ST. LOUIS, Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare announced today that it is awarding $360,000 in Improving Health in Rural Counties/Parishes grants to three programs, one each in California, Kansas and Louisiana. Centene Corporation's national behavioral health specialty company, Cenpatico, supported the Foundation's efforts to identify innovative programs that support transforming the health of rural communities, through individual focus and active local involvement.
The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare was formed in 2004 to improve the quality of healthcare for medically underserved individuals and families and economically distressed areas. The Foundation supports Centene's purpose to transform the health of the community. Over the years, the Foundation's funding projects have included obesity, school-based health clinics, disparities in mental health among black women and education and outreach related to public health programs such as Medicaid.
"The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare strongly believes in investing in our communities, especially those communities that are challenged around delivery of care," said Kathy Bradley-Wells, President, Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare. "Centene believes we have a responsibility to remove barriers and make it easier to get well, receive access to services and strengthen our communities. We congratulate and look forward to working with each of our newest grant recipients who are aware of these challenges first hand."
The innovative programming includes the use of technology, telemedicine, promising practices and education. Program goals range from decreasing suicide rates through increased awareness of mental health benefits and services; to helping families impacted by poverty to develop resources for healthy nutrition; to engaging and assisting eligible justice served individuals, persons with serious mental illness (SMI), and homeless individuals in obtaining entitlement benefits such as Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) so that they may access health insurance, healthcare, housing, and other resources.
The Tuolumne SOAR Collaborative is a collaboration of the Tuolumne County Behavioral Health Department, the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and 15 other community stakeholders. The $140,000 award will help to increase timely access to income, health insurance and transitional housing among persons with a disabling mental illness or co-occurring disorder who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless as they exit institutions such as hospitals, jails and prisons.
The Iberia Development Foundation and the Iberia Parish Government collaborated with community stakeholders, including the Francis M. Boley STEM-Ag Academy, the Acadiana Growers Alliance, LSU AgCenter and others, to address the community's significant need for health and nutrition information for grade school age children, as well as increasing access for children and their families to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The $110,000 award will go towards teaching the importance of good nutrition as part of the foundation for lifelong health.
The Center for Counseling & Consultation (The Center) and the Pawnee County Health Department were awarded $110,000 for coordination of County Health Departments and Court Services/Community Corrections Programs of Central Kansas (Barton, Pawnee, Rice, and Stafford counties). These partners developed a program aimed at promoting public awareness for the treatment of mental illness and substance use disorder and access to local behavioral health resources and services; and broadening access through technological solutions, including telemedicine.
About The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare
The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare in the United States. The Foundation serves as a resource to identify and support innovative approaches to improving and increasing the quality of and access to healthcare for low-income individuals and families. This is accomplished through an inspired philanthropic giving plan that seeks to promote efforts and activities that identify and address core causes of unequal access and treatment in healthcare.
About Cenpatico
Cenpatico's expertise lies in managing benefits for vulnerable populations. Our healthcare specialties include behavioral health, foster care, school-based services, specialty therapy and rehabilitation and more. We have managed Medicaid and other public sector benefits since 1994; currently, we serve over 4 million members nationally. Our headquarters are in Austin, Texas and we have local teams across the country in the markets we serve. Cenpatico is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation. We are committed to innovative solutions and designing programs tailored to improving functional outcomes with our members. Find us online at www.cenpatico.com.
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SOURCE The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare; Cenpatico