Awards to nonprofits serving area bring total to nearly $12 million
The Brandywine Health Foundation recently announced grants totaling $1,051,000, bringing the foundation’s total giving since it began awarding grants in 2002 to over $11.8 million.
“Residents of the Coatesville area have had a higher than average incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease,” said Elizabeth Silva Wood, a member of the foundation and chair of its Grantmaking Committee, in a news release. “Significant disparities exist in the Coatesville area because of this heavy burden of chronic diseases and the many living in poverty or without health insurance. We are pleased that the Brandywine Health Foundation can continue to provide such significant grants to effectively reduce some of these disparities that our neighbors continue to face.”
Wood said the board unanimously approved grants to 17 nonprofit organizations providing vital programs and services to families in the greater Coatesville area. In August, the board approved a three-year grant to ChesPenn Health Services.
“We are grateful to the Brandywine Health Foundation for continuing this extraordinary commitment to ChesPenn Health Services, the only medical home for this at risk community. Just one of the issues we are tackling is that many of our patients have behavioral health issues and are coming to us for a different presenting problem,” said Michael Lucas, ChesPenn’s president and CEO. “Primary care providers alone cannot meet all of these needs; therefore, a team approach to care is not only essential, but consistent with the comprehensive model of healthcare that is the hallmark of Federally Qualified Health Centers like ChesPenn.
Lucas said earlier this year, ChesPenn partnered with Child Guidance Resource Center for a behavioral health consultant to work alongside primary care physicians, and also started offering integrated behavioral health. “This holistic approach will ensure easy access to behavioral health care, reduce stigma and improve outcomes for our patient,” he said.
The Brandywine Health Foundation extended congratulations to the following non-profit agencies receiving fall 2013 safety net grants:
Bridge of Hope ($4,000), http://lancasterchester.bridgeofhopeinc.org/; Chester County Community Dental Center ($60,000), http://www.chescodental.org/; ChesPenn Health Services ($750,00), http://www.chespenn.com/; Chester County Food Bank ($15,000), http://chestercountyfoodbank.org/; Chester County Health Department’s Nurse-Family Partnership ($10,000), http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/locations/Pennsylvania/Nurse-Family-Partnership-of-Chester-County; Child Guidance Resource Centers ($50,000), http://www.cgrc.org/;
Coatesville Center for Community Health ($13,000), http://www.coatesvillecenter.org/;
Coatesville Health Development Corporation (Brandywine Center) ($6,000), http://www.brandywinecenter.org/; Community Volunteers in Medicine ($7,500),
http://www.cvim.org/; Crime Victims Center of Chester County ($5,000),http://www.cvcofcc.org/;
Domestic Violence Center of Chester County ($10,000), http://www.dvccc.com/; Family Service of Chester County ($15,000), http://www.familyservice.us/; Human Services Inc. ($20,000), no website;
Jewish Healthcare Foundation – PA Health Funders Collaborative ($4,000), http://www.pahealthfunders.org/; Maternal and Child Health Consortium’s Healthy Start Program ($40,000), http://www.ccmchc.org/; Neighborhood Health Agencies’ Senior Health Link ($10,000),
http://www.cchosp.com/cchpage.asp?p=63&m=590; PA Health Access Network ($2,500),
http://pahealthaccess.org/; Planned Parenthood Southeastern PA’s Coatesville Health Center ($35,000), http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppsp/.
The Brandywine Health Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of people who live and work in the greater Coatesville area by fostering community partnerships, by providing capacity building support, and by making grants to promote health equity, healthy youth, and a healthy community. For more information, visit www.brandywinefoundation.org.
