Common Table Health Alliance

The Common Table Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization in Memphis that focuses on healthcare improvement with help from local organizations, coalitions, schools, churches, etc. Their efforts to improve the city bring people around the “common table” that creates a greater difference and a positive change to our region. They have a determined goal to provide strength and education to achieve the greater impact for our city. The Justice in Health Care foundation was formed originally to encourage an improved healthcare system, which three years later formed the Healthy Memphis Common Table. This developed into the idea which focuses on a more wide-spread collaboration to improve health quality no matter the area.

Their impact has worked to close the inequality gap we have in Memphis through different programs and funding. These initiatives and programs cover a vast amount of problems ranging from the mission to reduce chronic disease occurrences, empowering children to choose healthy life styles and choices, activating communities to take action when it comes to health disparities, and leading a change by raising the standard acceptable quality for care in Memphis. One of these impacts include CTHA’s Project Better Care Initiative, which increased the number of diabetic patients who received A1c testing by 31%. Moreover, their Diabetes for Life Initiative trained and cached 600 participants in managing their care through their program.

However, the Common Table Health Alliance does not stop there; they reach to problems from fitness to breast cancer. I had the pleasure to attend their Breast Cancer 901 event back in December where they reached out to many women in Memphis to provide and educate women and girls on the importance of their health. Th is connects to their overall mission “to achieve health equity through trusted collaborations, partnerships and direct services.” The Common Table does not focus on status or wealth in our community but rather trying to bring the community together and improve the health of our whole city. I also think their mission is unique because rather than focusing on one
issue in a community they have a broader outlook over our whole city to improve many sectors we as a community need help in. To do this, they create programs and fund to improve poor health and prevent chronic disease due to lack of education, financial stability, and quality throughout the Greater Memphis area.

Th e Common Table Health Alliance is conducted under Kiki Hall who began in August of last year. She desires to solve the health and wellness disparities in our region and sees the hard work she has in front of her. However, I have no doubt that Common Table will continue to make a difference and remain influencing our community through health. To do this and carry out their impactful mission, Common Table aims to work through grants and charitable donations. By doing this, anyone in the community can feel they have made a difference as well and have made an important impact. If you wish to donate, you can go online and simply donate through their website to make your difference and help Common Table help our community by contributing to their mission.