EHF announced it has approved $1.9 million in December to benefit eight new grant partners working to improve community health. This is the fourth group of grants the Foundation’s Board of Directors has awarded helping to create healthy communities for all. This brings the Foundation’s total grants for 2015 to $16.5 million.
“Many of these new grant partners demonstrate the importance of collaboration in making important changes needed to advance community health,” said Elena Marks, EHF’s president and CEO. “It’s the kind of thinking necessary for communities to connect and then drive change needed to make a difference.”
EHF’s investments to these new grant partners support the Foundation’s strategies to support community-based primary care, increase access to quality health services, and support mental health and wellness. Grants are not only awarded for programs and projects, but many grants support an organization’s operations or strengthening staff and management for the future.
Grants announced include:
- $100,000 to the Northeast Texas Public Health District in Tyler (Smith County)
Strategy: Capacity Building
Grant supports the funding of a joint project coordinator for a behavioral health and indigent care community initiative in Tyler. The project is the result of EHF’s role as a convener to help 10 stakeholders (three hospitals, three clinics, two mental health providers, public health department, and medical society) develop a formal coordinated system to ensure Smith County residents can access community-based primary care in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
This collaborative approach to problem solving also includes EHF community-based research and originated through a volunteer health committee serving at Christ Church Episcopal Church in Tyler.
- $200,000 to the Lone Star Circle of Care (Bastrop County)
Strategy: Comprehensive, community-based primary care
Grant provides operating support for Lone Star Circle of Care’s new Bastrop clinic, including a comprehensive outreach plan and dedicated staff to strengthen access to health services for uninsured residents in Bastrop County.
- $125,200 to Vecino Health Centers (Harris County)
Strategy: Comprehensive, community-based primary care
Grant supports a collaborative partnership by four Houston-based federally qualified health centers: Vecino Health, Spring Branch Community Health Center, Houston Area Community Services and El Centro de Corazón. The partnership is identifying innovative structures to expand and enhance patient care services and reduce overhead expenses. Too often clinics work in isolation, duplicate services and incur significant costs because of working alone. These clinics are teaming up to coordinate care, promote best practices, and reduce overall costs to each clinic.
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By the Numbers $100,100 to increase access to health services $425,200 to support comprehensive, community-based primary care $1,100,000 to support capacity building for organizations $317,289 to support mental health and wellness |
Entire list of new Grant Partners:
Casa Marianella (Travis County)
$100,100
Strategy: Access to health services
Grant is to provide access to physical and mental health care for homeless immigrants in Austin.
Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin (Bastrop, Burnet, Travis and Williamson counties)
$1,000,000
Strategy: Capacity building
Grant is to educate medical students, resident and practicing physicians about value-based health care and to teach them how to develop and implement new value-based, patient-centered care models.
Family Service Center of Galveston County (Galveston County)
$85,000
Strategy: Support mental health and wellness
Grant is to provide ongoing mental and behavioral health services for indigent and working poor individuals at the center’s clinic located at St. Vincent’s House.
Lone Star Circle of Care (Bastrop County)
$200,000
Strategy: Comprehensive, community-based primary care
Grant provides operating support for Lone Star Circle of Care’s new Bastrop clinic, including a comprehensive outreach plan and dedicated staff to strengthen access to health services for uninsured residents in Bastrop County.
Northeast Texas Public Health Distrcit (Smith County)
$100,000
Strategy: Capacity building
Grant supports the funding of a joint project coordinator for a behavioral health and indigent care community initiative in Tyler.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties)
$232,289
Strategy: Mental health and wellness
Grant is to provide comprehensive mental health services to children at risk of being maltreated and to their families. Grant is also to explore the feasibility of developing a tele-health program for mental health care for families with CPS involvement living in rural counties.
Vecino Health Centers (Harris County)
$100,000
Strategy: Comprehensive, community-based primary care
Grant is to provide operating support for Vecino Health Centers to provide medical, dental and mental health services at Denver Harbor Family Clinic and the Airline Children’s Clinic.
Vecino Health Centers (Harris County)
$125,200
Strategy: Comprehensive, community-based primary care
Grant supports a collaborative partnership by four Houston-based federally qualified health centers (Vecino Health Centers, Spring Branch Community Health Center, Houston Area Community Services and El Centro de Corazón) to identify innovative structures to expand and enhance patient care services and reduce overhead expenses.
