Berea Home Village Winner in First Humankindness and Health Justice Award

BEREA, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2024) – The Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness and Health Justice (LHDI) at CommonSpirit Health announced on Sept. 19 that Berea Home Village is a winner in the inaugural Humankindness and Health Justice Awards. The awards were presented during the first-ever Humankindness and Health Justice Virtual Summit, held on Sept. 19.

The Humankindness and Health Justice Awards celebrate individuals and community partners who demonstrate a deep commitment to health equity, social justice and compassionate care. Berea Home Village was selected from a pool of nominees from across the country, all of whom embody LHDI’s core values of kindness, empathy and leadership in driving health justice.

“Berea Home Village truly exemplifies what it means to make a profound impact on our community through a commitment to humankindness and health justice,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph Berea. “Since its founding in 2017, Berea Home Village has created a thriving, intergenerational community where aging adults receive the love, respect and support they deserve. By providing essential services that enable seniors to remain in their homes and fostering deep social connections, Berea Home Village addresses critical health inequities faced by older adults, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged and from minority populations. Their innovative approach to supporting and connecting seniors exemplifies the very essence of health justice, and we are proud to honor their remarkable contributions with this award.”

Berea Home Village, a nonprofit organization based in Berea, Kentucky, has office space at Saint Joseph Berea. The community-based organization is a 2024 recipient of Saint Joseph Berea’s community health improvement grants.

“Receiving the Lloyd H. Dean Award for Humankindness and Health Justice has been a significant milestone for the Berea Home Village family, said Katie Heckman, executive director. “CommonSpirit’s commitment to supporting our small nonprofit organization exemplifies a dedication to programs like ours, which aim to enhance the quality of life for underserved and vulnerable communities. By championing a grassroots organization that enables older residents of Berea to remain in their cherished homes with assistance from volunteers, CommonSpirit truly demonstrates its commitment to our mission.”

In addition to recognizing Berea Home Village as a standout community partner, the summit served as a platform to share innovative ideas, best practices and successful programs that drive meaningful change in the health care industry. The event will offer opportunities for collaboration as participants explore new ways to integrate humankindness into the pursuit of health justice.

CHI Saint Joseph Health and Saint Joseph Berea are part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people.

For more information about the Humankindness and Health Justice Awards and the winners, please contact [email protected]. To learn more about the summit, visit www.commonspirit.org/lloyd-dean-institute/summit-2024.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph Berea

Saint Joseph Berea is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Berea, Kentucky. Established in 1898 on the grounds of Berea College, the facility serves residents of Madison, Estill, Garrard, Jackson and Rockcastle counties. Saint Joseph Berea recognizes the importance of family, friends and familiar surroundings in the healing process and provides a breadth of services so that getting first-rate care doesn’t have to mean being far from home.

About the Humankindness and Health Justice Awards
The Humankindness and Health Justice Awards were created to recognize individuals and organizations within the CommonSpirit Health community that are leading efforts to advance health equity and embody the spirit of humankindness. The awards are part of the Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness and Health Justice’s broader mission to promote compassionate care and health justice across the healthcare system.

About LHDI

The Lloyd H. Dean Institute of Humankindness and Health Justice was founded in 2022 to celebrate and advance CommonSpirit Health’s Chief Executive Emeritus Lloyd H. Dean’s long-standing commitment to health equity and the power of humankindness. The Institute is a convener and catalyst for evidence-based humankindness and health justice initiatives across CommonSpirit Health and serves as a resource for not only the health care sector but all industries. Learn more at www.commonspirit.org/lloyd-dean-institute.

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