OWENSBORO (Aug. 10, 2017) — Owensboro Health has announced the recipients of its 2018 Community Health Investment grants, totaling $696,866, which support nonprofit agencies and organizations across the system’s coverage area.
The Community Health Investment grants, announced Thursday at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, will support 38 projects run by 34 different organizations. The funds will also support ongoing commitments and partnerships with additional potential reach. The projects funded serve people of all ages, including direct services and youth health education, tobacco and substance abuse, research, and programs for older adults.
Owensboro Health President & CEO Greg Strahan said the Community Health Investment grants are a reflection of Owensboro Health’s unwavering commitment to its communities, not just providing healthcare, but supporting other entities which can make a difference in community health.
“Owensboro Health’s mission is to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities we serve. We can accomplish a lot of that on our own, but we can do so much more when we work with others,” Strahan said. “These grants are aptly named. They are investments, often seed money, if you will. We have planted these seeds annually over the past several years and we are in awe of how they’ve grown and made our communities stronger.”
Steve Johnson, Owensboro Health’s vice president of governmental, community and legislative affairs, said it’s not just about funding, but also about forming lasting connections and partnerships.
“The Community Health Investment grants are an integral part of our strategic work to improve the overall health of our communities because they forge connections, links in a chain so to speak, with agencies throughout the area,” Johnson said. “These organizations are doing outstanding work and Owensboro Health is saying, ‘We want to be your partner.’ Our hope is that by supporting these agencies and helping engage others to address the health issues we face, that we will unite valuable expertise and collective resources and begin to see real impact in the health of individuals and families in our communities.
Debbie Zuerner Johnson, director of community engagement, said the Owensboro Health Gives Community Health Investment grant program is about more than financial support.
“We see tremendous value in helping nonprofit organizations grow, learn and partner with others and we, in turn, learn from them. Doing so puts those organizations in the position to receive additional funding from other sources, and also to create more programs and services which can make positively impact health outcomes for the people in the communities we serve,” Zuerner Johnson said.
About The Community Health Investment Grants
Awarded annually, the Owensboro Health Community Health Investment grants are available to designated nonprofit organizations, governmental or public entities that are addressing community health needs throughout the region. In addition to health and human service projects, art programs with a connection to healthcare may also receive grant funding. To be eligible, organizations which apply for support must be serving populations within the health system’s coverage area of 14 counties in Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering and the only hospital in the world to be designated a Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International, Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital, the One Health medical group comprising over 180 providers in 25 locations, a certified medical fitness facility, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center. Owensboro Health has been recognized for outstanding care, safety and clinical excellence by The Joint Commission, U.S. News & World Report and Becker’s Hospital Review. As the largest employer west of Louisville, Owensboro Health has 4,088 employees, and in FY 2015 saw 18,380 inpatient admissions and 823,072 outpatient encounters. A committed community partner, Owensboro Health provided grants of $702,924 in the last year to health, social service, education and arts agencies across the region. For more information, visit owensborohealth.org.
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