In Jamarcus’ case, ONE Health paid for the genetic testing that opened the door to insurance and disability benefits, which led to receiving a wheelchair and medication that allows him to manage the effects of the disease. ONE Health staff obtained an apartment for Jamarcus, too, which has a wheelchair ramp and a toaster oven that doesn’t burn him. Because of Regional One’s vision to create a change in Memphis, the philanthropic donors that bolster ONE Health, and the small but mighty ONE Health staff, Jamarcus is managing his brain disorder. Jamarcus is far from alone in his need for someone to care about him and help him take uncharted steps toward stability—and ideally, independence. “Everyone needs an advocate who knows the complexity of the systems and has the heart to help them,” says ONE Health Program Manager Megan Williams. “A lot of people don’t have someone to help them make sense of complicated information. They may not have healthy relationships to help with things as simple as picking up prescription medicine. That’s what we do. With ONE Health, we help vulnerable Memphians to stabilize.” A big-picture effect of helping individuals become more stable by addressing their root problems, one by one, is the collective reduction in emergency room visits. Regional One forecasts an annual savings of $1 million in emergency department costs as more people who regularly rely on the E.R. connect to the social support they actually need. Data collected by Regional One shows that only about 20% of health is tied to medical care received in clinics or the hospital. The rest is rooted in social issues like poverty, addiction, or lack of housing, transportation, and food. ONE Health has the opportunity to bring about change for generations of Memphians. How You’ve Helped For ONE Health, philanthropy means survival. “Dollars that come in means dollars that we can offer to pay for transportation to pick up medicine, a mental health assessment, addiction counseling, rent—all of those things that are often root causes for why people repeatedly appear in our emergency department,” says ONE Health Program Manager Megan Williams. ONE Health is still less than two years old and was made possible in part by a donation from The Assisi Foundation and additional individual and corporate donors. A growing network of social service providers are part of the ONE Health hub that provides a one-stop-shop to people in need of support. Did You Know? As part of ONE Health, Regional One launched a free online commnunity tool called ONE Health Connect. This web based platform allows anyone to search by zip code for free or reduced cost services throughout the Mid-South including medical care, food, job training, and more. Check it out by visiting: www.regionalonehealth.org/connect/ There’s no doubt how needed this initiative is in Memphis. Data analysis of Regional One’s E.R. patient base backs up what is intuitively known—caring for people in the way they need it will change lives and families, and it will reduce the operating costs of the hospital where no one is turned away. Dollar by dollar, you can be part of making a better future in Memphis. DONATE.REGIONALONEHEALTHFOUNDATION.ORG 14
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