The Neighborhood Model of Care: What Makes Storyline Different

“There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”
— Fred Rogers

At Storyline Health Navigation, kindness isn’t a tagline. It’s the compass that guides everything we do—from how we structure our visits to how we listen when someone says, “I don’t even know where to start.” Healthcare often gets reduced to checkboxes and throughput. But we believe it should first be about people. That belief is rooted in something simple: a neighborhood. Not the kind with long commutes and garage doors that close before you can wave hello—but the kind Mister Rogers gently reminded us is still possible. The kind where someone notices you haven’t been feeling well. Where presence is part of care. Storyline was created to bring that kind of relational, deeply human model back into the healthcare experience.

We know that loneliness doesn’t just feel bad—it makes us sick. Research has shown that isolation is as dangerous to our health as smoking or obesity, contributing to everything from heart disease to earlier death. But just as loneliness harms, community heals. That’s why we don’t just help people understand their medical records or get ready for a specialist visit—we also help you find support nearby. Whether it’s a free diabetes class, a grief group at a local church, or a park where a walking group meets every Tuesday, we believe knowing what’s available to you locally is a vital part of your health plan.

We also know that not everyone wants—or is able—to live in a walkable, community-centered neighborhood. People have different preferences, needs, and resources when choosing where to live. Some love the quiet of the suburbs. Some need to be close to family or schools. Others wish they could relocate but can’t. That’s okay. You don’t have to want a front porch or a corner coffee shop to be part of the Storyline community. What you do have is our promise: no matter where you live, we will help you find places of connection.

That might look like a local pickleball group. It might be a choir, a quilting circle, or a recurring appointment at the community center. It might be a faith group, a grief group, or a therapy group. Our job is to notice what brings life to your story—and help you access more of it.

As a team, we live this way, too. Many of our clinicians have chosen to live in places where you can walk to the store or see your neighbors on the sidewalk. We teach in classrooms. We serve in churches. We join community boards. We want to be the kind of neighbors who help rebuild what’s been lost in a world that often feels disconnected. And that same attentiveness shows up in how we care. Our visits are 30–60 minutes long because it takes time to understand someone’s whole story. We don’t rush through lists. We listen for what matters most—and we make space for the parts that don’t fit neatly into a chart.

“I think the best thing we can do is to let people know that each one of them is precious,” said Fred Rogers. That simple truth sits at the heart of our work. We begin with the belief that patients are not problems to solve. You are people, living complex lives, making brave decisions with incomplete information, often while tired or afraid. Sometimes, our job is to help you prepare for an appointment or explain your test results. But often, it’s to bear witness to your story and say, “You’re not crazy, and you’re not alone.”

And when you don’t have the words, we can help you find them. “Anything that’s human is mentionable,” Rogers also said, “and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.” We believe that too. One of the most powerful things we can do together is to speak clearly about what’s happening. And, make sure your providers understand, too. Storyline’s support helps reduce overwhelm, reduce repeat testing, reduce miscommunication. But more than that, it helps people feel heard. Known. Safer in the process of getting care.

Our goal is not just to get you through the next appointment. It’s to help you build a more grounded, supported life—with the relationships and resources you need to stay well in between visits. Because real care doesn’t start and end in the exam room. It happens in your kitchen, your neighborhood, your text messages, and your spirit. It happens in community.

Storyline is about reweaving those threads. With clarity. With presence. And, always, with kindness.