| The Wellmark Foundation seeks
projects that are grounded in community and build on collaborations
to address underserved populations.
Descriptions of grant projects funded by the Foundation
prior to 2006 can be found in the Foundation annual
reports. You can also find more detailed project information
under
grant
outcomes and highlights of successful
grants under replication
strategies.
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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