Providence partners with TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods charity:

Addressing health disparities and guiding students toward health care careers

At the heart of the partnership is addressing health equity and inspiring a diverse workforce by providing meaningful career paths, access to health education and health care navigation. The program, known as Empowered Health, will operate out of !

“Providence lives its vision of health for a better world by partnering with like-hearted organizations to build upon each other’s strengths and create innovative and effective solutions,” said Kevin Manemann, chief executive, Providence South Division. “Based on the TGR Foundation model, Empowered Health is positioned to increase access to health care for families and also to help children explore career paths in the "

The two organizations realized a dynamic synergy when they began working together in the early days of the pandemic to distribute COVID-19 care packages during peak surges. Providence mental health therapists have engaged with families and students served by TGR Foundation through a series of workshops in Spanish.

Empowered Health is an evolution of that solution-based team focus. It will invest in youth, families and the community by providing health education and easily accessible health programs that provide multi-generational care in a trusted environment that addresses routine as well as delicate adolescent and adult wellness topics.

This partnership is in line with the Providence mission of outreach to its communities. Employee surveys show this outreach resonates with caregivers at three Orange County Providence hospitals – Providence Mission Hospitals in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach, Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, and Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton – as well as Heritage physician groups and other services.

Empowered Health will complement existing TGR Foundation programs by focusing on health equity interventions, health education and workforce development. Equally important, Empowered Health will provide services in a welcoming environment for the whole family.

Health Equity

• Pop-up health clinics will provide free health screenings at the TGR Learning Lab.

• Empowered Health will provide multigenerational care that is focused on health equity interventions such as vaccines and blood pressure.

• When a higher level of care is needed, Providence will connect patients to providers.

• Providence will form community advisory panels to help guide care teams in designing culturally appropriate patient journeys, ensuring all patients experience exceptional care in a welcoming environment.

Health Education

• Empowered Health will provide webinars featuring health topics for children, adolescents and adults. The multilingual programs will focus on culturally sensitive adolescent and adult wellness topics.

• Health education events (online and in person) and health fairs will be hosted at the TGR Learning Lab.

Workforce Development

• Empowered Health will work to connect students’ passions to the variety of opportunities in health care careers through a dedicated pathway program.

• Through TGR Foundation’s Pathway Program, Providence will provide meaningful group and 1:1 experiences in addition to student mentoring from health care professionals.

• Mentorships and internships will provide opportunities for real-time and real-life experiences not available in a classroom setting while providing volunteer opportunities for Providence providers and caregivers.

• Community Health Worker programs will train students to work in public health, health care and social services. Since many Community Health Workers return to their neighborhoods, they can effectively build connections between at-risk communities and health care providers.

In recent years, Providence responded to the spotlight on inequities in communities of color by expanding its investment through a robust health equity program to provide resources including COVID vaccinations, health monitoring and links to primary care.

Last year, Providence provided $299 million in grants and programs to help combat social determinants of mental and physical health including poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and chronic mental and physical conditions.

Providence and TGR Foundation are committed to creating health for a better world by reducing health disparities and resource inequities while improving the social factors that affect health. Through the partnership, both organizations are committed to investing in youth and empowering them to thrive.

“We look forward to partnering with Providence, an organization that shares our goal of empowering students to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams,” said Woods, who founded TGR Foundation.