Managed community health: an integrated health model

As hospitals and physicians pursue integrated health delivery models, they may be overlooking the most effective locations and partnerships for maintaining and improving health outcomes: those in the community. Since the early 1990s, a St. Louis area group known as the Archbishop's Commission on Community Health has been involved in implementing community-based health and wellness programs and services. The programs have been successful because they focus on keeping people healthy in homes, schools, churches, and neighborhoods. This article describes these holistic approaches that include attention to the physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of members of the community.