Partner Spotlight: Gulf Coast Connection Services

Give us a quick overview of your organization.
Gulf Coast Connection Services (GCCS) is a Mississippi Gulf Coast–based, non-clinical community organization focused on reducing social isolation, improving digital inclusion, and helping older adults remain connected to their families and communities. GCCS provides hands-on technology support, digital literacy education, resident workshops, family communication assistance, access to tablets and adaptive technology, and other connection-centered services for residents of nursing homes and assisted living communities.

The organization was founded around a simple belief: technology should never replace human connection — it should help make connection more accessible. GCCS works directly with residents and facilities to understand what people actually need rather than assuming what services will be most helpful.

How long have you been in business?
GCCS was founded in 2026 and is currently in its early growth and pilot phase on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Where are you located, and what’s your service area?
GCCS is based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and currently serves communities throughout the Gulf Coast region, with a primary focus on nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other senior-serving organizations.

Optional: What do you enjoy most about your job?
“What I enjoy most is seeing the moment frustration turns into confidence. Sometimes the problem is as simple as a phone setting, but fixing it can mean someone is able to talk to their child again, see a grandchild’s face, learn something new, or simply feel less dependent on others. Those moments are why GCCS exists.”
— Vanessa L. Welch, Founder

What types of goals or tasks are you using Watershed to help you accomplish? Are there any partnerships that are working well?
GCCS is using Watershed to build a more efficient referral pathway between healthcare providers, long-term care communities, and non-clinical community support services. Through Watershed, GCCS can receive appropriate referrals, communicate securely with healthcare and community partners, and help connect residents and families to additional resources when needs fall outside GCCS’s scope.

The partnership is especially valuable because GCCS operates in a space that often falls between traditional healthcare and social support. Watershed gives healthcare partners a way to identify and connect people with services that address social isolation, digital access, communication barriers, and other non-clinical needs that can strongly affect quality of life.

GCCS is also actively developing relationships with nursing homes, assisted living communities, local organizations, and community partners across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

What do you think are the biggest challenges on the horizon for the healthcare industry?
One of the greatest challenges is what happens outside of direct clinical care.

Healthcare teams are managing increasingly complex patient needs while also facing staffing pressures, limited time, and growing demands for coordination across settings. At the same time, many older adults experience social isolation, digital barriers, difficulty communicating with family, and limited access to non-clinical support.

These needs may not appear on a medical chart, but they can significantly affect a person’s well-being, independence, and ability to remain engaged in their own care.

GCCS has seen this firsthand. During a recent conversation with nursing home residents, participants shared that they often have technology questions or need help with their devices but hesitate to ask already-busy staff because they do not want to feel like a burden. One resident had been unable to communicate with her son for two days after a simple phone issue and had simply put the device away.

That experience reinforced something important: healthcare cannot solve every social need through clinical staff alone. Stronger connections between healthcare providers, facilities, families, and community-based organizations will become increasingly important as the population ages.

How can folks get in touch with you?
Healthcare providers and community partners can connect with Gulf Coast Connection Services through the Watershed Health referral platform.

GCCS can also be reached directly at:

Gulf Coast Connection Services
Website: gulfcoastconnectionservices.com
Email: info@gulfcoastconnectionservices.com
Phone: 228-313-6288
Service Area: Mississippi Gulf Coast

Website and/or social media links:
Website: gulfcoastconnectionservices.com
Facebook: Gulf Coast Connection Services