SPOTLIGHT

As workforce shortages and rising patient acuity place increasing strain on rural care teams, Atrium Health is leveraging technology within hospital settings to strengthen care delivery. Atrium Health Stanly will soon launch its virtual nursing program, becoming the first fully wired virtual nursing facility in rural North Carolina.

Established with a transformational grant from The Duke Endowment, the program will utilize two-way cameras in patient rooms, enabling bedside nurses to focus on direct, hands-on care. In tandem, virtual nurses will assist with continuous clinical support, including admission assessments, medication education, discharge planning, and safety checks. The initiative is expected to create 50 new jobs in Stanly County while improving care quality and teammate satisfaction.

Atrium Health Women's Care is committed to expanding access to maternal health services, ensuring patients receive high-quality care regardless of background, financial resources, or location. Philanthropy has driven community-centered models that better support women throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Launched in 2018, CenteringPregnancy® is an evidence-based, group prenatal care model that integrates clinical care, education, and peer support. Since inception, the program has served more than 500 patients, improving access and outcomes while fostering meaningful connections among expectant mothers. A transformational grant from AmeriHealth Caritas, Inc. is accelerating program growth by expanding patient education, improving transportation access, strengthening facilitator training, and introducing new virtual care options to better serve diverse communities.

Atrium Health continues to lead in addressing social determinants of health, which are non-medical factors such as housing, food security, and education that shape health outcomes. As a committed investor in the Housing Impact Fund, the health system has helped preserve over 1,800 affordable housing units while embedding wraparound services.

Community health workers are central to this model, connecting residents to resources in health care, food access, financial stability, education, and workforce development. Embedded across multiple communities, these trusted team members engage residents, coordinate referrals, host community events, and support initiatives such as vaccine clinics, back-to-school programs, and technology access.

Philanthropic leadership from The Leon Levine Foundation and Margaret and Smoky Bissell sustains these vital positions, strengthening connections and building healthier, more resilient communities.