There’s a few days left for businesses, nonprofits and other institutions to apply for Centura Health’s new effort to address healthcare disparities, the Health Equity and Advancement Fund. The $1 Million fund will be distributed to programs at the crossroads of social justice and community health.
The first of what will be an annual fund plans on awarding between $5,000 to $250,000 to programs that serve diverse communities and look at healthcare through a social justice lens. According to Centura Health’s guidelines for proposals, programs should include at least one of the following principles:
- “Focus on disproportionate unmet health-related needs”
- “Emphasize primary prevention and address underlying causes of health problems”
- “Contribute to a seamless continuum of care”
- “Build community capacity”
- “Demonstrate collaboration”
- “Address social determinants of health to improve health outcomes”
The last day for proposals is July 31. Applications are available in English and Spanish online, and Centura Health representatives can assist applicants. Any questions can be emailed to [email protected]. Recipients will be notified between Aug. 1 and Sep. 1.
As long as programs are using one of the required principles, they are eligible. But Centura Health is open to a variety of physical and behavioral health initiatives, according to Dr. Oswaldo Grenardo, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Centura Health.
“We would really like for communities to come up with their own plans and ideas,” He said. “We think that they are the best ones to tell us truly what the priority should be and where we should be funding and where we should be looking at their health issues first and foremost.”
Programs in Colorado and western Kansas — within a 50 mile radius of a Centura Health facility — are eligible for a grant. Longmont has multiple nearby facilities including Longmont United Hospital. Nonprofits and educational institutes are encouraged to apply, Grenardo said, and for profit businesses can apply if they are partnering with a nonprofit on their program.
Grenardo said that since this is the first year, Centura Health anticipates awarding between 10 and 20 programs. He added that they hope to keep the fund at $1 million. In the future, Centura Health looks at having the Health Equity and Advancement Fund target specific issues including mental health or food security.
Grant recipients will also be selected based on their ties to the community they serve. The new grant program is a part of Centura Health’s “Social Justice Framework” mission. He hopes the $1 million fund will support groups working towards that same goal of health equity. Grenardo said that for him, achieving health equity means removing obstacles to care that fits the individual patient.
“To me that means, how can we bring down barriers for everyone to have the kind of care that they truly need to help themselves, that care is different for every individual,” Grenardo said. “And in looking at the myriad of ways that healthcare is affected from social determinants of health, we need to make sure that we're addressing a variety of ways to get people the best health care that they hopefully achieve.”
