French Hospital Medical Center is proud to announce it has awarded $48,021 in grant funding to seven unique community non- profit organizations in San Luis Obispo County. Representatives from each organization were invited to a lunch time celebration on January 24, 2013 where they were presented with checks to help aid in the critical health and human services they provide to county residents.
Grants are awarded through a Community Grants Program created by French’s parent company Dignity Health. The intent of the annual community grant program is to help non-profit organizations with an interest in building healthier communities by improving health and living conditions. Criteria for this funding cycle were based on the following priority areas identified in the French Hospital Community Benefits Plan and Community Health Assessment Access to Healthcare/Insurance: ER Utilization, Chronic Disease, Cultural Awareness, Mental Health, Transportation, and Oral Health.
This year, the French Hospital Community Grants were awarded to the following local organizations:
• Alliance for Pharmaceutical Access, Inc (APA), to expand its model of providing prescription medications for chronic medical conditions to targeted populations (the uninsured, under-insured, seniors, low and very low income, and other disenfranchised) in SLO County – $10,000
• Cancer Well-Fit Inc, to sustain and grow their exercise program to include training of instructors and purchasing exercise equipment – $7,000
• Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, to provide 50 homeless individuals in San Luis Obispo will receive no-cost dental treatments and education in the CHC Mobile Dental Clinic – $5,000
• Friends of Prado Day Center, to provide motel vouchers for homeless clients who are Medically Fragile and require uninterrupted bed rest for 7 days or less to recover from a diagnosed medical condition or a contagious illness – $5,021
• Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention Center (SARP), to purchase promotores training curriculum and implement trainings of Promotores (Community Outreach Workers) – $8,000
• SLO Noor Foundation, to continue laboratory and diagnostic screenings (free of charge) for patients as part of our existing primary care medical program, and to begin offering oral health exams/treatments to further optimize overall patient health – $10,000
• Women’s Shelter Program, to pay for needed mental health counseling services for Latina victims at the agency’s San Luis Obispo and South County Counseling Centers as well as associated service locations in the south county – $3,000