WellSpan Health and the Plain Community in Pennsylvania: A Vital Partnership in Health Care Access
WellSpan Health builds a unique partnership with church leaders to deliver equitable care to the region’s Amish and conservative Mennonite communities.
// By Althea Fung //
More than 400,000 Amish and conservative Mennonite people live in the United States, with the largest population in Pennsylvania. These communities represent unique cultural groups known for their simple, faith-based lifestyles centered on family, hard work, and a commitment to Christian values. Concentrated primarily in Lancaster County and surrounding areas, they are part of the “Plain People,” who eschew modern conveniences and technology to preserve their traditions.
When it comes to health care, the Plain community typically values natural remedies and holistic health. They often turn to midwives and community health practitioners who use herbal and home treatments to treat minor ailments. When necessary, they also use modern health care.
Joanne Eshelman, director of health equity and community engagement, WellSpan Health
“About 20 years ago, the leaders from the Amish and conservative Mennonite church groups came to us because health care was becoming very expensive,” says Joanne Eshelman, director of health equity and community engagement at WellSpan Health. “So we created a program that made health care more affordable for them. Since then, that has grown to a navigational support system to help people get the care they need.”
In the decades since that initial engagement, WellSpan Health, a nine-hospital health system in south-central Pennsylvania, has built a unique partnership with the Plain community in its region. This relationship has been instrumental in addressing health care access and equity for a population that often operates outside the traditional health care framework, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read on to learn about an approach to engaging hard-to-reach populations with communications tailored to cultural preferences.