The Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH), in partnership with Duke Health, has been awarded a grant totaling $750,000 from The Duke Endowment to support the Partnership for a Healthy Durham. With this award, provided across five years, the Partnership has joined a coalition of 24 other organizations and agencies across North Carolina and South Carolina making up the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas (HPHC) initiative to address chronic health issues. 

 

The Partnership for a Healthy Durham, housed at the Durham County Department of Public Health, is a coalition of local organizations and community members with the goal of collaboratively improving the physical, mental, and social health and well-being of Durham’s residents. The Duke Endowment grant funds will help support further community engagement, including community workshops to develop innovative health interventions, seminars to address food injustice and racial inequities, and more. 

 

“The Partnership is excited to utilize these funds for impactful, innovative work in Durham,” said Bria Miller, Partnership for a Healthy Durham Coordinator. “Funds will equip the Partnership with the knowledge and resources to compensate community members for their expertise and work while co-creating and implementing culturally relevant interventions. Joining Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas connects the coalition to a larger network and will strengthen the coalition’s focus on statewide and national policies.”

 

As part of The Duke Endowment, HPHC is a community-based approach to addressing health issues including unhealthy weight, diabetes and heart disease through the work of local coalitions initiating evidence-based interventions to improve health. Through the Endowment grant, the Partnership will work in conjunction with Duke Health to continue to meet these aims. 

 

“We are thrilled to continue working with the Partnership for a Healthy Durham coalition in 2023,” said Trish Vandersea, director, performance improvement, population health for the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation, which supports all North Carolina based coalitions through technical assistance and specialized expertise. “Together with our coaching professionals from Population Health Improvement Partners, we look forward to supporting the Partnership for a Healthy Durham team as they build new and innovative ways for community members to access a better quality of life.”

 

Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $4 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.

 

To learn more about the Partnership for a Healthy Durham, contact Bria Miller at briamiller@dconc.gov or visit www.healthydurham.org.