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Augusta Health Community Benefit Committee awards grants to community partners

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augusta-health-headerEach year, the Community Benefit Committee of the Augusta Health Board of Directors awards single-year and multi-year grants to non-profit and governmental community partners for programs that address the health priorities identified in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), and that closely align to the mission and strategic initiatives of Augusta Health.

This year, the Committee awarded eight single-year grants and two multi-year grants totaling more than $220,000.  Additionally, $90,000 was disbursed as the second year of the multi-year grants awarded in 2014.

“Our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment identified several health needs within our community, and then we defined priorities from those needs,” said Arona Richard, Chair of the Community Benefit Committee.  “While some of these priorities can be addressed directly by Augusta Health, many of them require coordination with others in the community.  Providing financial support to those who have expertise and experience in addressing these priorities is a very effective way to meet the community’s needs.  If we are going to improve the overall health of our community, we must partner and collaborate to affect change.”

Since more than 20 applications were received, and requests exceeded the available funds, the committee conducted a detailed review process to determine which programs had the greatest connection to the health priorities defined in the CHNA.

The single-year grants awarded were awarded to:

  • Valley Hope Counseling Center:  $20,000 for low-fee mental health counseling services, which aligns with the priority of access to care for low-income patients with mental health issues, and the strategic initiative of integrating mental health and primary care;
  • Valley Program for Aging Services:  $12,000 for chronic disease self-management education, and helps improve the access of chronic disease programs similar to Augusta Health’s into the community;
  • Valley Mission:  $20,000 for in-house mental health services, both group and individual sessions, which aligns with the priority of access to care for low-income patients with mental health issues, and the strategic initiative of integrating mental health and primary care;
  • Mary Baldwin College:  $5,000 for Beat Cancer Boot Camp, which will extend the continuum of services to those in our community with cancer, a top priority for the community and Augusta Health;
  • Shenandoah Valley Community Focus (Office on Youth):  $14,450 for Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs, which will reach a large number of young people with educational resources to help them make healthy decisions;
  • Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery:  $10,000 for case management, training and behavioral supports, which complements and extends health services into the community for residents brain injuries;
  • Rockbridge Area Transportation System: $9,528 to provide transportation for low-income Rockbridge County residents to Staunton-Augusta County-Waynesboro health providers, increasing access to care for those in need of primary care, cancer care, and heart disease and chronic disease management, all priorities for both the community and Augusta Health;
  • Salvation Army-Waynesboro:  $21,154 for a one-time pilot project to help support and direct families transitioning out of poverty to needed health services such as access to primary care, chronic disease management, mental health services, and insurance and prescription options.

The multi-year grants awarded were awarded to:

  • Blue Ridge Court Services:  $50,250 ($16,750/year for three years) to provide community-based cognitive behavioral therapeutic groups for local offenders with mental health issues, providing access to care and integrating mental health care into an at-risk population;
  • Augusta Regional Dental Clinic: $60,000 ($20,000/year for three years) to provide dental care for underserved diabetic and chronic disease patients, which improves access to care for chronic disease patients, extending needed services to them that Augusta Health does not provide.

The continuing multi-year grants are:

  • Augusta Regional Dental Clinic: $60,000 ($20,000/year for three years) to provide access to oral surgery for uninsured and underinsured patients who meet income guidelines, providing a needed preventive health service that Augusta Health does not provide ;
  • Augusta Regional Clinic: $60,000 ($20,000/year for three years) to provide support for implementation of an Electronic Health Record to improve chronic disease identification and management for uninsured and underinsured patients;
  • Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation: $100,000 ($50,000/year for two years) to provide support for full-time Career Coaches in all local high schools to improve educational attainment and address the socioeconomic factors identified in the CHNA that impact the health of our community.

The Community Benefit Committee is a committee of the Augusta Health Board of Directors.  Augusta Health’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of our community through access to excellent care.  Named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in America by Thomson Reuters in both 2011 and 2012, Augusta Health has also been nationally recognized by HealthGrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for clinical excellence and patient safety for the last three consecutive years, and has been name one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2015.

For more information about Augusta Health, its programs or its services, please contact Public Relations at 540.245.7329 or visit our website, www.augustahealth.com.

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