1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health

About the Center

The 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health will identify, quantify and develop strategies for improving the health of the citizens of Cambria and Somerset Counties. The Center, which is made possible by a $7.5 million gift from 1889 Foundation, is a partnership between the foundation and the Jefferson College of Population Health of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. This partnership will bring an academic approach and rigor to the research that will inform the decisions and interventions made as a result of the process.

In its most fundamental sense, population health is a systematic approach to health care that aims to prevent and cure disease by keeping people healthy. Population health works to address the social and environmental factors outside the care delivery system that affect health and well-being.

The Center was announced in February 2016 with a five-year timeline. Specifically, the goals of the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health are:

• Connect prevention, wellness and behavioral healthcare delivery in Cambria and Somerset Counties
• Identify socio-economic and cultural factors that influence the health of the population
• Develop policies that address the impact of these factors
• Use data analysis, or “big data,” to design social and community interventions
• Recommend innovative solutions to complex public health issues

Population health is a relatively new concept, and has been studied mostly in large urban areas. It is expected that the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health will become a national model for how population health interventions can work in smaller communities.

Visit the Center’s website for more information.