COACH

Collaborative Opportunities to Advance Community Health

Facilitated by the Health Care Improvement Foundation since its September 2015 launch, COACH has provided a structure for participants to explore collaborative implementation strategies as hospitals/health systems complete the current round of community health needs assessments and implementation plans mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

COACH participants have been working toward consensus on shared strategy(ies) for collective adoption and inclusion in implementation plans that were submitted during November 2016.

Through a structured process, COACH participants have prioritized strategies addressing healthy food access and access to care/services in order to promote chronic disease prevention and management.

Children whose families participate in COACH receive health food and access to health care

Food Insecurity

The direct connection between food security and proper nutrition, and better health is well-documented. Yet, in Pennsylvania, more than one in ten Pennsylvanians are food insecure.

In Pennsylvania,

Food insecurity is reduced (by one-fifth overall, and one-third for children) when families get SNAP
Compared to low-income adults without SNAP, those who participate in SNAP have 25 percent less in health care expenditures
Low-income adults who struggle with chronic disease and participate in SNAP have even greater reductions in health care expenditures

HAP Contacts

For more information, contact Robert Shipp III, PhD, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president, workforce & clinical affairs. Media inquiries should be directed to Kim Yakowski, manager, media relations.

HAP News

May 13, 2026

How Jefferson Health is Finding Success with New Approaches to Workforce Woes

Responding to the ongoing needs of our members, HAP hosted a Workforce Summit that brought together clinical, administrative, and workforce leaders from across Pennsylvania to learn and share best practices for developing and engaging health care teams. We’re highlighting some of the innovative ways Pennsylvania hospitals are addressing the workforce crisis.

Securing and maintaining a steady and satisfied workforce is every hospital’s challenge, and experts at Jefferson Health are thinking outside the box to find solutions.

May 11, 2026

Celebrating National Hospital Week

National Hospital Week shines a spotlight on the many ways Pennsylvania’s hospitals and health systems are always there for the communities they serve.

May 11, 2026

This Week in Harrisburg: 6 Things to Know

The House and Senate stand in recess until the week of June 1, when both chambers return to Harrisburg for joint session.

COACH: Addressing Food Insecurity