By Jessica Johnson
The digital divide, the gap between those with access to digital technologies and those without, continues to be a critical issue in today’s increasingly interconnected world. This disparity affects various aspects of life, including education, employment, healthcare, and social interaction, and disproportionately impacts low-income Americans, people of color, and those living in rural communities.
For individuals and communities lacking access to the internet and modern digital tools, the divide exacerbates existing inequalities, thereby limiting opportunities for better health, economic advancement, and social mobility. College coursework often requires access to a computer and online platforms, digital literacy is more frequently a prerequisite for competitive job positions, and access to telehealth and communication with loved ones are critical for maintaining physical, social, and mental health. Bridging this divide is ultimately essential for ensuring equitable access to the resources and benefits of the digital age.
In an effort to tackle this issue, Link Health has partnered with NeighborHealth, formerly East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. Link Health is a unique organization embedded in healthcare settings that helps to actively enroll patients in federal benefit programs, such as the Lifeline program that provides free or discounted phone and internet services to qualifying individuals. Through this partnership with NeighborHealth, the pair are working to expand digital equity and ensure that community health centers across Greater Boston have the necessary tools and resources to better serve their communities.
Dr. Alister Martin, ER physician and founder of Link Health, highlights the importance of this collaboration, stating, “The fact is that modern healthcare is intrinsically linked to internet access. This local partnership will allow us to expand our efforts in connecting Bostonians to critical federal benefits, thereby fostering health equity and digital access among those who need it most.”
“The internet is a vital technological lifeline that allows us to support ourselves and our families, from finding and accessing healthcare, to looking for a job, to ordering groceries,” emphasizes Mimi Gardner, Vice President and Chief Equity Officer at Neighborhood Health. “When partners like Link Health can help our neighbors and patients overcome financial barriers to unlock the power of the internet – that’s a healthcare win.”
As part of this partnership, NeighborHealth patients receive in-person support from Link Health fellows and ambassadors, who are trained to help patients enroll in Lifeline, along with other essential federal benefit programs. This effort includes unlocking the $80 billion in federal aid that goes unused every year, thereby enhancing community health centers and empowering patients.
To date, Link Health has screened over 14,000 patients for eligibility for federal benefits, including Lifeline and other programs, and helped distribute over $870,000 back to families within the NeighborHealth network.
Moreover, to support NeighborhHealth’s work to address the social determinants of health, Link Health made a charitable donation last month to the organization’s Neighborhood PACE Program, which helps older adults thrive in the community through comprehensive health care, social activities, transportation, and connection to social services and resources, including internet access.
Finally, this initiative is supported by $20 million in new grants awarded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration in collaboration with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) through the state’s Digital Equity Partnerships Program. Link Health is partnering with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers in this Digital Equity Partnerships Program to provide internet access to the patients of their health centers. Together, Link Health and NeighborHealth are helping to close the digital divide.
Author: Jessica Johnson
