Our History

Partnerships for Community Wellness (formerly The Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness - SIPCW) has a rich history of improving health outcomes on Staten Island. We were founded on a belief that we can accomplish more together as a collective than as individuals.

Our Journey: Two Decades of Community Health & Impact

In 2003, we officially established our nonprofit status, broadening our mission to four key objectives: increasing healthcare access, reducing domestic violence, supporting Staten Island youth, and eliminating tobacco use. We began as a membership organization,founded by Richmond University Medical Center (then St. Vincent's Hospital) and Staten Island University Hospital, with an initial focus on expanding access to provider services.

Over the years, Partnerships has evolved into a leading public health institution on Staten Island, dedicated to amplifying community voices and enhancing the quality of life. With support from the Staten Island Foundation and under the leadership of Adrienne Abbate, our founding Executive Director, we established the TYSA coalition in 2011 to address youth substance use.

TYSA was our pioneering initiative to employ a collective impact approach in addressing Staten Island's drug misuse crisis. This strategy recognizes that complex public health challenges demand coordinated efforts across multiple sectors. This initiative gained further momentum in 2014 when we received our first federal SAMHSA grant, specifically supporting TYSA's efforts among youth aged 12 to 17. The same year, we actively advocated for the introduction of New York State’s ISTOP - Prescription Monitoring Program, a crucial step in combating prescription drug misuse. Building on this success, 2015 saw an expansion of TYSA's reach, thanks to NYS OASAS funding, allowing us to include young adults aged 18 to 25 in our substance use prevention work. In 2020, the scope of TYSA's focus broadened even further to incorporate mental health alongside substance use, recognizing the importance of addressing co-occurring behavioral health illnesses. Through Partnerships' guidance, TYSA forged a shared vision for better behavioral health outcomes, identified service gaps and needs, and collaborated with partners to enhance those services.

Beyond youth and child health, we've made significant progress in other areas of community wellness. In 2017, we launched the Child Wellness Initiative to combat childhood obesity. This initiative grew to include the Staten Island Asthma Initiative in 2019, creating a more comprehensive approach to youth chronic health issues. A notable advocacy achievement in 2017 was the successful removal of alcohol advertisements on MTA properties.

Partnerships for Community Wellness also expanded into maternal health in 2019 with RUMC funding to support Project LAUNCH work on the North Shore. This marked a new chapter, bringing our expertise to a crucial aspect of community well-being.

More recently, we've made strategic internal shifts to better serve the community. In 2020, there was an intentional shift towards a stronger diversity, equity, and inclusion approach across all projects, ensuring that our work is equitable and accessible to all. This commitment to community engagement deepened in 2023 with a move towards more community-facing services, achieved through the expansion of our outreach team.

Today, Partnerships continues to utilize this collective model, leveraging the expertise and resources of community leaders and members to tackle complex health issues. Our primary focus areas include:

Our work is rooted in the collaborative efforts of healthcare providers, community members, and government agencies. We foster a space for this vital teamwork, empowering our community to live healthy, thriving lives.

Partnerships for Community Wellness (formerly The Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness - SIPCW) has a rich history of improving health outcomes on Staten Island. We began as a membership organization, founded by our local hospital leadership, with an initial focus on expanding access to provider services. Partnerships officially transitioned into a charitable nonprofit in 2003 to expand healthcare access and tackle pressing public health challenges. Over the decades, we pioneered collective impact initiatives on Staten Island—launching the TYSA behavioral health coalition in 2011 to address youth substance use and mental health, introducing the Child Wellness and Asthma Initiatives to combat youth chronic illnesses, and expanding into maternal health with Project LAUNCH in 2019. Backed by an intentional shift toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2020 and a major expansion of our direct community outreach team in 2023, we continue to unite healthcare providers, community leaders, and residents to drive equitable, positive health outcomes across the borough.