Transformational Gift from Bank of America Supports Program Aimed at Reducing Health Disparities

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 16, 2022 – Atrium Health announced today a $10 million gift from Bank of America to establish “Meaningful Medicine,” a program uniting the best innovations within health care, social impact and workforce development to directly target health equity and economic mobility goals within Charlotte.

In partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Mecklenburg County, Central Piedmont Community College and YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Atrium Health’s Meaningful Medicine program will support CMS students at Title I schools and expand opportunities for economically underprivileged CMS graduates to attain health care careers with family-supporting wages. Additionally, the program will provide the most vulnerable in the community with embedded health support systems, including convenient access to new virtual health care sites.

“Together, with Atrium Health, we are addressing the root causes of inequality through a commitment to advancing health and economic opportunity across diverse communities,” said Kieth Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte – a steadfast supporter of workforce development, education and health equity. “When communities have greater access to health care, they also experience lower unemployment rates and higher incomes.” 

"By improving the wellbeing of our students across Charlotte, we are not only investing in their health, but in our collective future," said Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health. “These young girls and boys will be the future doctors and nurses that will serve the needs of our growing community in the decades to come – and Atrium Health is proud to help model for the nation how health systems, businesses, schools and public officials can work together to have a meaningful impact in historically underserved communities."

Meaningful Medicine will launch by implementing Atrium Health Levine Children’s school-based virtual care in 20 elementary Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools during the 2022-23 school year. Ten middle and high schools will receive behavioral health teletherapy services through the program. Within three years, Meaningful Medicine will expand to offer virtual care at 50 CMS schools and behavioral health telemedicine at 31 schools. 

The program works in collaboration with nursing staff at each school, who coordinate care and referrals. The nurses –  employed by Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH) – are critical to the implementation of Meaningful Medicine.  

“Affordable, accessible medical care is key to the health and well-being of our students,” said Hugh Hattabaugh, interim superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. “The Meaningful Medicine program provides another option for parents to meet their children’s health care needs and keep them in the classroom where they can reach their highest academic potential.”

The program will also create accessible, community-based virtual care sites within Central Piedmont Community College and YMCA locations, as well as:

• Suicide prevention training to over 900 CMS students;
• Increased workforce development resources for recent CMS graduates; and
• Resources and support for students and community members who are at high risk of negative health outcomes due to unstable housing, food insecurity or other acute social needs. 

Bank of America’s significant philanthropic investment in the Meaningful Medicine program helps continue the momentum for Giving Hope: The Campaign for Atrium Health. The comprehensive campaign seeks to raise $500 million to create the health system of the future. 

“This is a landmark gift that will inspire corporations and individuals for generations to come,” said Hugh McColl, campaign chair and former chairman and CEO of Bank of America. “It’s a challenge to ensure that every patient in our growing community has access to convenient, affordable, quality care. But, more importantly, it’s an opportunity to improve lives.”

About Atrium Health Foundation
Founded in 1959, Atrium Health Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in Charlotte. As the point of contact for all contributions benefiting Atrium Health in the Charlotte region, the Foundation inspires transformational giving to improve health, elevate hope, and advance healing – for ALL. Through its current Giving Hope Campaign, Atrium Health Foundation is supporting Atrium Health’s efforts to create the learning health system of the future by building healthy communities, outstanding education programs, preeminent research, and exemplary facilities.

 
About Atrium Health 
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health is an integrated, nonprofit health system with more than 70,000 teammates serving patients at 40 hospitals and more than 1,400 care locations. It provides care under the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist name in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, region, as well as Atrium Health Navicent and Atrium Health Floyd in Georgia and Alabama. Atrium Health is renowned for its top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. A recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the academic core of the enterprise, including Wake Forest Innovations, which is advancing new medical technologies and biomedical discoveries. Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. Ranked nationally among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals in eight pediatric specialties and for rehabilitation, Atrium Health has also received the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize and its 2021 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, as well as the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all, providing $2.46 billion last year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.

 
About Bank of America  
At Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).