; college and career-readiness; early childhood and school readiness; and non-profit capacity.
- To address food insecurity, a co-op grocery store was created in 2015.
- Duke donated $2.5 million to the Willard Street Apartments, home to 82 affordable housing units.
- Duke and Duke Health is providing financial and non-financial resources in support of the Accelerating Digital Equity campaign, most significantly with a lead grant of $250,000.
- To bring resources directly to underserved communities, Duke Health supported a unique, collaborative testing site in East Durham. (story available with Duke Health login)
- Read about more of Duke Health's Community Collaborations.
COVID-19 Vaccination
At Duke Health, health equity is one of our values, and we are committed to an equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. We are continuously improving our operations and community engagement in this unprecedented effort, even as we adjust to very limited quantities of the vaccine supply.
In collaboration with county health departments and dozens of community organizations, our recent efforts include:
Reaching Communities
- Operating easily accessible community vaccination sites, embedded within our communities for those with and without appointments
- Identifying and proactively reaching out to patients in our communities without MyChart and email accounts
- Disseminating information from Duke Health experts about the vaccine to our communities via town halls and media interviews
Collaborating
- Collaborating with Durham County Department of Public Health, Durham Public Schools, Wake Med Hospital, Wake County Health and Human Services and UNC REX Hospital to further support our vulnerable populations and increase vaccination rates
- Transferring vaccine doses through the health department to support community vaccination events
- Working with community leaders and partners to host a minimum of 2 pop-up vaccination events/clinics per week, reaching underserved populations and distributing the vaccine within our communities
Providing Added Accessibility
- Offering flexible and extended hours across several sites to increase accessibility
- Providing free transport to vaccination sites through partnerships with local public transportation services.
- Providing equitable transportation to vaccination sites across North Carolina through $100,000 in financial support to RideUnited
- Serving homebound patients through work with community organizations
- Translating informational materials about the vaccine to Spanish and offering interpreting services at all patient-facing vaccination sites
The data below show our progress. For NC state reporting, visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations. For ideas and feedback on COVID vaccine distribution, contact us at m2m@duke.edu. For information about vaccine eligibility and requesting an appointment, visit https://www.dukehealth.org/covid-19-update/covid-19-vaccine-update or call our COVID vaccine hotline at 919-385-0429. This hotline is available 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Community Stories
* links may require Duke Health login
Bringing COVID support to the community
A Duke partnership with the state provided vital resources to support people isolating and quarantining as a result of COVID.
NCCARE360 merges medical and social care
This new year Duke Health clinicians will have a new way to support patients with social care needs, like food insecurity and housing. NCCARE360 is an online platform managed by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Once a patient is screened for social drivers, the clinician can use NCCARE360 to provide referrals for social care.
RESIST COVID / TAKE 6!
The Nasher Museum is collaborating with Duke Arts and Duke Health to present an unprecedented outdoor exhibition and public awareness campaign by nationally renowned artist Carrie Mae Weems. The project, called RESIST COVID / TAKE 6!, emphasizes the disproportionate impact of the deadly virus on the lives of communities of color, through large-scale banners and window clings, posters, street signs and more.
