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KANSAS CITY, MO – The Health Forward Foundation (Health Forward) approved nearly $7 million in safety net health grants at its November board meeting. The grants were awarded to 51 organizations in the Health Forward service area that seek to improve access to health care for the uninsured and underserved.
As a testimony to the struggling economy, the increasing number of uninsured and rising health care costs, Health Forward received 93 requests that totaled over $19 million, the highest amount of safety net funds requested since Health Forward began grantmaking in 2005.
“It is clear through the number of applications we received that the need for Health Forward funding is greater now more than ever before. Non-profits are in a position where they are providing more services to more people while having less resources,” said Mary Lou Jaramillo, Chairman of the Health Forward Board of Directors. “We are pleased to award these grants to help agencies provide needed health care services to low-income individuals and families.”
All grant applications were reviewed by Health Forward staff and outside reviewers. Based on the recommendations of the outside reviewers, the Health Forward board approved the following grants:
Catholic Charities of Kansas City – St. Joseph, Inc., $349,860 UMKC School of Dentistry, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood, Swope Health Services. Seton Center, Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center Two-year grant to support the cost of dentures and pre-denture care for adult Medicaid patients.
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, $345,393 To purchase a digital mammographic machine that will allow the center to serve 770 women, a 41% increase over the current machine.
Kansas City Free Health Clinic, $300,000 To cover staff costs, equipment, supplies and other direct project expenses for its general medicine and dental care programs.
Legal Aid of Western Missouri, $294,038 Children’s Mercy Hospital To provide quality legal assistance to patients whose health problems may have a legal solution.
Metropolitan Community College Foundation/Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City, $272,727 For MCC’s Radiologic Technology program to purchase a state-of-the-art imaging system that will be housed at the new Health Sciences Institute.
Community Network for Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. (CommCare), $248,000 Lee’s Summit Missouri Police Department, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Kansas City, ReDiscover To enhance the availability of services by promoting CIT trainings to police departments throughout Jackson County, creating a dedicated staff person at ReDiscover who can provide on-scene mental health interventions, and strengthen the linkage between CIT interventions and long-term case management.
Truman Medical Center, Inc., $240,850 To support staff costs , medical equipment, supplies and other direct expenses to create a single ‘virtual clinic’ to standardize management of patients in anticoagulation management therapy, using new software, new testing equipment, and a new anticoagulation management nurse.
Sheffield Place, $235,000 HOPE Health Research Institute To support the costs of a full time nurse practitioner, contractual arrangements with providers, equipment and supplies, and other personnel needed to deliver health care services at the organization’s site.
ReDiscover, $227,224 Swope Health Services, NAMI-KC, Community Resource Network To implement and execute an integrated program for patients at ReDiscover and Swope Health Services to receive coordinated medical and mental health treatment.
Health Partnership Clinic of Johnson County, $200,000 To support clinic staff to develop and implement a quality improvement program; develop and implement a care coordination program for patients with diabetes; and shift to patient centered scheduling as part of the clinic’s transition to a medical home model of care.
KU Health Partners, $200,000 To deliver a broad range of primary care, health education and health prevention services to manage illness, injury and chronic disease to Health Forward’s target population.
Seton Center Family & Health Services, $200,000 To support the professional staff, supplies, and direct medical care costs associated with the Adopt-a-School Dental Care program and Indigent Dental Care fund.
Turner House Clinic Inc, $200,000 To provide ongoing core support for staff salaries and benefits, pharmaceutical and lab expenses, clinic and office supplies, lease expenses, and technology
West Central Missouri Community Action Agency, $200,000 To expand comprehensive health care services to an increasing number of medically indigent women of all ages who lack access to health screenings and treatment, and reproductive health and healthy life choices education.
Riverview Health Services Inc., $180,000 To fund an advanced practice nurses to help individuals manage diabetes and hypertension.
Duchesne Clinic, $175,000 To provide core operating support to Duchesne Clinic, including funding a portion of salaries for a clinic manager, patient advocate, nurse manager, nurse practitioner, and part-time physician.
Cristo Rey Kansas City, $155,000 Central City Catholic Schools To support health teams on-site at Cristo Rey KC and the Central City Catholic Schools to provide or coordinate screenings and follow up care, maintain appropriate health plans for students with chronic diseases, and secure needed medical, dental and/or mental health coverage for which the students qualify.
Cabot Westside Health Center, $153,600 To support the cost of an additional dentist, dental assistant and dental receptionist, supplies, and services such as radiology and pathology for Cabot’s Oral Health program.
El Centro, Inc., $150,000 To implement the Community Healthcare Navigation Initiative, which will increase the effectiveness of health outreach efforts and assist in creating access to healthcare for underserved populations.
United Way of Greater Kansas City, Inc., $150,000 To support a Health Care Advocate who handles health-related calls and follows up on difficult cases for the 2-1-1 information phone line.
reStart, Inc., $142,000 To support the Healthy Starts program by adding specialized staff to meet with program staff and shelter guests on a weekly basis to discuss common health conditions among homeless persons and health promotion strategies.
Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation, $125, 000 To support Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet, which provides emergency medical assistance to low-income individuals throughout the metro area by providing funds to help secure needed dental care, supplies, durable medical goods, medication, and vision care.
City of Kansas City, Missouri,16th Judicial Circuit Family Court Division, $124, 000 Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Legal Aid of Western Missouri To enhance the development of the Kansas City Municipal Drug Court Program(KCMDC) by supporting the human resources necessary to provide effective program functioning.
Comprehensive Mental Health Services, Inc., $118,363 To purchase equipment and cover other expenses associated with implementing a telepsychiatry program.
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of Greater Kansas City, $116,850 Research Psychiatric Hospital To train Emergency Department physicians, nurses, technicians, intake and security employees to be more effective first responders to crises involving persons with mental illness.
Operation Breakthrough, Inc., $105,450 To support a full-time certified pediatric dental hygienist and a part-time dental coordinator to enable the dental clinic to provide preventive and corrective dental care to all enrolled children and their siblings and parents.
Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute, $104,735 To provide radiation oncology services to approximately 30 uninsured individuals from Jackson County.
Rose Brooks Center, Inc., $100,000 To support a portion of the salary and benefits of the Director of Residential Services, Director of Clinical Services, Director of Community Programs, Shelter Advocate, and Lead Housekeeper.
Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Services of Greater Kansas City, $99,922 To cover the operating costs associated with Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care’s provision of safety net health care.
Sunflower House, Inc., $95,052 To provide on-site, comprehensive forensic medical exams of children alleging physical or sexual abuse.
The Family Conservancy, $95,000 To provide pre-natal family education, combined with direct pre-natal care, case management, home visiting and mental health care, for high-risk Latino families.
Mid-America Regional Council Community Services Corporation, Mid-America Head Start, $89,400 To provide training for Head Start family advocates, parent support and education, transportation to and from medical appointments, interpretation and translation services, and physical/dental exams with two follow up visits if needed
Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA), $82,645 To provide therapy, family support and a Bi-lingual Case Manager/Educator for residents of Jackson County.
Cancer Action Inc, $78,000 For direct supplies for under-served cancer patients including: nutritional supplements for those undergoing cancer treatment, prescription assistance, medical equipment and supplies such as catheters, commodes and wheelchairs.
DeLaSalle Education Center, $76, 572 To support DeLaSalle’s ‘Team of Care,’, which provides initial assessments, treatment planning, follow-up services, referrals, and monitoring for students who display antisocial behavior, anger problems, and emotional distress.
Kansas City Community Center, $75,000 To cover the cost of a consultant to assist with in-depth planning for capacity building.
Missouri Dental Foundation, $75,000 Cabot Westside Clinic, Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Samuel U. Rodgers Community Health Center, Seton Center Family and Health Services, Southwest Boulevard Family Health Services To support partial compensation of UMKC School of Dentistry faculty and dental students in an effort to expand treatment capacity at specific safety-net clinics throughout Kansas City.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, $75,000 To purchase the equipment and contractor necessary to update Planned Parenthood’s technology infrastructure to support patient data management software.
KU Endowment Association, $72,555 KU School of Law, KU School of Medicine, Southwest Boulevard Family Healthcare Clinic To support the JayDoc Free Clinic by providing support clinic and equipment and The Medical-Legal Family Health Project by supporting the salary of an immigration attorney.
Black Health Care Coalition, Inc., $65,000 To support the “SISTA” (Sisters Informing Sisters on the Topics of AIDS) program for women who are at high risk for HIV infection, in the Jackson County Jail and the Kansas City Municipal Correctional Institution.
Good Samaritan Project, $63,173 To support a Project Coordinator and support staff to oversee the Youth Prevention Project: STD/HIV Services for High-Risk Young People.
Virginia Brown Community Orthodontic Partnership (Smiles Change Lives), $63,000 To provide access to full orthodontic care for 40 qualified, underserved youth.
Friends Of Johnson County Nursing Center Inc., $60,000 To support the salary of a Behavioral Health Specialist who’ll serve as a resource for direct care staff, provide education and training to staff, offer family education, conduct critical incident debriefing, and ensure continuity of care and access to mental health services for residents.
Greater Kansas City LINC Inc., $60,000 Kansas City Health Department, Center School District, Hickman Mills School District, Swope Health Services To do further research on the feasibility of a primary care clinic within the Center School District for underserved residents of south Kansas City.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Inc, $57,296 To provide oral health care to uninsured families at a new, full service, full-time dental clinic in Iola, Kansas.
Women’s 12-Step Recovery Center, Inc. d/b/a Friendship House/Catherine’s Place, $55,000 To assist the Direct Access Plus project in providing weekly access to a nurse practitioner, access to dental care every other week, easier access to transportation to Truman Medical Center, and a new curriculum on how to access the healthcare system.
Little Sisters of the Poor dba Jeanne Jugan Center, $51,525 To replace 45 crank beds with electric beds with foam mattresses that are waterproof and have been proven to help prevent bed sores, falls and staff injuries.
Olathe Family Resource Center/Johnson County Community College, $50,000 To support a Hispanic Wellness Case Manager who is bi-lingual and familiar with community resources in Johnson County to work with underserved Hispanic Families.
The Children’s Mercy Hospital, $50,000 To support the Children at Risk Evaluation (CARE) Clinic, which provides open access medical evaluations for children at risk for abuse, neglect, and failure to thrive.
Jackson County Free Health Clinic, $29,770 Kansas City Free Health Clinic For supplies and other direct expenses related to the Diabetes Program.
Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County, $18,000 To provide transportation vouchers through primary care providers in Lafayette County to remove a major barrier to accessing health care in rural areas.
