KBIA Local
(2009-12-23)
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COLUMBIA, MO
(KBIA) -
A handful of mid-Missouri nonprofits have received grant funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, in its most recent round of funding. KBIA's Janet Saidi reports.
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The Missouri Health Foundation has awarded more than $600,000 dollars to mid-Missouri organizations.
Recipients this funding round include the University of Missouri, Columbia, for a grant to establish a 15-credit hour minor degree program in health literacy.
Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville and Medchoice Medical Group in Mexico have received about $140,000, and $200,000 respectively, for additional staff, designed to expand access to rural healthcare in mid-Missouri.
And Boone County's Council on Aging, the Columbia-based Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, and the Jefferson City-based Missouri Family Health Council have each received awards ranging from $6,000 to $20,000, for organizational development initiatives.
The Mexico-based MedChoice group is a first-time recipient of Missouri Foundation for health funds. The organization is using the funds to add a nurse practitioner and a licensed practical nurse to their staff. Foundation spokesperson Bev Pfeifer-Harms says increasing access to healthcare in rural communities is right in line with the Foundation's goals.
That kind of care that they can provide is now available to people. So to a lot of people it sounds like it's not a whole lot, for community, for lots of communities, it can really mean a huge difference for them."
The Missouri Foundation for Health gave out about $4.5 million in grants, this round, to 49 organizations across the state. The Foundation disperses funds about six times each year, awarding a total of about $50 million dollars a year to fund a variety of programs, from primary care to mental health services and organizational development.
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