CHARLOTTE, NC. (Newsletter) – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools families at many Title I schools are benefiting from a Meaningful Medicine program, a partnership established by Atrium Health and Bank of America. The initiative unites the best innovations within health care, social impact and workforce development to directly target health equity and economic mobility goals within Charlotte. It provides convenient online school-based access to virtual health care sites for minor medical issues making physicians accessible in the most vulnerable communities including those with income challenges and for families where English is a second or emerging language.
“The Meaningful Medicine program is a game changer when it comes to health and wellness for our most vulnerable student populations,” said CMS superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill. “The program provides a missing component that was needed to keep our students healthy, particularly those who don’t have a primary care physician. The students are able to get their health concerns addressed and continue essential learning in the classroom. We are grateful for Atrium Health and Bank of America who launched this initiative”
Other partners supporting Meaningful Medicine include Mecklenburg County, Central Piedmont Community College and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. Meaningful Medicine supports CMS students and expands opportunities for economically underprivileged CMS graduates to attain health care careers with family-supporting wages. Additionally, the program provides the most vulnerable in the community with embedded health support systems. The program also provides accessible, community-based virtual care sites within Central Piedmont Community College and YMCA locations, as well as:
Suicide prevention training;
Increased workforce development resources for recent CMS graduates
Resources and support for students and community members at high risk of negative health outcomes due to unstable housing, food insecurity or other acute social needs.
Meaningful Medicine launched during the 2021-22 school year with a pilot program at Hidden Valley Elementary School and Martin Luther King Middle. The full program launched in the 2022-23 school year. To date there have been more than 3,270 visits to the virtual portal.
