Healthy Community Alliance
Community Partner Spotlight
In celebrating Open Door’s 50th anniversary, this month’s partner feature is Healthy Community Alliance of East Central Indiana.
The Healthy Community Alliance (HCA) is a coalition of more than 160 groups, organizations, and businesses that are committed to promoting healthy lifestyles in Blackford, Delaware, and Jay Counties. Launched in 2016, HCA harnesses the knowledge and influence of partner organizations to address chronic disease in our region. Together, these organizations share unified messages and resources to encourage community residents to eat better, move more, and reduce tobacco use.
Open Door has been a proud HCA partner from the beginning. HCA’s backbone organization, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, invited Open Door to serve on its organizing committee and help create its mission, vision, and priorities. Since then, Open Door has been a member of the HCA steering committee and an active contributor in its workgroups.
The partnership gives Open Door the chance to share its expertise while connecting with like-minded individuals and organizations in Delaware County and beyond.
HCA facilitates unique opportunities to take health services out into the community, where people naturally gather. In 2020, when many activities were taking place in outdoor settings because of the pandemic, HCA and Open Door teamed up to offer drive-up flu vaccination at Second Harvest Food Bank food distribution events.
At Urban Light Community Church’s annual block party in 2022, HCA piloted a new concept called the Wellness Village. During the event, HCA healthcare partners, including Open Door, offered free on-site wellness screenings and other services to event attendees. The success of the Wellness Village led to its return to the Urban Light block party in 2023 and expansion to Minnetrista’s Farmers Market.
This month, Open Door is providing blood pressure screenings as part of HCA’s American Heart Month events. Open Door clinical staff will be at Muncie’s Common Market (900 8th Street) on Thursday, February 29 from noon to 6 p.m.
John Disher, director of community outreach for IU Health’s East Central region and facilitator for HCA, is grateful for Open Door’s long-term partnership in the Healthy Community Alliance:
“I’m extremely appreciative of Open Door Health Services and the multi-faceted expertise and resources they bring to the Healthy Community Alliance. Much of the work that we’ve accomplished has been enhanced by Open Door in a positive and meaningful way. I’m particularly grateful for their unwavering support of community-based initiatives like our Wellness Village concept. When assistance is needed, they are always one of the first to raise their hands to help,” says John.
Thank you, Healthy Community Alliance, for your leadership and commitment to achieve healthy communities in East Central Indiana. We look forward to many more years of good work together.
Learn more about HCA here.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Open Door Health Services operating in East Central Indiana! While caring for community members under different names during that time, the organization has seen a rich history of patient-focused care and intentional relationship-building with community partners.
To help celebrate this history of partnership, each month we'll be featuring the story of Open Door's partnership with an area organization. Thank you to our partners for helping us celebrate the impact we make TOGETHER on quality of life.