During the spring of 2021, Essentia Health partnered with various local and statewide organizations to launch a program addressing health-related social needs. Over the past four years, Essentia’s community health team has seen significant success through this initiative with over 25,000 referrals made, linking individuals to community-based programs and services.
Resourceful is a program that helps people facing challenges — and those who help others — find and make referrals to free and reduced-cost resources for food, shelter, health care, transportation, financial assistance and more.
The first Resourceful referral was placed in August 2021, and the milestone was reached this summer.
“Essentia Health is proud to be a part of Resourceful, a transformative initiative that has made over 25,000 connections to vital community resources since its launch four years ago,” said Jill Doberstein, community outreach program manager at Essentia. “By collaborating with key stakeholders and community partners, we’re making it easier to find and access critical services, which help foster healthier and stronger communities.”
Resourceful is available for all community organizations, helpers and navigators, families and individuals to use for free.
“Resourceful helps immensely by streamlining referrals to all of our programs, which allows us to reach more community members,” said Classie Dudley, executive director of Community Action Duluth. “The program goes a long way in helping us empower and engage with our community to help eliminate poverty, and we look forward to what the future has in store as we try to help the Duluth community flourish and prosper.”
Of the 25,000-plus referrals made through Resourceful, housing and food security were the areas of greatest need. The largest referral categories since 2021 include: housing (29%); food security (19%); health care (17%); transportation (9%); financial (7%); community care (6%); and legal services (4%).
“Working alongside Essentia in utilizing Resourceful has amplified our ability to connect with neighbors in need of food assistance,” said Heather Foss, federal programs manager at Great Plains Food Bank. “I often refer to the streamlined process, ease of use and data sharing functionality this platform offers in discussions with external agencies as an example of how simple providing support can be.”
The program connects people to services in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and has earned national recognition.
In 2024, Resourceful was one of five programs across the country to have earned the American Hospital Association’s Dick Davidson Nova Award For Improving Community Health. The Dick Davidson NOVA Award recognizes hospitals and health systems for their collaborative efforts toward improving community health status, whether through health care, economic or social initiatives.
Resourceful is a collaborative effort between Essentia Health, Wilderness Health, Generations Health Care Initiatives, Elder Circle and United Way of Cass-Clay and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota which have partnered with Find Help to provide this free online platform.
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