Citizenship, Community, and Healthcare

Over the last 50 years, medicine and healthcare have experienced tremendous changes driven by remarkable technological advancements and expanded government and private funding streams. These forces have contributed to shifting medicine and healthcare from a small and deeply personal community based enterprise to a large national and international industrial complex. Though it is impossible to ignore the tremendous benefits achieved by the growth and expanded capacity of the health care enterprise, it is also difficult not to see that the enterprise has become increasingly disconnected from the community based processes that makeup and strengthen local communities.

By focusing intently on working with our community, supporting community volunteers and community involvement, and drawing upon local strengths and values, Project Horseshoe Farm seeks to support and build upon processes that we believe contribute to strengthening our community. This method and process of organic and service leader driven development of community based programs is an underutilized model in medicine and healthcare that has the potential to complement and inform other approaches being pursued to improve health and health care systems.

Community barbecue at Horseshoe Farm