ASHEVILLE – The Duke Endowment has granted $500,000, over two years, to the WNC Health Network. The funding will support the work of WNC Triple Aim in the 16 western counties of North Carolina. WNC Triple Aim is a regional approach to improve the health of the population, improve the experience of care and reduce healthcare cost. A council consisting of a cross-section of leaders from hospitals, the medical community, public health, university, insurers and healthcare education provide guidance on goals.
“We will be able to continue the work of our seven teams focusing on obese, senior adult, mental health and diabetic populations,” states Casey Cooper, CEO of Cherokee Indian Hospital and Chairman of the Triple Aim Council. “The Duke Endowment grant will provide infrastructure support for the teams and funding to implement their projects.”
For example, the Mental Health Team is identifying ways to reduce length of stay in emergency departments. The Transitions of Care Team is working with nursing homes to prevent readmissions back into the hospital.
The Duke Endowment, in Charlotte, seeks to fulfill the legacy of James B. Duke by enriching lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children’s services. Since its inception in 1924, the Endowment has awarded nearly $2.9 billion in grants.
WNC Health Network, located in Asheville, serves hospitals in WNC to reduce cost and improve quality by providing a group purchasing program, a health information exchange (WNC Data Link), quality improvement initiatives, and supporting strategies for population health. In addition, the group purchasing program supports members in other parts of NC, SC, PA, TN and VA.
– Duke Endowment
