ProMedica and Lenawee Community Foundation Partner with Resident Leadership on $20M Rural Place-Based Investment

ProMedica and the Lenawee Community Foundation have announced a new partnership with the All About Adrian Resident Coalition to foster economic opportunity and improve health outcomes by establishing the ProMedica Adrian Ebeid Neighborhood Promise, a $20M rural place-based investment over 10 years dedicated to scaling and implementing solutions to address health disparities in east Adrian. This represents one of the nation’s largest place-based investments made in a rural community.

ProMedica Adrian Ebeid Neighborhood Promise is a community driven initiative for rural investment and community development. It will involve working with residents and stakeholders to close existing gaps in resource availability, accessibility, and attainability and eliminate disparities by investing in new and proven strategies. The initiative is intended to help improve the conditions in which residents live, work, and play to empower them to achieve their highest health potential.

ProMedica and the Lenawee Community Foundation recognize that sustainable community change requires long-term engagement, trust building and investment with and by the community. ProMedica Adrian Ebeid Neighborhood Promise will leverage the expertise of residents, businesses, and stakeholders, the unique assets of Lenawee County, and best practices for rural community development from other parts of the country to accelerate health and economic stability for thousands of individuals. Services and programs will be paired with economic learning and research to help ensure solutions will have a positive impact for generations to come.

As part of the initiative, the community will address and reduce barriers to health and economic vitality through policy, education, targeted social services programs, and evidence-based solutions while embracing the culture, diversity, arts, community and history of the region. The vision and voice of the community will guide partnerships and investments focused on building and expanding the capacities of neighborhood infrastructure. Partners will co-design a physical space within the neighborhood to be operated by a diverse workforce, which will serve as a gathering place and facilitate job training, financial coaching, and other community services and resources.

Through data analysis and extensive conversations with neighborhood leaders and stakeholders, ProMedica and its partners have developed a deeper understanding of the lack of funding, infrastructure, and services in east Adrian. With significant long-term and intentional investment through this initiative, the community will be positioned to build upon the great work started by the All About Adrian Resident Coalition, City of Refuge Ministries International, Habitat for Humanity and several other organizations. The ProMedica Foundation will continue to support the effort through fundraising at the local and national levels to secure resources for the initiative. These generous philanthropic contributions raised from donors and partners will unite the community and make a lasting impact.

The initiative will focus on a core neighborhood that has a total population of nearly 11,000 residents. Of the 7,807 households within the core market, nearly half are rental properties and 17% are severely cost-burdened. An average of 28.1% of individuals residing in the core market are living at or below the federal poverty threshold and experience the following conditions:

• 18% of adults do not have health insurance; The rate increases to 38% when income is less than $25,000.
• 10/100 Housing Stability Index
• 17/100 Education Index
• 19/100 Health & Well-Being Index
• 15/100 Economic Stability Index

Data Sources: 2020 Lenawee Community Health Assessment U.S. Census ACS 2015-2019 Enterprise Community Partners 2020.

ProMedica’s investment in rural placemaking is based on the success of the ProMedica Ebeid Neighborhood Promise in Toledo, Ohio, in 2016. ProMedica established the initiative to catalyze innovations that help to improve community health and well-being with a focus on social determinants of health. These efforts are centered around community voice, data-based decision making, and a focus on whole person health.