Cardinal Health Foundation awards more than $1 million fund to improve the quality of care

The Cardinal Health Foundation today announced it will award more than $1 million in funding to help U.S. hospitals, health systems and community health clinics improve the efficiency and quality of care.

The Cardinal Health Foundation established the E3 Grant Program to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and excellence of health care, refocusing its Patient Safety Grant Program which was launched in 2007 as the first and largest fund of its kind in the private sector.

In the first year, the Cardinal Health Foundation received applications from more than 10 percent of U.S. hospitals. Since the program's inception, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling $2 million to implement evidence-based practices and to encourage new and innovative programs at 68 hospitals, health systems and clinics, nationwide.

Again this year, the Cardinal Health Foundation plans to award individual grants of up to $50,000, with priority consideration being given to programs that improve the medication management process and operating room safety.

"To more closely align Foundation funding to the mission of the 'new' Cardinal Health, our E3 Grant Program will primarily support programs that seek to improve the cost-effectiveness of health care," said Shelley Bird, executive vice president of public affairs and chairperson of the Cardinal Health Foundation. "By encouraging health care providers to implement programs that improve effectiveness, efficiency and excellence of care, we're promoting best practices that help reduce the cost of health care and enable our customers to focus on what they do best - caring for patients."

Applicants are encouraged to:

• Clearly identify the issue that the program will address, providing baseline data and / or metrics
• Describe what and how changes will be made
• Quantify health, cost, resource and process outcomes anticipated
• Secure significant involvement and support from the applicant organization's senior-most leadership

To be eligible for funding, organizations must be designated as 501(c )(3) by the Internal Revenue Service and submit a letter of intent by Oct. 30, at CardinalHealth.com/community. Full proposals, for those selected to apply, will be due March 5, 2010, and grants will be announced Spring 2010.