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It was during this time that Mr. Lynn also realized the need to redefine the
hospital’s relationship with the community. Adopting the Healthy Cities process
from the World Health Organization, ACMC organized a communitywide retreat
to help its personnel understand the community’s definition of personal health.
The outcome of the retreat was expressed artistically in music, stories, poetry
and a drawing.
Two important things came out of this retreat. First, the community definition
of healthcare as ensuring the well-being of people rather than treating illness
inspired ACMC to reimagine its role in helping the community achieve optimal
health. Subsequent innovative community-centered programs included Turn
Around Atlantic City, Parents as Teachers, Young Ladies at Peace and Safe Haven
for children, as well as a gun buy-back program, a communitywide immunization
program and other programs aimed at keeping people healthy and treating them
for illnesses and injuries.
Second, the retreat underscored the importance of alignment between the
community and its healthcare provider. Helping the community achieve
optimal health required expanding the scope of services ACMC offered.
This led Lynn and the hospital board to create the AtlantiCare Health System
(AHS), whose mission, vision and values captured its collaborative role in
improving the health status of the community. Those values form the core
of the culture that is AtlantiCare today.
AtlantiCare helps teach the community
how to stay healthy, with programs
for all aspects of health.