OMHS Community Benefit program announces funding for 35 organizations
OWENSBORO, KY (September 7, 2010) – Owensboro Medical Health System has awarded over $453,000 in funding to 35 regional organizations as part of its Community Benefit Grant Program. The awards represent the last funding announcement this calendar year.
“We are committed to supporting community organizations and charities aligned with our mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of our community,” said Debbie Zuerner Johnson, manager of community outreach. “In addition to providing health care services, there are a number of agencies and organizations that we can support that help make a significant impact on the health of the communities we serve.”
Non-profit organizations that provide plans for specific programs and services addressing identified community health needs may apply for grant funding. To qualify, activities must provide measurable improvement in health status, access to care, or use of healthcare resources. Funds are also available to non-profit entities that offer specific programs and activities not directly related to healthcare. In such cases grant applications must specifically describe how the organization’s services or activities address root causes of problems affecting community health. Eligible groups include economic, educational, civic, arts and cultural organizations.
Programs, services and activities must serve individuals in the OMHS service area, including Daviess, Hancock, Ohio, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Breckinridge and Webster counties in Kentucky; Spencer and Perry counties, Indiana.
Effective in 2011, OMHS will move to a single funding cycle with the application process beginning in April. Organizations seeking funds will be asked to submit letters of intent to determine if a good match exists between the proposed project, the OMHS mission and its goal to improve health.
OMHS continues to offer its mini-grant program year-round for such items as community event sponsorship and donations. Applications are available online and must describe the project’s purpose and how it impacts health along with a project budget.
Owensboro Medical Health System serves an eleven-county region in western Kentucky and southern Indiana. The hospital has received awards for clinical excellence and patient safety from HealthGrades, placing it among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for quality (OMHS is one of only 74 hospitals to receive both honors). Cooperative Health Services, an affiliate of OMHS, also operates the HealthPark—a medical-based fitness center—and a number of clinics and diagnostic centers in Beaver Dam and Madisonville (KY) and Tell City (IN) as well as The Clinic at Wal-Mart in Owensboro, Henderson (KY) and Newburgh (IN).