| The following previously approved
Wellmark Foundation grants closed between January 1, 2007,
and December 31, 2007. Brief summaries 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.
Please note that different funding priority areas were in
place in previous years.
Iowa Awards by
Priority Area
Depression Higher Plain,
Inc.
West Branch, Iowa
$72,739 – Community Responsive
Grant
Beyond Depression Toolkits for Older Iowans
Overview: A statewide rural depression treatment
project the organization launched in 2004 was expanded
to the senior population. Higher Plain, Inc. worked with
a team of experts to create geriatric depression toolkits
for medical providers, the community, and older Iowans
living with depression. Creating the kits included
focus group tests, extensive peer review, and expert
panel review to ensure incorporation of health literacy
practices. The kits are available on Higher
Plain’s
Web site.
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of Greater
Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
$4,996 – Capacity-Building Grant
Growing NAMI Greater Des Moines
Overview: NAMI improved its volunteer and information
technology programs, both of which helped to expand the
organization’s capacity to serve the community.
Seventeen new volunteers were trained to teach educational
classes and support groups. The project also included
development of a new Web site, e-mail newsletter, and
NAMI Walks, a new project to raise funds for the organization’s
sustainability.
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
Des Moines, Iowa
$4,800 – Mini-Grant
Iowa Rural Faith Care Connection
Overview: The organization addressed depression
in rural communities through community
conversations,
information sharing, educational initiatives, and outreach.
The Interfaith Task Force helped guide this initiative,
which included examining the impact of depression in
rural areas, identifying barriers to care, and discussing
ways for faith communities to address these. Future projects
on depression in rural faith-based communities are planned.
Diabetes Camp Hertko Hollow
Des Moines, Iowa
$5,000 – Mini-Grant
Diabetes 101
Overview: The mini-grant supported delivery
of Diabetes 101, an educational program that teaches
caregivers, including teachers, coaches, and day care
providers, to safely and effectively care for children
with diabetes. The one-day program was offered at the
Diabetes Education and Camping Association (DECA) conference
at Camp Hertko Hollow in October 2006. A program manual
was developed and distributed to the 18 conference attendees,
more than 150 campers, 100 participants at a regional
American Camping Association (ACA) meeting, and all of
Iowa’s school nurses. A second edition will also
be distributed through ACA, DECA, and the Association
of Camp Nurses.
Harrisdale Homestead Educational and Research Center
Atlantic, Iowa
$5,000 – Mini-Grant
Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program for Fifth Grades in Atlantic
Overview: The program educated fifth grade
students, parents, and teachers about type 2 diabetes
in efforts to reduce children’s risk of developing
the condition. The program incorporated basic health
screenings, classroom nutrition projects, and special
activities for all fifth grade classes in the Atlantic
Community School District. The program partnered with
Cass County Memorial Hospital to provide blood glucose
screenings to students, parents, and teachers.
Hospital Foundation of Crawford County
Denison, Iowa
$48,794 – Community Responsive
Grant
Diabetes Prevention 101
Overview: This project improved health outcomes
for persons living in or near Crawford County who are
at risk for developing diabetes. Health information was
shared at a large diabetes awareness health fair and
through a 13-session education program focused on diet
and exercise. The health fair provided 280 people with
diabetes prevention information and 84 people participated
in the first education session. Thirty individuals completed
lab work and were followed throughout the project. Their
reductions in weight, BMI, and systolic blood pressure
were statistically significant.
Iowa State University Extension
Ames, Iowa
$3,117 – Mini-Grant
Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: Awareness of Rural Iowa Healthcare
Providers in Iowans Fit for Life Communities
Overview: The project examined knowledge and
practices of rural health providers screening youth for
type 2 diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association
clinical guidelines. Interviews of 11 health care providers
indicated provider confusion between type 1 versus type
2 diabetes, and between adult versus youth treatment.
The organization provided resources on type 2 diabetes
in youth to participating health care providers.
Project
results
were shared with the Iowa Department of Public Health
(IDPH), which plans to conduct similar interviews in
urban settings for comparison.
Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association (IA/NEPCA)
Des Moines, Iowa
$60,000 – Dedicated Grant
Center for Value in Healthcare and Diabetes Collaborative
Replication
Overview: This funding offered infrastructure
support to the IA/NEPCA Center for Value in Healthcare.
The initiative gathered specific data identifying the
cost effectiveness of the Iowa Community Health Center
(CHC) diabetes disease management strategies used in
the Wagner model chronic care collaborative. Significant
improvements in diabetes control were demonstrated. The
organization provided training to spread
the model to additional CHCs and
to develop skills and expertise for future projects.
Mercy Foundation
Des Moines, Iowa
$5,000 – Mini-Grant
Trim Kids
Overview: Trim Kids offered a multidisciplinary,
12-week plan for overweight children ages 6-18 years.
The project was designed to give parents and children
an approach to lifetime weight management, thus decreasing
the likelihood of the development of diabetes. Forty-two
families enrolled in the program offered at the John
R. Grubb Community YMCA in Des Moines. Twenty-eight youth
and their families graduated from the program, with the
participants losing a combined total of nearly 100 pounds.
Mercy Medical Center Foundation
Sioux City, Iowa
$49,143 – Community Responsive Grant
Dual Challenge of Diabetes and Hypertension
Overview: Mercy Medical Center Foundation and
a group of collaborating agencies developed new resources
for individuals experiencing or at risk for developing
diabetes and hypertension. The organization developed
and distributed provider and patient toolkits,
provided education to 23 staff from nine clinics, and
hosted community education forums for 70 people. More
than 750 patients were
monitored through blood pressure monitoring programs
in nine clinics, and 72 percent of patient-established
goals were met. The toolkits are being used in Mercy’s
diabetes education program and free community blood pressure
screening programs.
Wellness Council of Iowa
West Des Moines, Iowa
$57,769 – Community Responsive Grant
Modeling Wellness for Youth
Overview: A three-part approach established
improved nutrition and increased activity in young people
as a way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
and type 2 diabetes. Strategies included direct learning
through classroom activity, modeling in a school that
has embraced wellness, and creating community awareness
and support. The organization distributed wellness curriculum
notebooks, which assisted districts in implementing nutrition
and
physical
activity
into their core subject areas. Twenty-four
students completed a challenge competition, and a parent
newsletter was developed and distributed.
End-of-Life Care Dallas
County Hospital Foundation
Perry, Iowa
$4,999 – Mini-Grant
Hispanic End-of-Life Awareness Pilot
Overview: This project increased awareness
of end-of-life care to Hispanic individuals in the community
of Perry. Community partners worked together to provide
culturally competent education sessions on end-of-life
care and bereavement counseling. Four new Hispanic volunteers
were recruited for the hospice program. The Foundation
gained valuable knowledge about working with this population,
including the importance of involving children and family,
as well as the church and its leaders. Partners agreed
the link with the Catholic Church was critical to the
pilot’s success.
Iowa Hospice Organization
Des Moines, Iowa
$39,510 – Dedicated Grant
Iowa End-of-Life Coalition
Overview: The Iowa Hospice Organization (IHO)
led efforts to rejuvenate a statewide coalition around
the four global areas of end-of-life care, including
advanced care planning, out-of-hospital do not resuscitate
orders, caregiver support, and pain management. The coalition
built its capacity to improve the quality of end-of-life
care in Iowa. Strategies included brochures, public service
announcements, programs on local access cable TV, workbook,
news releases, presentations for the general public and
professional caregivers, and data collection on pain
management in nursing homes.
Siouxland Human Investment Partnership Program
Sioux City, Iowa
$65,875 – Community Responsive
Grant
The Omaha Model: An Automated Documentation System for Interdisciplinary
Care Coordination
Overview: Siouxland Palliative Care partnered
with five primary care clinics to identify patients in
need of community-based palliative care who were at-risk
for frequent hospitalizations. Fifty-one individuals
were enrolled in the program. Key factors that indicated
a need for palliative services included co-morbidities
requiring in-home education, changing health status,
need for medication management or community resources,
and compromised caregivers. The program implemented and
tested the Omaha System. Results
included
decreased
patient
pain and
suffering scores, and significantly increased quality
of life scores.
Health Literacy Healthy
Linn Care Network
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
$38,580 – Community Responsive Grant
The Power of Health - Literacy Project
Overview: The Healthy Linn Care Network continued
a project launched in 2005 to increase the health literacy
and overall health of Linn County residents. The project,
which is cooperatively led by the Network and the Healthy
Living Coalition, provided targeted intervention to older
adults while also promoting the Power of Health theme
community-wide. Twenty-one individuals completed a five-session
health program for older adults, and the project partnered
with the Heritage Area Agency on Aging to implement a
six-week chronic condition management program.
Iowa Department for the Blind
Des Moines, Iowa
$59,000 – Community Responsive Grant
Expansion of Health Literacy Resources for Iowans who are Blind
or Print-Disabled
Overview: The Iowa Department for the Blind
expanded services to Iowans who cannot read standard
print by increasing the ability of the Iowa Library for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped to record high-quality
health publications and other materials for its patrons.
The Library purchased 55 in-home recording systems, which
allowed in-home narrators to record up to 50 percent
more materials. During the grant period the Library recorded
80 health-related items, which was a 100 percent increase.
The books were circulated 93 times, and the magazines
and health letters were circulated 50 times. Thirty-two
volunteers have received training on the new system.
Iowa Department of Human Services
Des Moines, Iowa
$100,000 –Dedicated Grant
hawk-i Enrollment Process Improvement Project
Overview: The Iowa Department of Human Services
(DHS), in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public
Health’s Covering Kids and Families Coalition,
conducted a study of hawk-i and Medicaid program applications.
DHS contracted with the University of Iowa Public Policy
Center to design and conduct a statistically valid study
to identify and assess the underlying reasons that applicants
in both programs do not successfully complete the application
process. Using study results, DHS created, tested, and
implemented a standardized Request for Information Letter,
as well as new durable plastic Medicaid eligibility cards.
Iowa Department of Public Health
Des Moines, Iowa
$49,927 –Community Responsive Grant
Iowa Covering Kids and Families: Access Through Health Literacy
Overview: This project reduced the number of
uninsured Iowa children through increased health literacy
and reduced enrollment barriers in health care coverage
programs. The project partnered with the Iowa Covering
Kids and Families (CKF) State Coalition to apply principles
of health literacy to existing information materials
and to develop new materials for families. New materials
included information on Medicaid, issue briefs, newsletter,
and a high school-based health insurance curriculum in
English and Spanish. Health literacy training was also
provided to all CKF Coalition members.
Iowa Health Foundation
Des Moines, Iowa
$87,000 –Community Responsive Grant
Improving Health Literacy and Quality through System Change: Rural Health Literacy
Collaborative
Overview: The Iowa Health Foundation worked
in collaboration with the Iowa Health System (IHS) rural
affiliate network to establish a Rural Health Literacy
Collaborative and to develop a statewide rural health
literacy project. The project improved health literacy
skills of health care professionals in rural communities,
patient understanding of health issues, and patient-provider
communications. Participants included eleven IHS rural
affiliate hospitals and four organizations outside the
IHS network. Participating organizations developed specific
action plans to improve health literacy within their
organization.
Iowa State Registry Interpreters for the Deaf
Ankeny, Iowa
$5,000 –Capacity Building Grant
Advancing the Profession of Health Care Interpreting
Overview: A statewide conference, Advancing
the Profession of Health Care Interpreting, was held
in March 2007 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.
The event emphasized a public-private blend of health
care interpreting delivery, policy-making, community
advocacy, civil rights enforcement, research, and leadership
development to improve the health care delivery to diverse
populations. Attendance surpassed all goals, as 187 people
attended the workshops. Topics included ethics, language-specific
medical vocabulary, cultural and linguistic competence,
end-of-life interpreting, and more.
Mercy Foundation
Des Moines, Iowa
$43,000 –Dedicated Grant
Improving Iowa's Medical Interpretation Services
Overview: Mercy Foundation expanded its medical
interpreter training and cultural competency programs
to areas outside of central Iowa. Activities increased
the availability of professional education opportunities
for bilingual interpreters and enhanced interpretation
services available to non-English speaking patients at
health facilities across the state. Fifty-three individuals
attended basic interpreter training classes held across
the state, and 94 individuals representing four languages
attended advanced classes. The organization provided
cultural competency resources to health
facilities.
Capacity Building
Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa
Leon, Iowa
$5,000 – Capacity-Building Grant
Creating Cohesion and Integration within the Decatur County
Healthcare Delivery System
Overview: The organization implemented a formal
and professionally facilitated strategic planning process
to encourage
effective integration of medical and behavioral health
services and efficient use of limited community resources.
The 21 participating organizations identified multiple
priorities, including increasing funding sources, maintaining
referrals in the county, and developing data-sharing
processes. The grant also improved relationships among
participants, Community Health Center, and county public
health office.
Free Clinics of Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
$100,000 – Dedicated Grant
Free Clinics of Iowa - Challenge Grant
Overview: This challenge grant provided a one-to-one
match up to $100,000 for funds raised through grants
or financial support from the community. The challenge
was met in four months through 22 donations. The support
allowed Free Clinics of Iowa (FCI) to increase eligibility
assessment and enrollment referrals to patient assistance
programs, including hawk-i, Medicaid, and Medicare. The
organization conducted a survey of current practices
in these programs, identified barriers,
and
implemented improvement
strategies. The project also provided training on the
identified issues to FCI clinic managers and additional
sessions
are planned.
Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute
Omaha, Nebraska
$5,000 – Dedicated Grant
Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute
Overview: The Great Plains Public Health Leadership
Institute (GPPHLI) is a year-long program designed to
enhance the leadership skills of senior and emerging
leaders in organizations whose primary mission is to
improve the health and well-being of populations and
communities. GPPHLI is a regional institute focusing
on public health leadership development in Iowa, South
Dakota, and Nebraska. This grant paid program tuition
for two project leaders from The Wellmark Foundation’s
active grantees in Iowa. Participants completed the program
in September 2007.
Iowa Department of Public Health
Des Moines, Iowa
$45,000 – Dedicated Grant
Governor's Conference on Public Health - Barn Raising VI
Overview: In 2007, the Foundation continued
its collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public
Health to provide lead sponsor support for the preeminent
public health conference held in Iowa every other year.
The Governor's Conference on Public Health: Barn
Raising VI was held in August 2007 at Drake University
in Des Moines. More than 800 participants registered
for the
event, which featured keynote speaker Dr. Julie L. Gerberding,
director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). A total of 44 concurrent educational sessions
were offered and more than 99 percent of attendees rated
the conference worthwhile. Program materials are available
on the conference
Web site.
Kirkwood Community College Foundation
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
$12,500 – Dedicated Grant
Improving Warfarin Management in Competitive Healthcare
Overview: This grant, combined with a $600,000
grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
continued work of a project initiated in 2006 with a
Wellmark Foundation grant and resulted in the establishment
of the Community Anticoagulation Therapy (CAT) clinic.
A software management system was
developed and the Cedar Rapids Healthcare Alliance (CRHA)
was created
to
oversee
the clinic. CRHA developed a strategic plan to support
ongoing work and received 501(c)3 designation from the
IRS. The CAT clinic currently serves 221 patients and
offers anticoagulation management workshops through Kirkwood
Community College.
Primary Health Care, Inc.
Des Moines, Iowa
$5,000 – Capacity-Building Grant
Service Excellence and Diversity Training for Managers
and Staff
Overview: Primary Health Care, Inc. continued
to improve performance and accessibility through the
delivery of four training modules that focused on service
excellence, effective communications, and diversity.
Eighty-five percent of program participants completed
training evaluations, which resulted in an average of
4.5 on a 5-point scale. Project findings were incorporated
into the organization's strategic plan and performance
improvement initiatives.
Proteus, Inc.
Des Moines, Iowa
$5,000 –Capacity-Building Grant
Migrant Health Strategic Planning
Overview: Proteus contracted with Farmworker
Health Services, Inc. (FHSI) to facilitate a comprehensive
migrant health strategic planning process. The planning
committee, migrant health managers, and line staff met
in February 2007. The group identified goals, including
expanding funding from diverse sources, improving community
relations to increase farmworker health care access in
Iowa, providing high-quality efficient health care for
the farmworker population, and recruiting and retaining
competent staff. Detailed work plans supporting these
goals are currently underway.
South Dakota
Awards by Priority Area
Descriptions
of the projects
and their outcomes are included below and arranged
by priority area of focus.
Depression
Diabetes
End-of-Life Care
Health Literacy
Capacity Building
Depression South Dakota
Voices for Children
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$70,000 – Community Responsive
Grant
South Dakota Children's Mental Health Initiative
Overview: This initiative improved depression
care throughout South Dakota by educating professionals,
including child care workers, school personnel, and health
care providers. Accomplishments included development
of a mental health referral schematic specific to South
Dakota, an online statewide mental health resource directory,
and toolkits for teaching the "Socio-emotional Foundations
of Early Learning" curriculum. The coalition provided
one-on-one education to 60 pediatricians and family practice
doctors, and was awarded a grant for school-based mental
health.
South Dakota Voices for Children
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$68,900 – Community Responsive
Grant
South Dakota Children's Mental Health Awareness Initiative
- Phase 2
Overview: The second phase of this initiative
achieved health improvement addressing major depression
in children by focusing on parents of children ages 12
years and under. A Parent's Guide to Children's Mental
Health Services in South Dakota was developed and
more than 15,000 copies were distributed to libraries,
schools,
extension offices, pediatrician and family practice offices,
mental health centers, and early childhood centers. The
guide received coverage on more than 40 major television
and radio stations and 20 newspapers. The project distributed
an emotional wellness newsletter to more
than 28,000
readers
across the state.
Diabetes Girl Scouts of
the Black Hills Council
Rapid City, South Dakota
$20,000 – Community Responsive
Grant
Girl PRIDE (Positive Results in Developmental Education)
Diabetes Prevention
Overview: Girl PRIDE Diabetes Prevention raised
awareness about the importance of a healthy lifestyle
and the dangers of diabetes among underserved, at-risk
girls ages 5-17 years living on the Cheyenne River, Rosebud,
and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations in Rapid City. The
program incorporated prevention, nutrition, and physical
fitness education through hands-on learning activities.
More than 350 girls participated in the program in 2007.
Survey results indicated that 94 percent of participants
learned something new about diabetes and its prevention.
Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$4,988 – Mini-Grant
Growing Healthy Initiative: Growing Healthy Babies
Overview: Growing Healthy Babies focused on
improving infant health and preventing childhood obesity
and subsequent diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The
project provided parents in Minnehaha County with research-based,
easy-to-understand nutrition guides and other health
information. The organization developed refrigerator
clings outlining healthy feeding information for infants
and distributed
more
than 7,000
clings through United Way birth packets
at all area hospitals. Clings continue to be distributed
to parents at health fairs, health clinics, community
centers, and conferences, and are available on the Growing
Health Initiative Web site.
South Dakota Department of Health
Pierre, South Dakota
$72,250 – Dedicated
Grant
South Dakota Diabetes Prevention and Control Program - South
Dakota Diabetes Strategic Plan
Overview: The South Dakota Department of Health
provided leadership for development and implementation
of a statewide diabetes strategic plan. Mini-grants were
provided to participating organizations to implement
strategies outlined in the plan. Organizations receiving
grant support included Communication Services for the
Deaf, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Sanford Watertown
Clinic. Funding also supported a conference for diabetes
care partners held in November 2007.
St. Mary’s Foundation
Pierre, South Dakota
$5,000 – Mini-Grant
Regional Limb Recovery Program
Overview: The project
worked to build a model of care to reduce amputations
among persons with diabetes in the communities of Fort
Thompson and Rosebud. The Diabetes Limb Recovery Team
met with the Tribal Diabetes Management Teams, including
35 physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and administrative
staff to implement the Diabetes Limb Recovery Program.
The organization created and distributed brochures
in health facilities in both communities. The project
successfully
implemented
a more efficient process of referral and communication
with tribal clinics.
Volunteers of America, Dakotas
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$47,728 –Community Responsive Grant
Fit Factor
Overview: Fit Factor provided one-on-one intervention
and individual fitness plan development for Sioux Falls
youth ages 8-20 years at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. The health and education program focused on
low-income and Native American youth at the Bowden Youth
Center who presented at high risk for obesity and diabetes.
Fit Factor conducted health assessments and created individual
fitness plans for 110 youth. More than 90 percent of
participants met their fitness goals, and 100 percent
showed an increase in knowledge on nutrition. More than
100 parents were reached through four community events.
End-of-Life Care St. Mary’s Foundation
Pierre, South Dakota
$66,207 – Community Responsive Grant
Reaching Out: Palliative Care
Overview: This community-based, comprehensive
care program provided support to patients and families
coping with end-of-life issues. Reaching Out offered
a volunteer-based, medically supported approach to meeting
needs of patients and families, and educated health care
providers about palliative care, hospice, and pain management.
Marketing strategies included development of a series
of presentations, advertisements, brochures, multi-media
campaign, free initial consultations, and establishment
of the Extensive Care Program to bridge service gaps.
Three health professionals and thirteen volunteers received
training.
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota
$45,025 –Dedicated Grant
Partnership for Improving End-of-Life Care in South Dakota
Overview: The Partnership created a brand identity
as LifeCircle South Dakota (SD) and strengthened its
infrastructure. A statewide web of interdisciplinary,
inter-organizational coalitions was created and a detailed
database of more than 1,000 South Dakotans with an interest
in end-of-life care was developed. More than 120 persons
representing 35 communities attended a statewide conference
held in 2006 in Sioux Falls. Local coalitions were created
to support improvements in end-of-life care at the local
level and small mini-grants were provided to support
their activities.
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota
$26,855 –Community Responsive Grant
South Dakota's Dying to Know: A Study of South Dakotans' Personal Experiences
with End-of-Life Care
Overview: The University of South Dakota expanded
Dying to Know, an ongoing study designed to
improve the quality of end-of-life care and to enhance
community
dialogue on this issue in South Dakota. This phase of
the project focused on residents’ knowledge and
preferences about end-of-life care by studying their
personal experiences. Project findings were shared with
physicians and staff at Indian Health Service, hospitals,
nursing homes, assisted living centers, and hospices
throughout the state. The documents are available on
the LifeCircle
SD Web site.
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota
$59,961 –Community Responsive Grant
The South Dakota End-of-Life Education Partnership
Overview: This community-based partnership
delivered an education seminar with a focus on pain management
to nurses working in nursing homes throughout South Dakota.
A total of 88 individuals representing 40 long-term care
facilities participated in the seminars. Participants
were encouraged to serve as end-of-life advocates in
their communities by providing a care education activity
for staff, coordinating a review of pain management policies,
and submitting a written report of activities. Evaluations
revealed the seminars were successful in increasing staff
knowledge.
Health Literacy American
Lung Association of South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$5,000 – Mini-Grant
School Health Literacy Project
Overview: The American Lung Association worked
in collaboration with the South Dakota School Nurses
Association and South Dakota Department of Education
to implement the project, which involved statewide distribution
of two health literacy tools, including a poster and
clipboard identifying symptoms and emergency treatment
of asthma, diabetes, and seizures. The materials were
distributed to 839 schools, including all public, private,
and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools in the state. Asthma
training was provided to school personnel and coaches.
Mid-Central Educational Cooperative
Platte, South Dakota
$44,300 –Community Responsive Grant
Online Health Literacy - A South Dakota Pilot Project
Overview: The project developed and provided
a comprehensive web-based health literacy resource for
students, parents, and families, and piloted an online
health education course for high school students. This
work is a continuation of a previous mini-grant from
The Wellmark Foundation that supported grade-level expectations
and course scope for kindergarten through twelfth grade.
The project is a collaborative effort with the South
Dakota Health Edventure Web site. The site includes more
than 300 lesson plans and offers a free web-based health
education curriculum for all South Dakota schools.
Native American Advocacy Program for Persons with Disabilities
Winner, South Dakota
$5,000 –Mini-Grant
Woonspe (Learning)
Overview: The Native American Advocacy Program
(NAAP) and partners increased basic health literacy among
consumers with disabilities and their families, health
professionals, and other service providers. The program
offered peer support and training sessions
in the local
tribal
community. Thirty individuals with disabilities were
identified as trainers to provide health literacy education
to peers and health providers, with ten people completing
this focused training to date. NAAP staff and consumers
compiled more than 2,500 pieces of health literacy training
materials and an Internet source listing for Native American
persons with disabilities. Health literacy information
was incorporated into NAAP’s Web site, services,
and projects.
South Dakota Dental Foundation
Pierre, South Dakota
$61,575 –Community Responsive Grant
South Dakota Great Faces - Great Smiles: An Ounce of Prevention
Overview: South Dakota Great Faces developed
a statewide oral health education and promotion program
for children to increase the oral health literacy of
underserved populations in the state. The project was
a collaborative effort of the South Dakota Oral Health
Coalition and cooperatively led by the South Dakota
Dental Foundation, the South Dakota Department of Health,
and Delta Dental of South Dakota. Marketing strategies
included brochures, flip charts, posters, and radio and
television advertisements. All South Dakota Women, Infant,
and Children (WIC) program staff and 425 Head Start staff
members received training.
Capacity Building
Avera Rural Health Institute
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$5,000 – Capacity-Building Grant
Community Assessments and Planning: The Avera St. Benedict
Pilot Project
Overview: Avera Rural Health Institute increased
the capacity of its staff to work effectively with rural
communities to conduct community health needs assessments
and community health planning. Institute staff and an
Avera St. Benedict community liaison received leadership
training and worked with a coalition of organizations
to conduct a community health needs assessment in the
Avera St. Benedict area. The coalition is currently seeking
grant funding to address needs identified in the assessment.
Project evaluations were positive and additional communities
have requested similar community assessments.
Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
$49,828 –Dedicated Grant
South Dakota Health Disparities Collaborative State Summit
Overview: Project funding expanded the success
of the National Quality of Care Health Disparities Collaborative
in participating community health centers (CHCs) through
a state-level response and support mechanism. All centers
participated in a CHC summit designed to facilitate the
growth of collaborative teams, share expertise, and support
each other. The CHAD Clinical Network offered training,
technical assistance, and networking opportunities to
CHCs.
Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute
Omaha, Nebraska
$5,000 –Dedicated Grant
Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute
Overview: The Great Plains Public Health Leadership
Institute (GPPHLI) is a year-long program designed to
enhance the leadership skills of senior and emerging
leaders in organizations whose primary mission is to
improve the health and well-being of populations and
communities. GPPHLI is a regional institute focusing
on public health leadership development in Iowa, South
Dakota, and Nebraska. This grant paid program tuition
for two project leaders from The Wellmark Foundation’s
active grantees in South Dakota. Participants completed
the program in September 2007.
Institute for Educational Leadership & Evaluation
Rapid City, South Dakota
$5,000 –Mini-Grant
Black Hills Community Assessment
Overview: The Institute for Educational Leadership
led an effort to conduct comprehensive community needs
assessments in Pennington, Meade, Lawrence, and Butte
Counties in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sixteen
community partners and sponsors were involved in the
project that included assessment of the prevalence of
depression in each community and the resources available
to meet each community’s needs for mental health
services. The Institute plans to repeat the survey in
three to five years.
St. Mary's Foundation
Pierre, South Dakota
$10,000 –Dedicated Grant
South Dakota Grant Writers Network Development - Phase I
Overview: The initiative supported development
of statewide resources for individuals engaged in grant
writing in the health, welfare, and community development
arenas. The Grant Writers Network created a listserv
for its growing membership and established a steering
committee whose 16 members are geographically distributed
and multi-sectored. The Second Annual South Dakota Grant
Writers Network Conference was held in August 2006. More
than 100 individuals from five states attended the conference.
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