HOUSTON (September 29, 2015) - The Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) today announced it has approved $3.1 million in September to benefit 24 new grant partners working to transform community health. This is the third 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 $8.7 million.

 

“To dramatically improve the health of communities, we need to set our sights on health, not just healthcare,” said Elena Marks, EHF’s president and CEO. “Many of our new grant partners demonstrate a clear focus on health and a move toward doing things differently.”

 

The majority of EHF’s investments to these new grant partners support the Foundation’s strategy to increase access to quality health services. EHF has six additional strategies to help strengthen health systems and connect communities to achieve better community health. Each of these new grant partners meets one of the seven key strategies. 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:

 

 

Grant supports the 2016 Health of Houston survey. Conducted by Dr. Stephen Linder, the survey identifies and documents unmet health needs and disparities in health status, health risks, access to health services and vulnerability to disease and disabilities. The survey will gather information at a zip-code level and is the only health survey of its kind in the Houston area. It will be invaluable in guiding decisions affecting the health and well-being of the entire region. The survey is also supported by a grant from Houston Endowment.

 

 

Grant supports the strengthening of the Phoenix Center’s mental health services to children and families who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse or another form of trauma. The Center primarily works with rural, low-income families at its clinic in Marble Falls.

 

 

Grant supports PCIC’s groundbreaking program to improve the health of frequent ER patients in Harris County, while dramatically reducing the overall costs to the health system. PCIC works to identify patients who chronically use the ER as their only source of medical care and coordinate their health care with primary care physicians and other services instead. Among participants in the PCIC program, there has been a 56% reduction in 911 calls, 67% reduction in ambulance trips to the ER and a 52% reduction in patient costs ($114,640 in savings). 

 

 

 

Entire list of new Grant Partners:
 

Grant is to support prevention and care strategies to vulnerable communities and to implement an Affordable Care Act Integration Sustainability Program (ACAISP).

 

Grant is to support ACAM's Health Benefits Access Project – a collaborative designed to enhance access to healthcare benefits/financial assistance. Grant will help the project expand to new areas, demonstrate impact and assist partners in building self-sufficiency program models.

 

Grant is to support the reduction of the spread of communicable diseases among active drug users and to connect clients to support and health services.

 

Grant is to provide operating support for the community health clinic in Tyler.

 

Grant is to support Capital Idea's Career Navigation program as it works to strengthen and build a network of health providers by offering wrap-around support and counseling services to low-income adults working toward careers in healthcare.

 

Grant is to support analysis of policy and education of stakeholders in order to expand access to health services for the underserved.

 

Grant is to provide school-based mental health and dental services for vulnerable and underserved students.

 

Grant is to educate Texas consumers about their health insurance coverage options and to build capacity for enrollment in appropriate Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace insurance plans.

 

Grant is to expand access to mental health care and benefit enrollment services for vulnerable populations in northwest Houston.

 

Grant is to assist low-income patients of the Harris Health system in meeting insurance premiums for plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.

 

Grant is to support the expansion of dental services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

Grant is to develop a fundraising and administrative support team to increase philanthropic revenue.

 

Grant is to increase capacity in staffing and physical space to allow for clinic expansion and to facilitate long-term sustainability.

 

Grant is to provide dental care as part of an integrated health home for a large, underserved multi-cultural community in the greater Alief area. Clinic is operated by the Asian American Health Coalition of the Greater Houston Area, Inc.

 

Grant is to provide operational support for integrated healthcare services for homeless Houstonians and capacity building to plan and implement strategic clinical models.

 

Grant is to expand patient navigation, coordination of care, and integration of medical and mental health services within a Federally Qualified Health Center in Bay City.

 

Grant is to provide primary care and reproductive health services through the Baylor Teen Clinic at Lee High School in southwest Houston.

 

Grant is to provide mental health services to uninsured and under-insured children at ACGC's main campus and five local high-needs charter schools.

 

Grant is to support a Communities in Schools program that combines case management, counseling, enrichment and parental involvement to assist at-risk students who are having difficulty in the areas of academics, behavior and attendance.

 

Grant is to increase access to mental health services for the vulnerable uninsured and under-insured.

 

Grant is to support the center's 2015-2016 SET for LIFE mental health program.