Catholic Health Initiatives Presents 22 Grants For Building Healthy Communities

Catholic Health Initiatives, the nation’s third-largest Catholic health care system, has awarded 22 grants totaling more than $5 million for improving the health of communities in the U.S. and around the world. Half the grants and 52% of the grant funds are devoted to violence prevention initiatives.

This is the fifth year that CHI’s Mission and Ministry Fund has earmarked funds for community-wide initiatives designed to prevent violence. Many types of violence – relationship violence, bullying, gang activity and more – can result in the need for emergency or long-term medical and behavioral health treatment. “Violence is an epidemic in America and no community is immune,” said Kevin Lofton, president and chief executive officer of CHI. “Violence prevention is a systemwide, long-term commitment for us. With the help of grants from the Mission and Ministry Fund, our local organizations are doing excellent work. They are moving ‘upstream’ to find the places and situations in which violence can be prevented.”

Additional grants from the Mission and Ministry Fund will support an array of programs to improve the health of communities. Since it was established in 1996 with guidance from the health system’s founding congregations, the Mission and Ministry Fund has awarded 369 grants totaling more than $46.9 million.

This year’s grants will benefit a diverse set of initiatives and communities, ranging from grade school students at risk of academic failure in Garden City, Kan., to domestic workers in Ranchi, India.

Mission and Ministry Fund grants support innovative projects designed to improve the health of a community, often by serving disadvantaged individuals and populations. Applications may be submitted by CHI’s affiliated organizations, participating congregations and strategic partner organizations. All supported initiatives must meet an identified community need, invite collaboration with community partners and be replicable in other communities.

The 2013 Mission and Ministry Fund grants include:

Project Grants

Franciscan Foundation, Tacoma, Wash.
Responsive Care Coordination Program, $231,982 over two years

KentuckyOne Health, Louisville, Ky.; CHI Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.; and Catholic Health
Initiatives, Englewood, Colo.
Compassionate Care for Vulnerable Populations/Health Connections Initiative, $513,655

Mercy Housing Northwest, Pierce County, Wash.
Affordable Housing and Health Care Integration, $186,920 over three years

Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fargo, N.D.
Jeremiah Program: Empowerment Train-the-Trainer, $57,560

St. Catherine Hospital, Garden City, Kan.
Family Literacy Project, $257,487 over three years

St. Joseph Health Ministries, Lancaster, Pa.
Children’s Dental Services of Columbia, $416,129 over three years

St. Joseph Regional Health Network, Reading, Pa.
Centering Pregnancy, $236,113 over three years

Unity Family Healthcare/St. Gabriel’s Hospital, Little Falls, Minn.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Development Initiative, $488,575 over three years

International Project Grants

CHI Colorado Foundation, dba St. Anthony Health Foundation, Lakewood, Colo.
Alma Mater Hospital, Haiti: Developing a Sister-Hospital Relationship, $88,900

Fargo Division of Catholic Health Initiatives, Fargo, N.D.
Fargo Division International Mission Program, Indigenous People’s Hospital, Philippines, $102,000 over three years

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Ranchi, India
Catherine Spalding Centre, $58,668 over three years

Violence Prevention Design and Start-Up Grants, Year

Centura Health South State Region, Colorado Springs, Colo., $146,000

Violence Prevention Design and Start-Up Grants, Year 2

Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, Little Falls, Minn., $22,420

Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney, Neb., $28,128 for six months

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Nazareth, Ky., $30,000

Violence Prevention Implementation Grants

Dominican Sisters of Peace, Columbus, Ohio, $443,790 over three years

KentuckyOne Health, Lexington and London, Ky., $413,859 over three years

KentuckyOne Health, Louisville, Ky., $469,927 over three years

Mercy Foundation, Roseburg, Ore., $194,529 over two years

Saint Clare’s Foundation, Denville, N.J., $110,593

Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, $515,685 over three years

St. Catherine Hospital, Garden City, Kan., $384,645 over three years

About Catholic Health Initiatives: Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health system with headquarters in Englewood,Colo. The faith-based system operates in 18 states and includes 86 hospitals; 40 long-term care,assisted- and residential-living facilities; two academic medical centers; two community healthservices organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. CHI is the nation’s third-largest faith-based health system, with annual operating revenues of more than $12 billion and approximately 85,500 employees. In fiscal year 2012, CHI provided more than $715 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics,education and research.