Improving the overall health and wealth of a community isn’t an easy task. It takes bold and innovative partnerships like the one of Prosper and Acclinate. NOW is the time for Birmingham residents to B-INCLUDED.
On the heels of a recession, a worldwide pandemic, and a social justice movement, we hope to do something transformative in Jefferson County and the city of Birmingham.
Prosper is a Birmingham-based coalition focused on transforming the local economy through workforce development such as job creation, preparedness, and access. This initiative centers on four (4) areas of concentration including business advisory services, Birmingham Promise, black-owned business acceleration, and the health tech industry. This partnership promises to be a worthwhile and beneficial endeavor for city residents, especially with partners like Acclinate™, a trusted digital health company working to overcome health disparities among minority communities. Acclinate™ supports Prosper by developing a health tech platform, similar to the NOWINCLUDED platform. This community health platform plans to reduce the minority wealth gap by educating Jefferson County residents on health conditions, while identifying and removing health-related barriers to employment.
“On the heels of a recession, a worldwide pandemic, and a social justice movement, we hope to do something transformative in Jefferson County and the city of Birmingham,” explains Prosper President, J.W. Carpenter. “We will bring together business, educational, civic, and entrepreneurial interests to create and grow economic opportunities for all, focusing specifically on our Black community and women.”
Prosper uniquely serves the city of Birmingham, unlike any other economic program, by providing residents access to a myriad of resources in the health, economic and community sectors. This access reflects and addresses their immediate and long-term needs in a way that is most accessible to them. The partners that support Prosper are very clear on how this new coalition is not “a program to replace good work already underway” but rather an “effort to align existing initiatives and supplement them with select, new opportunities.” Prosper and Acclinate will work in tandem with existing efforts at UAB, UAB School of Medicine, and Cooper Green to address health disparities and improve community health outcomes. For example, Live HealthSmart demonstration zones will be some of the first neighborhoods to benefit from the new platform.
Having Acclinate™ as a partner allows Prosper to provide a comprehensive suite of services to residents. Healthcare is an often-overlooked component among programs that target minority populations. Growing a healthier workforce provides opportunities for city residents to consistently thrive in their health and earning potential; thus, becoming more successful.
“Birmingham has tremendous resources, yet the needle isn’t trending in a positive direction,” shares Tiffany Whitlow, co-founder of Acclinate™. “There is no shortage of initiatives and programs, but Prosper has a focused mission to unapologetically serve the minority community. Our stakeholders are present and we are intentional with ensuring that Prosper will deliver positive outcomes for Birmingham’s minority residents.”
Additional civic partners include Mark Crosswhite, CEO of Alabama Power; Tim Vines, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield; Lee Styslinger, CEO of Altec Industries; Ray Watts, President of University of Alabama at Birmingham.