Community Economic Development & Healthcare Playbook

CASE STUDY: Community Development for All People + Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

In 2008, Community Development for All People (CD4AP), a faith-based organization grounded in a strong, asset-based vision of community development, began a pivotal partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus Ohio. Together, they formed the Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families Realty Collaborative to revitalize 31 square blocks in the Southern Orchards Neighborhood. The neighborhood was geographically isolated from downtown by the construction of interstate highways in the 1960s, creating a combination of inaccessible employment, racial segregation, and disinvestment that resulted in high rates of poverty less than a mile from the Nationwide’s main campus.

Partnering on Training and Job Placement

By ensuring Nationwide Children’s Hospital was involved, CD4AP was able to best align the training with the employment opportunities of the largest local employer in the area. Nationwide also invested financially and partnered to provide a wide variety of training opportunities. Additional partners include Goodwill, Columbus Works, and Dress for Success. They offer a week-long boot camp, where participants experience training to prepare for patient assistance, food service, janitorial, and hospitality roles. The hospital provides additional training and development on topics like hospital culture and linguistic training, with the possibility for specialized IT training.

During the first year of the pilot program, the Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families residents hired at Nationwide increased by 15%. Class cohort attendance increased from 60% to 98%. Nationwide contributed expertise from their professional development department to facilitate early conversations, emphasizing soft skills and building trust through joint seminars.