03/29/2024
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This is the first in a series of articles describing the numerous services provided to the community through Southeastern Health’s Community Health Services department.

 

More than 20 years ago, Southeastern Health’s Board of Trustees felt that a department that would focus on the improvement of health in Robeson County was an important part of health care for the community in addition to the standard health care services offered by the organization, which led to the creation of Southeastern Health’s Community Health Services (CHS) department.

 

The department today reaches beyond Robeson County throughout the region providing education, screenings and prevention services to people of all ages through schools, churches and community programs.

 

“Our department really has the potential to touch the lives of everyone in our service area because of the wide array of initiatives we use to reach people to improve their health,” said Community Health Services Director Lekisha Hammonds.

 

Before accepting the director position in 2013, Hammonds served as interim director of CHS for seven months. With over 15 years of experience in community health, Hammonds served as the manager/coordinator of CHS with a focus on community health needs assessments; coalition building, planning, and developing; and implementing community screens/health fairs/programs and services designed to meet the needs of the community.

 

A Robeson County native, Hammonds earned a bachelor’s degree in community health education from UNC Pembroke in 2000. She also earned a master’s degree in health services with a concentration in community health from California College for Health Sciences in 2005. She is credentialed as a master certified health education specialist as well as a registered health educator.

 

“My experience with CHS over the years has equipped me with the knowledge and tools I now use to guide our staff and their initiatives,” added Hammonds.

 

The CHS department includes health education, nutrition, public health, policy, mass communications and other related professionals who are assigned different aspects of community health based on their expertise.

 

“In order to reach our service area with successful messages about prescription drug abuse, healthy eating and exercise, to name a few, it requires implementation of programming in a variety of settings and formats,” said Hammonds. “We are in the area schools and churches and we meet with civic groups, taking the message of better health to all generations.”

 

In addition to messaging, CHS also analyzes health data in order to identify health trends and areas which need more focus. The department collaborates with the Robeson County Health Department for the Community Health Needs Assessment and closely monitors health data and rankings from outside agencies such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

 

CHS receives funding for various initiatives from grants through the Southeastern Health Foundation as well as outside agencies such as The Duke Endowment and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. Some examples of grant-funded programs include Homegrown Health through the Walmart Foundation, Wellness on Wheels through The Golden LEAF Foundation and the most recent Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas grant through The Duke Endowment.

 

“Partnerships are key to our success,” added Hammonds. “Whether through grant partners for funding, the many entities associated with the Healthy Robeson Task Force, or our local churches and schools, it is through the access granted by and collaboration with these types of agencies and programs that we are able to share education and messages of healthier living to our community.”

 

For more information about SeHealth’s Community Health Services department and initiatives, call (910) 671-5595.

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