MIAMI, Jan. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health Foundation of South Florida's Board of Directors approved $1,472,944 for grants focused on increasing access to quality, primary health care; healthy eating active communities; preventive health measures; behavioral health as well as other community health needs. The grants, which range from $20,000 to $169,396, were awarded to twenty-two nonprofit health-related organizations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
According to Health Foundation of South Florida Chairman Richard Laviña, "Supporting the essential efforts of nonprofits that are making an impact on improving the health of underserved individuals and families is at the core our mission." He added, "Through our working relationships and collaborative efforts, we strive to ensure that South Florida residents have access to quality health services and care."
In Miami-Dade County, grants were awarded to: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, $99,413 to improve healthy eating and physical activity standards within after school settings; Citrus Health Network, $80,000 to add a behavioral medicine component to primary care services offered at three primary care sites; Douglas Gardens Community Mental Health Center, $84,360 to provide peer support and daily socialization to support recovery and wellness among adults with severe mental illness; Family Counseling Services of Greater Miami, $44,300 to purchase and install an electronic health record system to meet county, state, and federal mandates and facilitate the provision of behavioral health services to children and families; Florida International University Foundation, $45,000 to provide access to primary care for underserved and uninsured adults through a mobile medical health center; Health Information Project, $30,000 to improve health awareness for teenagers through innovative school-based, peer-to-peer education that promotes conversation and connects students to reliable health resources; Here's Help, $73,000 to implement and evaluate two value-added social recovery components (horticulture and culinary arts) of an existing residential substance abuse treatment program; Key Clubhouse of South Florida, $40,900 to increase the capacity to serve more clubhouse members by equipping a larger clubhouse facility with computers and furniture. Miami Beach Community Health Center, $161,396 to establish additional primary care examination rooms and increase access to primary care at a Federally Qualified Health Center; South Florida Behavioral Health Network, $20,000 to develop comprehensive recommendations related to the delivery of behavioral health services to individuals with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system; The Miami Coalition for a Safe & Drug Free Community, $123,450 to implement a substance abuse screening, referral and follow-up initiative to reduce the incidence of youth substance misuse behaviors; Community AIDS Resource, $45,000 to improve the health literacy of patients through technology and education that informs, educates and empowers individuals about health issues; South Florida Hospital Research & Education Foundation, $30,000 to assist hospitals as they adopt baby-friendly best practices to increase breast-feeding rates and The Trust for Public Land, $160,000 to design and install Fitness Zones (each Fitness Zone is a set of 9 to 14 pieces of outdoor equipment) in four low-income neighborhoods.
In Broward County, grants were awarded to: Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, $60,000 to improve the capacity of the behavioral health system to serve individuals with co-occurring conditions by re-establishing a regional collaborative of behavioral health providers; Broward Regional Health Planning Council, $39,995 to enhance an existing electronic health record system to facilitate targeted case management services and Medicaid billing in accordance with Agency for Health Care Administration certification requirements; Foundation for a Breastfeeding Culture, $25,000 to develop and deliver e-learning modules for use by maternity care staff to assist in the designation process for the Baby Friendly Initiative; Memorial Foundation, $70,000 to enhance the treatment capacity of a behavioral health provider through staff training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, a SAMHSA approved evidence-based treatment model for clients with mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring diagnoses and The Starting Place, $90,000 for an electronic health record system that will be shared among four behavioral health providers to meet county, state, and federal mandates and facilitate the provision of behavioral health services.
In Monroe County, grants were awarded to: Fishermen's Hospital, $65,000 to establish primary care clinic for underserved families in Big Pine Key; Monroe County Health Department, $56,000 to increase the number of multiunit properties that adopt smoke-free policies to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke; and Womankind, $30,180 to establish a colorectal cancer screening initiative.
Health Foundation of South Florida, a nonprofit grantmaking organization, is dedicated to improving health in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. By advancing health solutions, the Foundation makes a measurable and sustainable impact in ensuring access to affordable, quality health services for all residents, especially the underserved. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $104 million in grants and program support. For more information, please call 305.374.7200 or visit the Web site, www.hfsf.org. Also visit www.healthyagingsf.org for information on the Foundation's Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative of South Florida.