Health Problems in third world countries are on the rise as social Entrepreneurs and organizations such as Health Leads step out to help them out of the situation.

1. Health Leads
Better Health. One Connection at a time.

2. Health Leads
Health Leads is a national nonprofit organization that connects
low-income patients with the basic resources they need to be
healthy. Doctors in participating clinics ―prescribe‖ food, fuel
assistance, housing or other resources for their patients the same
way they might prescribe medication. Health Leads intends for
health care providers to routinely take into account the social and
economic reasons people get sick.
Trained college volunteers work to fill the ―prescriptions‖ which
are meant to treat the underlying social and environmental causes
of patients’ health problems.
Currently, Health Leads operates at 22 sites in six U.S. cities
(Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, Providence, and
Washington D.C.)

3. How it works
Health Leads facilities are operated chiefly by physicians and college
volunteers who work together to match incoming patients with available
resources. Health Leads’ stated mission is to ―connect low-income patients
with the basic resources — such as food, housing, and heating assistance —
that they need to be healthy.‖
During a medical appointment at a Health Leads partnered clinic, a physician
can refer a patient to a Health Leads desk by writing a ―prescription‖ for
resources just as he/she would for medication.
The patient is sent to a Health Leads desk in clinic waiting rooms where
trained college volunteers ―fill‖ the prescription. Stations are typically
housed within pediatric outpatient, adolescent and prenatal clinics, newborn
nurseries, pediatric emergency rooms, health department clinics and
federally qualified health centers.
This year, Health Leads is projected to serve 9,300 patients and families.

4. History
 In 1996, Rebecca Onie co-founded Health Leads
(then Project HEALTH) with Dr. Barry
Zukerman, Chief of Pediatrics at Boston Medical
Center. She reached out to Zuckerman while
serving as an intern at Greater Boston Legal
Services, where she was struck by the link between
poverty and poor health.
 During her internship, Onie interviewed mothers of
children who had asthma and lung
infections, which were triggered by their housing
conditions and discovered that close to 70 percent of
the patients at Boston Medical Center are
considered poor and the children who were treated
at the clinic would later readmit to the hospital
because nothing was done to address the causes of
their illnesses.

5. History after founding
 Onie served as Executive Director for Health Leads and then
attended Harvard Law School and later worked as an associate
at Miner, Barnhill & Galland P.C. in Chicago, where her clients
included civil health centers, affordable housing
developers, and nonprofit organizations. During that
time, Onie served as founding Co-Chair of Health Leads’
Board of Directors. She returned to Health Leads as CEO in
February 2006.
 In 2009, Health Leads received a $2 million grant from Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, the nations Largest philanthropy
devoted to help Health Leads grow its model to better meet
the resource needs of patients in both current and future cities
and facilities and is currently supported by both foundations
and individual donors.

6. Our Impact
Last year, 9,000 low-income
patients and their families
were connected to the
resources they need to be
healthy. Over 50% of them
solved at least one critical
need – receive food, get their
heat turned back on, find a
job – within 90 days of getting
their ―prescription.‖ All
patients receive ongoing
follow-up until their needs One pediatrician at
are met.
Boston Medical Center explained:
―Health Leads is a part of our team. I can’t do it all. The one social worker we have can’t
do it all. We’re just barely staying above water. The Health Leads volunteers have
excellent listening skills, aren’t limited by time, realize this work is important, and are
passionate about it. They’re an exceptional group of human beings that make me proud
of humanity.‖

7. CREDITS:
WAYNE LIM
THE END
LO HO YIN
SHANE MUN
GABRIEL LEE
33RD G-07