Shifting gears for continuity of care during COVID

Fairfield County Community Foundation has awarded Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. (NCHC) a $40,000 COVID 19 Resiliency Fund grant. The proceeds have been used by the nonprofit health center to fund the additional medical technology, supplies, and equipment needed to continue serving its 13,000 patients and the community during the COVID19 outbreak.

“Pre pandemic, 225 patients on average would visit the health center on an average day, often accompanied by family members. To protect the health of all of our patients and our healthcare providers and staff we needed to change how we delivered service,” said John Gettings III, NCHC Chief Financial Officer and interim CEO. “When telehealth visits were temporarily approved for CT’s health centers, the Foundation’s COVID19 Resiliency Fund grant let us switch gears quickly so that our clinical providers and behavioral health counselors had the technology and resources to promptly assess and treat or refer existing and new patients, including those presenting with COVID19 symptoms.” With the state reopening, providers and staff look forward to carefully and slowly welcoming patients back to its 120 Connecticut Avenue facility once again in the coming weeks.

Norwalk Community Health Center has been providing compassionate and comprehensive health care within reach of anyone who needs our services in greater Norwalk and Fairfield County for 20 years, regardless of ability to pay. The 501(c)3 nonprofit health provider, is nationally recognized as among the top 10% of all health centers in the country for the quality of clinical care. NCHC provides comprehensive health and wellness care (adult, pediatric, women’s, behavioral, and adult and pediatric dental health care) to 13,000 patients each year, regardless of ability to pay, at NCHC’s 120 Connecticut Avenue location and aboard its Medical Mobile Unit. Visit www.norwalkchc.org to learn more.

The Fairfield County COVID-19 Resiliency Fund has been established by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation with the support of generous seed funding from a cross-section of individuals, private foundations, corporations and others. The new Fund has rapidly deployed resources to trusted, frontline community organizations that meet the basic needs of local residents in Fairfield County. The Fund’s purpose is to help alleviate the social and economic consequences of this global pandemic and to prevent the widening of disparities in education, employment, housing, and health. The Fund’s resources are directed to organizations serving high need, vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals and residents without health insurance and/or access to sick days; immigrants; persons with disabilities; and communities of color, among others.