Kaiser Permanente funds 700 grants targeting critical health issues in communities

Kaiser Permanente, one of the country's largest not-for-profit health care organizations, funded 700 grants nationwide totaling approximately $13 million in the second quarter of 2010. The grants this quarter focused on expanding access to healthy food, reducing childhood obesity, and increasing care for the underinsured.

"Kaiser Permanente is proud to partner with organizations that are targeting critical health issues in our communities," said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy, Kaiser Permanente. "We are committed to working with our community partners to eliminate health disparities and to help people get through this recession healthy."

Kaiser Permanente's contributions nationwide in the second quarter of 2010 included, but were not limited to, grants in the categories below:

Promoting Healthy Communities

• The California WIC Association, that enables women, infants and children statewide to access healthy supplemental foods and nutrition education, received a $100,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente.
• The Food Research and Action Center received a $150,000 grant for the D.C. Hunger Solutions program, which strives to create a hunger-free community in Washington, D.C., by improving the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income residents.
• The Oregon Food Bank, which serves an estimated 950,000 individuals annually throughout Oregon and Clark County, Wash., was awarded $330,000 over three years to support its long-term vision of an adequate, nutritious, locally available food supply for everyone.
• DC Central Kitchen received a $141,000 grant to fund the recycling of 2,000 pounds of surplus food each day and turning it into 4,500 meals for the hungry in the Washington, D.C.
• Share Our Strength, a national organization that works to end hunger and poverty in the United States and abroad, received $198,000 to support the "First Class Breakfast: Helping Maryland Students Combat Hunger and Obesity" program, which will help combat hunger and obesity by increasing the number of Maryland schools that provide breakfast nutrition programs.
• Kaiser Permanente granted $100,000 to the Trust for Public Land, a national, nonprofit organization that conserves land for communities to enjoy as parks, gardens and historical sites. This grant will support Kaiser Permanente's commitment to increasing open space and outdoor physical activity programs in six underserved communities in Southern California.

Developing and Disseminating Knowledge

• The Oregon Health Career Center received a $310,000 grant to administer a third year of the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Career Scholarship Program. Through this program, up to 113 high school students will receive a $2,000 scholarship to attend college for health care careers in 2011.

Expanding Access to Health Care

• Boat People SOS, Inc. was awarded $125,000 for the Health Awareness and Prevention Program. Based in Falls Church, Va., BPSOS assists local health care providers in serving the Vietnamese community by advocating for the community's health interests, and taking critical steps to improve the overall quality and accessibility of health care for immigrants.
• Kaiser Permanente awarded $135,000 to Clinica Family Health Services in Colorado for Project A-L-L, an evidence-based medication regimen that is part of Kaiser Permanente's campaign to extend its innovation throughout the safety net. Project A-L-L decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetic patients over 50 years of age.
• The Maryland Community Clinic received $200,000 to construct and equip its first comprehensive dental health program.
• Kaiser Permanente contributed $150,000 to the Greater Prince William Community Health Center in Virginia to support the Healthy Kids for a Healthy Community program which provides prenatal care for expectant mothers, immunizations for newborns, and primary and dental care for newborns through 18 years old.
• Kaiser Permanente awarded $250,000 to the Loudoun Community Health Center in Virginia to provide access to comprehensive, cost-effective primary and preventive health care and related services to anyone in need, regardless of ability to pay. Grant funds will help address the increasingly low-income, immigrant, young population in the county.
• People Encouraging People of Baltimore was awarded a $150,000 grant to support Project OPEN, a mobile treatment service offered to people at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS or who have lost coverage for their HIV/AIDS treatment.