Health Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants to Improve Health in Connecticut
Grants Focus on Improving the Patient-Provider Interaction

NEW BRITAIN (Jan. 6, 2009) - The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) Board of Directors approved grants totaling $1 million during its fourth-quarter board meeting to continue its work in its three priorities:  improve children's mental health and oral health services, and decrease racial and ethnic health disparities.  

Three organizations received grants to address the foundation's objective to "improve the quality of systems that enhance patient-provider interactions in order to promote health equity:"

• The Connecticut State Medical Society -- Physician Health and Education Fund (New Haven) received a two-year $400,000 cooperative grant to implement a communications campaign to educate Connecticut physicians about racial and ethnic health inequities.  The campaign will focus on patient-provider communications, clinical decision-making and overcoming mistrust. 
• Qualidigm (Rocky Hill) was awarded a two-year $592,000 grant to implement a project designed to increase quality improvement knowledge and systems, as well as the cultural competence of 12 primary care physician practices that serve large minority populations.
• Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (New Haven) received a $50,000 grant to expand its health and wellness program to reduce racial and ethnic health inequities faced by refugees and immigrants. Activities include:  advocating for a refugee health clinic; educating clinicians about the needs of refugees and immigrants; and educating refugees about health, wellness and accessing the U.S. health care system.

Community-Driven Health Promotion Matching Grants matched grantee-raised funds to support continuation of the foundation's efforts to decrease racial and ethnic health inequities:

• Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. - Free to Grow Program (New Britain) received a $2,500 grant to continue its work to end domestic violence and depression in the Latino community.
• Nubian Sisters Cancer Support Group (New Haven) received a $2,500 grant to support cancer outreach, education and advocacy.
• Prayer Tabernacle Church of Love (Bridgeport) received a $1,500 grant to support a community-based health and wellness ministry program, which includes outreach and education; testing and screening services; and physical fitness.

Central Area Health Education Centers, Inc (AHEC) (Hartford) received a $25,000 grant to explore an innovative alternative education program, the Foreign-born Health Professional Bridge Program (FBHP).  AHEC will develop a business model for this potential venture that can help bridge the pathway for qualified FBHPs to enter Connecticut's health workforce.  The focus of the program is addressing health disparities and limited English proficiency in immigrant populations whose primary language is Spanish.

Eighteen Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellows (Statewide) received stipends totaling $27,000 to support professional development.  In addition, each Fellow's employer was awarded $250, totaling $9,500. This CT Health training program is designed to foster local community leadership to decrease health disparities.

The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (Bridgeport) was awarded a $50,000 general operations support grant to implement its three community-driven task forces:  children's health; education and early care; and family economic empowerment. 

Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc. (Farmington) received a $10,000 grant to support advocacy on behalf of the chronically ill. 

For additional information about the foundation, please contact Maryland Grier, communications officer, at 860.224.2200, ext. 32 or at maryland@cthealth.org; or Monette Goodrich, vice president of communications & public affairs, at ext. 13 or at monette@cthealth.org.

About the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) - www.cthealth.org:  the state's largest independent, nonprofit grant-making foundation dedicated to improving the health of the people of Connecticut through systemic change, program innovation and health policy analysis. Since it was established in July 1999, CT Health has awarded 466 grants totaling $38 million in three priority areas - children's mental health, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, and oral health.