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I’ve been thinking about this story on the NorthPoint community health center for a few days and I think it has some important lessons for journalism. /1 https://twitter.com/jcstearns/status/1328469473301508097
Build with, not for. NorthPoint’s staff come from the community it serves and the majority of its board is made up of patients who use the clinic’s services. "We own it, it's family — it's almost a living, walking, breathing thing" one longtime patient and board member said. /2
Invest in relationships. NorthPoint has invested in the long, slow work of building relationships and doing what it takes to protect and grow those bonds. That engagement “fosters enduring, trusted relationships [and] and a level of care that is highly unusual today.” /3
Place matters. Being in community with someone means being literally in the community. NorthPoint’s staff live in the neighborhood, drop in on folks at home, join local conversations. "NorthPoint listens to the community," said Irene Fernando in the NPR piece /4
Take a systems approach. NorthPoint views health as part of a complex system and combines heath care with support for transportation, food, and a wide range of social services. Understanding how these systems intersect is key to addressing complex challenges. /5
Center racial justice. “NorthPoint also has a five-decade history of addressing public health through the lens of race.” Embedding awareness of race throughout its services, and tracking it throughout its outcomes, is fundamental to creating healthy and thriving communities. /6
COVID-19 has demonstrated with glaring clarity the vital role of local news and information to our personal health and safety, so it is worth looking to community health centers like NorthPoint, for what they can teach us. /7
Newsrooms like @city_bureau @media_outlier @Oaklandside @MLK50Memphis @FlintBeat @scalawagmag @EnlaceLatinoNC @noiseomaha @Documentedny @SahanJournal and others like them are already embodying many of these lessons, building healthier news for healthier communities. /8
