Marshall Browning Hospital and Pinckneyville Hospital
- Project Title: Transition 2 Hope
- Program Representatives Interviewed: Celena Slowick and Nicole Akins
- Location: Perry County, IL
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Program Overview: Marshall Browning Hospital and Pinckneyville Hospital participate in the
Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program, funded by the Delta Regional Authority and the
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Through the program, one Community Champion from each hospital is
funded to build community partnerships to address social determinants of health that affect patient
outcomes. The Community Champions from Marshall Browning and Pinckneyville Hospitals are engaging in several
efforts to advance health equity in their rural communities, including through the Transition 2 Hope
coalition.
Transition 2 Hope began when a group of concerned community members and leaders came together to seek solutions to rising homelessness in Perry County, Illinois. The coalition identified several root causes of homelessness, including lack of job opportunities, poverty, and lack of support for community reintegration after incarceration. The Community Champions from Marshall Browning and Pinckneyville Hospitals helped establish the Transition 2 Hope coalition, which also includes community members with lived experience and representatives from law enforcement, mental health service providers, and local health departments. The coalition incorporated into a nonprofit organization and is seeking funding to implement several strategies to advance homelessness, including a warming center, transitional housing, a soup kitchen, and social support services.