Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) Pre-Conference Session

Sponsored & Presented by Louisiana Healthcare Connections

COPE is an interactive, immersive learning experience designed to help participants better understand the real-life challenges individuals and families face when living in poverty. Unlike a traditional training, this experience places participants in simulated, real-world scenarios, grounded in lived experiences, so they can see firsthand how social determinants of health, systemic barriers, and daily stressors impact decision-making, behavior, and engagement with care.

Why this matters for FQHCs

For Community Health Centers, COPE provides valuable insight into:

• How poverty affects patient access, adherence, and outcomes
• The role of trauma-informed and equity-centered care in improving engagement
• Opportunities to strengthen patient-provider relationships through empathy and trust
• Practical ways to adapt care delivery and workflows to better meet patient needs

Participants leave with a deeper understanding that directly supports more responsive, compassionate, and effective care delivery across clinical and community settings.

Who should attend

This experience is ideal for Community Health Center staff at all levels, including:

• Front-line team members (patient access, outreach, care coordination)
• Clinical staff and providers
• Program managers and community engagement teams
• Executive leadership and CEOs

Because it brings everyone into the same shared experience, COPE is especially impactful in building organizational alignment and a shared lens of empathy.