St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center - Community-Building/Vocational Services Initiatives

Overview

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, the seventh largest employer in Central New York, is located within the Prospect Hill neighborhood on Syracuse’s North Side, a community that has long been the home to immigrants and refugees. The North Side is a community with great potential, but one that has struggled economically. In recent years, St. Joseph’s has made a commitment to help revitalize the neighborhood by further establishing itself as an economic anchor, as well as a catalyst for community development.

In 2009, St. Joseph’s announced a $220 million facilities expansion – the largest green building project in the region – that is fueling economic growth within the community by increasing the number of full-time employees and expanding the hospital’s capacity for new patients and visitors. The project is seeking LEED (Silver) certification. The design of the expansion also is helping link the hospital to the neighborhood’s main business corridor.

The hospital system has introduced a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy that includes green affordable housing development, a robust home ownership initiative, and an innovative job training program. To implement these initiatives, St. Joseph’s hired a local economic development organization to create and facilitate programs, and fostered strategic partnerships with housing organizations and grassroots community groups.

Impact

Results have been positive in several areas:

• Job creation: The St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center expansion is resulting in the creation of more than 250 new permanent health care jobs and 600 long-term construction jobs. The hospital is working with neighborhood groups to ensure that local businesses can capitalize on this economic potential.
• Prospect Hill Homes (Housing Phase I): Across the street from the hospital, two full blocks of once-blighted, crime-ridden properties have been transformed into a multi-million dollar housing development that includes 50 high-quality, sustainable, affordable housing units for hospital employees and other neighborhood residents.
• The home ownership initiative (Housing Phase II): As part of the revitalization plan, a partner housing organization has acquired nearly 20 deteriorating properties on Prospect Hill. The properties were renovated and developed into owner-occupied housing, and the hospital will guarantee the mortgage of any employee who purchases a home in the neighborhood.
• Workforce development: St. Joseph’s has a long history of employing neighborhood residents, especially members of immigrant and refugee communities. This was taken a step further in 2009 when St. Joseph’s sponsored a neighborhood workforce development program, “Green Train.” The initial pilot program provided training in green construction and weatherization. The program has since expanded to include training in landscaping and green infrastructure. The program boasts a nearly 100 percent graduation rate, with several graduates working on the hospital’s expansion construction projects. In addition, “Health Train” is a workforce development program designed to identify and prepare unemployed and under-employed North Side community members for entry-level positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital and eventually, other health care employers. Developed collaboratively between Northside Urban Partnership (Northside UP) and St. Joseph’s human resources staff, the program has a mission to connect North Side residents with jobs, assist them in leveraging career opportunities within the hospital, and reduce employee turnover of targeted positions within the hospital.

Challenges/success factors

Widespread poverty, in addition to a difficult national economic climate, makes neighborhood revitalization a challenge in a city like Syracuse. Fortunately, St. Joseph’s, like other health care and educational institutions, is experiencing organizational growth and is poised to fill in where other industries have declined. The challenge is to leverage St. Joseph’s growth to attract additional growth and investment within the community.

Future direction/sustainability

As a testament to its commitment to community development, St. Joseph’s helped found and continues to fund the operation of the Northside Urban Partnership (Northside UP), a not-for-profit organization located on the North Side. The mission of Northside UP is to improve the quality of life for Syracuse city residents, particularly those within its Near North Side neighborhoods. This organization convenes citizens, organizations, businesses, and institutions to identify common interests and work toward tangible outcomes. It fosters neighborhood revitalization by creating financial, artistic, and civic opportunities for the community.

Alongside St. Joseph’s, Northside UP is collaboratively sponsored by CenterState CEO, Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, Franciscan Collaborative Ministries, and The Greater North Salina Business Association. Each of these organizations has unique strengths, identities, and influences that Northside UP leverages to take an integrated, comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization. These partnerships enable St. Joseph’s to optimize the strengths of these organizations while continuing its strategic investments in the community.

Advice to others

Health care organizations have a responsibility to provide good health care for their communities, but we are missing the point if we’re solely focused on the provision of medical services. By making sure community members have access to good housing, jobs, and a healthful environment, hospitals can truly help make their communities healthier. In addition, it is a mistake to undertake a neighborhood development project alone. Health care organizations must recognize the value of partnerships, collaborating with organizations that have expertise in various aspects of development, as well as cultivating relationships with community members to ensure success.

Contact: Kathryn Ruscitto
President & Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 315-703-2140 (Community Relations office)
E-mail: community.relations@sjhsyr.org