Sacred Heart Hospital has received a $75,000 “World of Difference” grant from The Cigna Foundation for a “Wellness Navigator” who will support patients and families of the Allentown Family Practice in Sacred Heart’s Sigal Center for Family Medicine.

The Wellness Navigator is a bilingual professional who acts as a single point of contact for patients, helping them with follow-up appointments and testing and serving as a source of information on community services such as housing, public assistance and child care.

“This new funding will enable the hospital to build upon our commitment to the health of our patients who are also our neighbors by supporting bilingual education about a disease that greatly impacts their health and the wellness of their whole family,” said Holly Edinger, Sacred Heart Hospital Director of Community and Government Affairs.

The American Diabetes Association reports that compared to non-Hispanic whites, the risk of a diabetes diagnosis is 1.7 times higher among Hispanics-Latinos.

David Figliuzzi, executive director of the Cigna Foundation, underscored the importance of the Wellness Navigator role and its fit with the Foundation’s mission to help guide the underserved through the medical and social service system.

“By providing timely, language-appropriate answers about health insurance, the Wellness Navigator ensures that patients feel financially secure in seeking health care. The Wellness Navigator develops and presents programs for patients to increase their knowledge and understanding of key health issues that are highly prevalent in the community around the hospital,” Figliuzzi said.

The Wellness Navigator and a team of Allentown Family Practice physicians will develop and conduct proactive education programs on the symptoms and treatment of diabetes, the impact of obesity, and better nutrition to mitigate diabetes.