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ChristianaCare expands Health Literacy Partnership through Support from Highmark Health

Aug 8, 2023

2 min

ChristianaCare has received an $80,000 grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Delaware to support the Health Literacy Council of Delaware.


Funded through Highmark’s BluePrints for the Community grant program, the money will be used to fund education and awareness for clinicians and other caregivers on best practices in making health care information much easier for patients to understand.



“Health literacy is essential to good health,” said Greg O’Neill, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, director of Patient & Family Health Education at ChristianaCare. “Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals are able to find, understand and use information and services to inform their health-related decisions and actions. At ChristianaCare we are committed to communicating with our patients in ways that enable them to understand so that they can make informed decisions and achieve their best health.


“We are deeply grateful that Highmark Health Options shares our commitment to health literacy. Their generous grant will enable us to support our caregivers in their efforts to deliver clear, consistent communication to every patient in every interaction, improving their lives.”


In addition to work within health care in Delaware through the Health Literacy Council, the grant also will be used by ChristianaCare to provide education in the community to support increased health literacy and enable people to make informed, healthy choices.


Housed by the Delaware Community Foundation, Highmark’s BluePrints for the Community has contributed over $35 million to the community since its inception in 2007. It was established to increase access to care and reduce health care disparities in Delaware.


In addition to ChristianaCare, the Health Literacy Council of Delaware is supported by the Delaware Division of Public Health and the University of Delaware’s Partnership for Healthy Communities.


“Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware and Highmark Health Options are actively engaged with statewide literacy improvement efforts and are pleased to support the Health Literacy Council of Delaware,” said Nick Moriello, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware. “By ensuring Delawareans have the tools and resources they need to understand their health information, while simultaneously making inclusive accommodations as health care organizations, we can promote better health decisions and ultimately improve health outcomes.”

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ChristianaCare has announced that Aston, PA will be the location for its next health care campus that will feature a neighborhood hospital and a health center. This is one of two facilities that ChristianaCare plans to open in Delaware County, as announced in February 2024. The hospital will be built in partnership with Emerus Holdings, Inc., the nation’s leading developer of neighborhood hospitals. The ChristianaCare Aston Campus, located at 700 Turner Industrial Way, is expected to open in the second half of 2026. The site was chosen based on a market assessment of historical and projected demographic data and health care service availability as well as a consumer survey, community input and feedback from elected officials and business leaders. The study identified gaps in health care accessibility, concluding that Aston would be an ideal location for a health campus. “We are thrilled to be bringing high quality health care services to our neighbors in Aston in Delaware County,” said Jennifer Schwartz, chief strategy officer at ChristianaCare. “Our goal is to make access to health care easy, convenient and close to home in a way that is sustainable and right-sized to meet the needs of the local community.” The neighborhood hospital will operate 24/7 with approximately 10 inpatient beds and an emergency department. The emergency department will treat common emergency care needs such as falls, injuries, heart attacks and strokes. The hospital will also provide diagnostic capabilities, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services. In addition to on-site staff, the hospital will benefit from access to virtual consults — such as neurology and cardiology — to support safe and effective care. ChristianaCare will add a health center on the second floor of the hospital offering outpatient services. These services will be developed based on community needs and are expected to include primary and specialty care practices plus an array of other clinical services. The announcement comes as construction is already under way on ChristianaCare’s first Pennsylvania neighborhood hospital, in West Grove, nearby in southern Chester County, which is projected to open mid-2025. Together, these three new campuses represent a new layer of care coming to southeastern Pennsylvania. ChristianaCare has been providing health care services to the residents of southeastern Pennsylvania for many years. Today, ChristianaCare offers primary care in three Chester County practices that are located in Jennersville, West Grove and Kennett Square. In addition, Concord Health Center in Chadds Ford, Delaware County, provides a wide array of services, including primary care, women’s health, sports medicine, behavioral health and more. Combined, ChristianaCare is now the medical home for 25,000 residents in these communities.

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