HopeHealth celebrated National Health Center Week from August 2-8 with appreciation activities for employees and community partners, culminating in a Partners in Impact Luncheon on August 4.

Held at the Florence Country Club, the Partners in Impact Luncheon brought together community leaders, partners, advocates, and supporters to celebrate the partnerships and people who help advance health and well-being across the communities HopeHealth serves. The event offered an opportunity to connect, reflect on shared impact, and recognize the important role collaboration plays in building healthier communities.

The luncheon opened with words from Sallie King, HopeHealth Chief of Staff, who said, “We are honored to welcome leaders from health care, nonprofit organizations, education, government, business, and our faith community. Together, you represent more than 25 organizations that are making a difference in the lives of the people we serve. Today’s luncheon is simply our opportunity to say thank you – for your partnership, your collaboration, and your shared commitment to building healthier communities.”

CEO Carl Humphries spoke about the critical impact of partnerships in securing the future of community health centers. He shared, “When people think about health care, they often think about doctors, nurses, clinics, and hospitals. Those things are certainly essential, but we all know that health is influenced by so much more… The truth is that none of us – not HopeHealth, not our hospital partners, not government agencies, and not nonprofit organizations – can do this work alone. Improving community health has never been the responsibility of one organization. It has always been a shared responsibility. That’s why partnerships are not simply something we value; they are essential to fulfilling our mission and to building healthier communities.”

In addition to much-appreciated representation from the South Carolina Primary Care Association, HopeHealth was pleased to welcome Brandon Jones from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to the event. On the value of this special guest, Humphries said, “It’s especially fitting that you’re here, because the National Association of Community Health Centers has made partnerships one of its strategic priorities. At HopeHealth, we share that commitment because we’ve seen firsthand what is possible when partners come together on behalf of the people we serve.”

The program continued with HopeHealth community health worker Terrance Legette sharing about the Heart Healthy Barbershop Tour, a program that provides free blood pressure screenings and health information at different barbershop locations, meeting participants where they are and helping them find a health care home.

Additionally, Jon Weiss, Jr., CEO of House of Hope, shed light on their partnership with HopeHealth. He explained, “Not only does HopeHealth provide an unbelievable workforce development partnership for us, but they also help identify the health needs of our participants, because nobody can be successful in life if they don’t understand what they’re dealing with from a health perspective. We are very lucky and grateful to have organizations like HopeHealth in this community.”

National Health Center Week is recognized by NACHC every August to bring awareness to the importance of community health centers like HopeHealth. This year’s theme was “Building Innovative Care Where It Matters Most.” Being an advocate is as simple as letting your congressional representatives know the importance of issues affecting community health centers. To learn more about advocating for HopeHealth and other centers, visit hcadvocacy.org.