| Following is a list of grant
projects funded in 2007. You can also find more detailed project
information on 2007 grants under 2007
grant outcomes and replication ideas under highlights
of successful grants.
2007 Grant Award Summary
In 2007, The Wellmark Foundation made grant commitments
to Iowa and South Dakota non-profit and governmental organizations
totaling $2,003,258 through 66 grants. Brief descriptions
of the projects are listed below and are arranged by state
and priority area of focus. Projects include large community
responsive grants, mini-grants, capacity-building grants,
and dedicated grants.
IOWA AWARDS BY
PRIORITY AREA
The Wellmark Foundation funded 39 grants in Iowa totaling
$1,024,210.
Depression
- A $26,500 community responsive grant will allow the AIDS
Project of Central Iowa in Des Moines to develop a mental
health and counseling program for persons living with HIV/AIDS
in central Iowa. The program will strive to improve health
literacy in the area of depression and help clients overcome
barriers to accessing mental health services in their communities.
- Higher Plain, Inc. in West Branch will use a $49,838 dedicated
grant to strengthen its capacity to foster systemic change
in how depression is understood and treated in Iowa. The
organization will partner with various constituency groups
to implement information strategies, including redesign
of the Web site, newspaper coverage, and development of
brochures outlining training and assistance that Higher
Plain provides.
- The National Catholic Rural Life Conference in Des Moines
received a $28,660 community responsive grant to develop
a depression education program in rural central Iowa. A
mini-grant from the Foundation in 2006 funded the planning
process for the program, which will equip individuals to
identify depression, intervene when needed, and access services
in their communities.
- The Orchard Place Foundation in Des Moines will use a
$9,950 capacity-building grant to measure the effect of
outpatient mental health treatment at its Child Guidance
Center. The project will add capacity to the organization’s
treatment outcomes, effect measures, and data system by
incorporating reliable measurement tools into its electronic
record.
- The Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District was awarded
an $8,580 mini-grant to implement a 12-month depression
education program as part of Project HOPE (Helping Others
by Preventative Education), a community-wide initiative.
The program will include free educational seminars for health
care and public health professionals, law enforcement professionals,
teachers, parents, students, and the general public in the
district.
- The University of Iowa Foundation in Iowa City received
$88,410 in community responsive grant funds to develop a
depression training program for nurses working with older
adults in Iowa. The program seeks to improve the quality
of life of older adults through improving the education
of nurses who care for them.
- A $66,183 community responsive grant will allow Visiting
Nurse Services in Des Moines to create a postpartum depression
education program for women in central Iowa. The program
will be created and implemented in cooperation with four
hospitals and multiple clinics located in Des Moines.
Diabetes
- Avera Health Foundation received a $7,400 mini-grant for
development of a diabetes education project. Floyd Valley
Hospital, in partnership with the elementary schools in
LeMars and Remsen, will develop a diabetes education and
awareness program targeting children in second through fourth
grade. Strategies will include classroom presentations,
games, and written materials.
- The Burgess Foundation in Onawa was awarded $8,371 in
mini-grant funds to develop a diabetes education, management,
and prevention project. Burgess Health will partner with
local libraries to launch a public campaign and community
program, including displays, resource kits, books, videos,
magazines, and cookbooks.
- The Elderbridge Agency on Aging in Mason City received
an $8,304 mini-grant to develop and implement a type 2 diabetes
prevention and maintenance program for older adults. The
program, which incorporates physical activity, nutrition,
and lifestyle education components, will be piloted at the
congregate meal center in Gowrie.
- Harrisdale Homestead Educational and Research Center in
Atlantic received a $10,000 mini-grant to develop a type
2 diabetes prevention awareness program targeting children
in kindergarten through fifth grade. The program will be
piloted in the Atlantic Community Schools and will be expanded
to all elementary schools in Cass County. Strategies will
include community gardens and the development of walking
school bus routes.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health was awarded a $40,000
dedicated grant to continue development of a health care
professional-based diabetes network across Iowa. This project
will strengthen the Iowa Diabetes Network and help assure
its sustainability by implementing communication and funding
plans for continued, quality diabetes prevention in the
state.
- The Iowa Health Foundation in Des Moines received a $10,000
mini-grant for a program to reduce and prevent childhood
obesity and its co-morbidities. The Center for Advocacy
and Outreach at Blank Children’s Hospital will develop
the school-based program, which will focus on healthy lifestyle
choices regarding diet, exercise, and health maintenance.
- The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in Des Moines received
a $6,000 mini-grant to develop a statewide diabetes and
physical fitness project. The project will establish the
framework for a community survey to increase physical activity
on recreation trails in Iowa, and will facilitate collaboration
between recreation trail developers and the health care
community.
- The University of Iowa Foundation in Iowa City will use
a $9,993 capacity-building grant to implement a comprehensive
data collection project in a Sudanese community in eastern
Iowa. Results will be used to develop a community diabetes
protocol for use with similar populations in other communities.
Partners include the Sudanese Association, Iowa Center on
Health Disparities at the University of Northern Iowa, and
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County.
- The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Foundation in Cedar
Falls will use a $45,788 community responsive grant to pilot
a diabetes education and prevention program in Black Hawk
County. The program will work to improve the health-related
behaviors and health status of residents with diabetes or
at risk for developing the disease.
- Van Buren County in Keosauqua received a $46,143 community
responsive grant to develop a community-wide diabetes education,
prevention, and support program. The program will strive
to educate residents about the signs and symptoms of diabetes
and to establish free health screenings.
- A $35,300 community responsive grant will allow the YMCA
of Greater Des Moines to expand a diabetes education and
prevention program for children to the South Suburban YMCA.
The program, which was funded in part through a previous
Wellmark Foundation mini-grant, has been successful at the
Riverfront YMCA and John R. Grubb YMCA in Des Moines.
End-of-Life Care
- A $34,325 dedicated grant will allow the Iowa Hospice
Organization in Des Moines to provide training to leaders
of its 65 hospice members throughout the state. Training
will focus on overall quality improvement and management,
and quality improvement related to pain management.
- A $5,000 capacity-building grant will allow the Pella
Hospital Foundation to conduct a comprehensive feasibility
study on developing a Program of All-inclusive Care for
the Elderly (PACE) in a rural setting. The study will include
an assessment of services currently available and services
needed by the elderly and those at the end of life.
- The Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP) in Sioux
City received a $48,233 community responsive grant to develop
a pediatric comfort care pilot program in northwest Iowa.
The program will provide palliative care, pain management,
and community support services to seriously ill children
and their families.
- The Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP) in Sioux
City was awarded a $10,000 capacity-building grant to raise
awareness of end-of-life issues. SHIP will work closely
with Hospice of Siouxland to develop promotional strategies
targeting local consumers and health care providers. Partners
include Mercy Medical Center, St. Luke’s Regional
Medical Center, June E. Nylen Cancer Center, and local media
outlets.
Health Literacy
- The Healthy Linn Care Network in Cedar Rapids received
a $33,702 community responsive grant to continue a health
literacy project in Linn County. Previous grants from The
Wellmark Foundation supported the Network’s launch
of the project in 2005 and implementation of the second
phase in 2006. The third phase of the project will develop
educational strategies for specific populations challenged
by health literacy issues.
- The Iowa Center of Health Disparities at the University
of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls received a $10,000 capacity-building
grant to develop a comprehensive, long-range business plan.
The plan will ensure the center’s continued ability
to promote health equity for diverse and underserved populations
in Iowa. The Center will develop a strategic financial plan,
public awareness campaign, and market survey to determine
intervention priority areas.
- The Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
will use a $10,000 mini-grant to begin expansion of Reach
Out and Read (ROR) – Iowa to all 12 Community Health
Centers in the state. ROR-Iowa serves approximately 30,000
children across the state each year. The expansion will
provide books, literacy counseling, and enhanced health
literacy skills to an additional 12,000 high-risk children
and their families.
- The Iowa Health Foundation in Des Moines will use $87,200
in community responsive grant funds to create a health literacy
staff development guidebook for health care organizations.
Various health care professionals will use the guidebook
in efforts to increase the health literacy of their patients.
- The Iowa Health Foundation in Des Moines was awarded a
$10,000 capacity-building grant to conduct an evaluation
of software programs to create easier-to-read health care
materials. Results will help Iowa Health System select a
new program to improve readability of patient and family
materials.
- The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative in Des Moines received
a $50,530 community responsive grant to develop a campaign
promoting improved patient and provider communications.
The campaign will promote improved communications through
the use of the MedCard, a folded information sheet in a
billfold-sized plastic sleeve designed to help patients
keep track of their medications.
- Iowa Partners: Action for Healthy Kids, Inc. was awarded
a $10,000 mini-grant to support youth who attend Youth Empowered
Ambassadors for Health (YEAH!), a statewide summit that
engages Iowa youth as ambassadors for school health and
wellness. The funding provided 20 smaller mini-grants to
participants’ schools for implementation of health
programs.
Capacity Building
- The Calhoun County Board of Health in Rockwell City was
awarded a $10,000 capacity-building grant to develop a strategic
plan to increase the financial management and resource development
capacity of the Calhoun County Department of Health. The
plan will strive to enhance the Department’s relationship
with the external health care environment and safeguard
the community’s health into the future.
- A $10,000 capacity-building grant will allow the Community
Health Center of Fort Dodge to develop a comprehensive needs
assessment of Webster County. Information gathered in the
assessment will be incorporated into a large federal grant
proposal to support core operations and recruit health care
providers. Partners include United Way, Public Health, Disability
Alliance, North Central Home Care, and Upper Des Moines.
- Free Clinics of Iowa (FCI) in Des Moines received a $100,000
challenge grant to increase the number of eligibility assessment
and enrollment referrals to patient assistance programs,
including hawk-i, Medicaid, and Medicare. The grant, which
provided a one-to-one match for funds raised through grants
and community support, targeted potentially eligible free-clinic
patients. Wellmark Foundation support will also allow FCI
to provide core operational support.
- The Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute (GPPHLI)
was awarded a $5,000 dedicated grant to offer Wellmark Foundation
grantees the opportunity to participate in its year-long
leadership training program for senior and emerging leaders
in health-related organizations. The grant will pay tuition
costs for two representatives from grantee organizations
in Iowa.
- Healthy Henry County Communities in Mount Pleasant received
a $9,800 capacity-building grant to complete a countywide
survey of residents’ needs and awareness of health
and social issues. The survey is part of an ongoing effort
to assess the overall community health status of the county
and to identify service gaps. Partners include Henry County
Public Health, Henry County Health Center, and CD-DIAL at
Iowa State University.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health received a $45,000
dedicated grant to help sponsor the preeminent public health
conference held in Iowa every other year. Through this grant
The Wellmark Foundation continued its long-time collaboration
with the Department to support The Governor’s Conference
on Public Health, a key health care event in the state.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health was awarded a $10,000
capacity-building grant to establish a user group in efforts
to develop a statewide data warehouse. The warehouse will
build the capacity of the Department to collect, manage,
and disseminate data for community health needs assessments
and health improvement planning.
- A $5,000 dedicated grant will help the Iowa Public Health
Association in Des Moines to increase its capacity to submit
a successful competitive grant application to the American
Public Health Association/W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant
program. The national program strives to increase organizational
capacity by building the infrastructure of individual state
affiliates.
- The North Iowa Community Action Organization in Mason
City received a $10,000 capacity-building grant to increase
the capacity of 3-Ds (Data Divas and Dudes) to support area
organizations. The project will create a Web-based data
platform and will provide training to members of this regional
technical assistance coalition. Partners include United
Way of North Iowa, Mason City Youth Task Force, and Community
Assessment Technical Specialists.
- The Winneshiek County Community Foundation in Decorah
received a $5,000 dedicated grant to deliver a grant-writing
workshop, which is part of a series of sessions supported
by The Wellmark Foundation and the Iowa Department of Public
Health Office of Rural Health. The workshop will focus on
budget, reporting, and regulatory issues associated with
grant management.
SOUTH DAKOTA AWARDS
BY PRIORITY AREA
The Wellmark Foundation funded 27 grants in South Dakota
totaling $979,048. Brief descriptions of the projects are
included below and arranged by priority area of focus.
Depression
- The Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte received
$10,000 in capacity-building grant funds to implement a
youth mental health initiative to combat depression. Activities
will include a community-wide assessment of youth needs,
volunteer and staff training, development of a wellness
program, and creation of a suicide crisis hotline. The initiative
will increase the capacity of the project to serve the community’s
youth.
- The South Dakota Department of Human Services was awarded
a $53,674 dedicated grant to improve the ability of primary
care providers to meet their patients’ mental health
care needs. This project, which will be piloted in nine
community health centers in central and south central South
Dakota, will strive to improve depression care provided
in primary care settings.
- South Dakota Voices for Children in Sioux Falls received
a $77,250 community responsive grant to continue a statewide
children’s mental health initiative. The initiative
was launched in 2004 to address major depression in children
and Wellmark Foundation grants provided core funding for
implementation of the first two phases. This third phase
will educate parents and professionals who work with children
about strategies to develop emotionally healthy children.
Diabetes
- A $47,800 community responsive grant will allow Horizon
Health Care, Inc. in Howard to implement a diabetes and
depression awareness and treatment program for underserved
patients in two rural South Dakota communities. The program
will use telemedicine strategies to assist health professionals
in educating and empowering patients to manage their condition,
and will link them to specialty health services for treatment.
- The Indigenous Diabetes Education Alliance (IDEA) in Rapid
City received an $8,850 mini-grant to implement a diabetes
education prevention program. IDEA will conduct a series
of culturally sensitive after-school seminars to educate
Native American youth on the importance of nutrition, exercise,
and making healthy lifestyle choices.
- The Sanford Health Foundation in Sioux Falls was awarded
a $54,162 community responsive grant to continue an outreach
program to the medically underserved population in Sioux
Falls. The program was originally launched in 2005 through
Wellmark Foundation support. The second phase will increase
underserved individuals’ access to diabetes prevention
and management services.
- The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation was awarded
a $9,920 mini-grant to continue a diabetes and health literacy
initiative underway in the community. The next phases will
provide parents, guardians, grandparents, and child care
providers with information to encourage healthy feeding
of young children in South Dakota.
- The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation was awarded
a $9,590 capacity-building grant to implement an information
technology improvement project for its Growing Healthy Initiative
(GHI). Through development of a more dynamic, interactive
Web site, GHI will increase the number of South Dakotans
who receive nutrition, fitness, and health information.
- The South Dakota Department of Health received a $35,000
dedicated grant to increase the capacity of the South Dakota
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program to compete for national
funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and to continue implementation of a statewide strategic
plan for diabetes prevention and care.
- The University of South Dakota received a $48,015 community
responsive grant to implement a nutrition education project
for individuals with developmental disabilities who have
diabetes or are at risk for developing the disease. The
project will develop nutrition education materials with
appropriate readability and literacy levels to encourage
individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices.
End-of-Life Care
- A $50,334 community responsive grant will allow the Aberdeen
Area Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board in Rapid City
to develop an education project for Native American caregivers
of cancer patients. The project will provide education and
training to family members, friends, and community health
providers, all of whom may serve as caregivers in Native
American communities.
- The Fund for Advancement of Medical Education and Research
in Sioux Falls will use $88,417 in community responsive
grant funds to create a pediatric palliative care program.
The program, a cooperative project of the Sanford School
of Medicine and the Sanford Children’s Hospital, is
designed to improve the standard of care for children at
the end of life.
- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
will use a $30,000 dedicated grant to provide Clinical Excellence
Collaborative training to South Dakota organizations providing
end-of-life care. The Collaborative is a unique, nine-month
program offering organizations training, resources, and
support to make improvements to clinical end-of-life care.
- The Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South
Dakota was awarded a $9,750 capacity-building grant for
LifeCircle South Dakota (SD) to develop a Sioux Falls-area
palliative care resource directory. The tool will increase
community awareness of palliative care services, programs,
and funding. The directory will allow LifeCircle SD to identify
service gaps and develop strategies to meet those needs.
- The University of South Dakota was awarded a $39,000 dedicated
grant to help strengthen LifeCircle SD, a statewide coalition
dedicated to improving South Dakotans’ care at the
end of life. Strategies will positively impact public information,
professional expertise, and health policy development.
- The University of South Dakota received a $5,000 dedicated
grant to support the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization’s Clinical Excellence Collaborative in
South Dakota. The Collaborative provides organizations with
training, resources, and support to improve clinical end-of-life
care. Life Circle SD will partner with the university to
provide leadership for this effort.
Health Literacy
- Black Hills State University in Spearfish received a
$62,381 community responsive grant to implement a health
literacy assessment and improvement project for members
of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. The project will improve
health outcomes among tribal members with diabetes.
- The Lutheran Social Services Foundation in Sioux Falls
received a $10,000 capacity-building grant to participate
in a medical interpreter training program. Staff will complete
a “train-the-trainer” course offered by the
Cross Cultural Health Care Program and will train fifteen
interpreters to serve clients in Sioux Falls health care
settings. Efforts will improve communication between refugees/immigrants
and their health care providers.
- A $67,250 community responsive grant will allow Sanford
Health Foundation in Sioux Falls to create a coordinated
health education curriculum for use in South Dakota schools.
The curriculum will be piloted in cooperation with the Brandon
Valley School District at Valley Springs Elementary School.
- The Sioux Falls School District received a $65,000 community
responsive grant to implement a health literacy education
project to improve the health literacy of 525 elementary
students and their families. The project, which focuses
on nutrition, oral health, mental health, immunizations,
and safety, will be piloted at Hawthorne Elementary School.
- The South Dakota Dental Foundation in Pierre received
a $67,200 community responsive grant to continue a statewide
oral health education program for children. The program,
which was launched in 2006 through a Wellmark Foundation
grant, is designed to improve oral health and reduce oral
health diseases in children of low-income families across
the state. This phase will focus on children and parents
in underserved populations.
- The South Dakota Department of Social Services received
a $45,860 dedicated grant to support the 71 active Reach
Out and Read (ROR) programs throughout the state. The grant
will support book purchases and help position South Dakota
for a future statewide ROR coalition.
- The University of South Dakota will use a $9,895 mini-grant
to conduct a health literacy assessment among rural and
underserved populations in South Dakota. Results will be
presented to the South Dakota Family Physicians to improve
health literacy among these South Dakota populations.
Capacity Building
- The Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute (GPPHLI)
was awarded a $5,000 dedicated grant to offer Wellmark Foundation
grantees the opportunity to participate in its year-long
leadership training program for senior and emerging leaders
in health-related organizations. The grant will pay tuition
costs for two representatives from grantee organizations
in South Dakota.
- A $10,000 capacity-building grant will allow the Huron
Regional Medical Center Foundation to conduct a community
health needs assessment. Areas of focus will include health
status, community needs, and community assets. Local providers
will use results to establish priorities for current and
future health care services in their communities.
- The South Dakota Public Health Association received a
$49,700 dedicated grant to help sponsor the preeminent public
health conference held in South Dakota every other year.
Through this grant The Wellmark Foundation continued its
long-time collaboration with the association to support
this important health care event. The funding will also
support the Association in applying for an American Public
Health Association/W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant. The national
grant program strives to increase organizational capacity
by building the infrastructure of individual state affiliates.
- St. Mary's Foundation in Pierre was awarded a $10,000
dedicated grant to further establish a Grant Writers Network
for South Dakota professionals engaged in grant writing
in the health, welfare, and community development areas.
The project will focus on increasing resources, training,
and education for grant writers across the state.
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