Regence Foundation grants $310,000 to improve Oregon safety net health clinics
Awards emphasize need for improved mental health services and access to care
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Regence Foundation announced today it awarded $310,000 to support health care safety net services in Medford, Portland and the St. Helens/Scappoose area. The grants focus on safety net services, including mental health care, for Oregonians.
“We believe that access to quality, affordable care – both for physical and mental health – is the basis for a strong community,” said Michael Alexander, Regence Foundation board chair. “That’s why The Regence Foundation supports organizations that connect people to care close to home.”
Asante Health Systems – Medford, OR
The Foundation has awarded $250,000 to Asante Health Systems to launch Navigating Troubled Waters, a program dedicated to improving care for patients diagnosed with mental illness. The program will have an emphasis on rural, low-income and uninsured people in Jackson and Josephine counties.
The program will train three patient navigators to work with southern Oregon patients to prevent mental health crises and provide a rapid response when mental health crises do occur. They will also monitor medication management, prescription refills and medication side effects (one of the most common reasons patients cite for terminating medications without physician approval).
Currently, Jackson County has the third highest per capita rate for psychiatric hospitalizations in Oregon. Eighty percent of those hospitalizations are involuntary, and more than 20 percent of patients admitted for psychiatric confinement are re-admitted within two weeks of discharge.
Public Health Foundation of Columbia County – St. Helens, OR
The Regence Foundation gave the Public Health Foundation of Columbia County a $20,000 grant to increase the number of school-based health clinics in the community. Columbia County is one of the most medically under-served counties in Oregon and is classified by the federal government as having a shortage of health care providers. These factors, combined with overall high rates of high blood pressure, obesity and cigarette use in Columbia County, illustrate the critical need for early intervention and additional school-based clinics.
St. Helens Elementary School has successfully operated a health clinic for the past eight years, and with the help of The Regence Foundation, community organizations are partnering to plan three new clinics in the Rainier, St. Helens and Vernonia school districts. The clinics will provide primary health care, mental health services, disease prevention, and work to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among students.
North by Northeast Community Health Center – Portland, OR
North by Northeast Community Health Center was awarded a $20,000 grant to support the basic medical services and health screenings it provides at no charge to low-income individuals without health insurance living in inner north and northeast Portland. The clinic was nominated for this grant by six Regence employees as part of the company’s second annual employee-nominated Transformation Grant program.
North by Northeast Community Health Center was started in 2005 to address the health care needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors who had been relocated to the Portland area. It soon became obvious, however, that lack of health care was a problem not only for those displaced by the hurricane, but for many long-time neighborhood residents as well. Since then, the clinic has become an integral part of the community, and recently moved to a new, larger location where it will be able to treat more patients.
Returning Veterans Project – Portland, OR
The Returning Veterans Project received $20,000 to continue providing free and confidential mental health counseling to returning Oregon military veterans and their families. One of the few organizations of its kind in the nation, Returning Veterans Project has 60 licensed care professionals who volunteer free mental health services for veterans. The organization is also working to increase community awareness of veterans’ mental health needs.
According to a 2008 report from the Governor’s Task Force on Veterans’ Services, as many Oregon military veterans have committed suicide as have died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. An estimated 300 veterans of the current wars already live on the streets of downtown Portland, and in 2005, veterans accounted for 28 percent of Oregon’s suicides.
“At The Regence Foundation, our goal is to drive meaningful change in the health care system,” said Monique Barton, Regence Foundation executive director. “We do that by forging lasting relationships with nonprofits that share our vision of transforming health care and building healthier communities.”
The grants were awarded through The Regence Fund at The Oregon Community Foundation. For more information about The Regence Foundation, please visit http://www.regencefoundation.org.
About The Regence Foundation
The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of The Regence Group, the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain region and a not-for-profit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. A 501(c)3 grantmaking organization, the Foundation partners with organizations driving significant change in health care delivery and accessibility in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Starting in fall 2009, the Foundation will also partner with organizations addressing end-of-life issues.
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