National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Receives $60 Thousand Grant to Find and Celebrate Individuals Who Are Advancing Health Equity

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) —the nation's leading philanthropy on health and health care—has awarded the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) a $60,000 grant spanning seven years to help establish the RWJF Awards for Health Equity.

The RWJF Awards for Health Equity is supporting a total of 10 national membership organizations in finding and honoring individuals who are successfully using systems changes to address health disparities within their communities. RWJF believes that it is critical to improve systems that influence the determinants of health —such as public safety, employment, housing, education—in order to improve lives and reduce health disparities.

During this seven-year program, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) will independently solicit and evaluate nominations from their membership and select a winner for the award. Winners will be announced at the NAFC Charitable Health Care Symposium as well as at an annual recognition and learning event at RWJF that will highlight the work of all 10 winners. The organizations that have been selected to administer the awards program span several sectors including public health, health care, business, media, social justice, civic leadership, faith-based, education, community development, or philanthropy.

"As a nation, we will not be able to achieve a Culture of Health without ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to live in healthy environments, make healthy choices and receive quality health care," said Catherine Malone, DBA, MBA, program officer of the RWJF Awards for Health Equity. "By celebrating those who have successfully implemented systems changes related to the determinants of health, we hope to heighten awareness of the promising potential that systems changes have to eliminate health disparities in our society."

"The NAFC is honored to work closely with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the other grantees to highlight the work of health equality thought leaders who are working daily to build strong Culture of Health communities across the country," NAFC Chief Executive Officer Nicole Lamoureux said. "This seven-year commitment will enable our member clinics, their volunteers, staff and others in communities to continue to place an emphasis on removing and addressing health disparities for all."

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 40 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

About the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC)

The NAFC is the only nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the more than 1,200 free and charitable clinics and the people they serve in the United States. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., it is an effective advocate for the issues and concerns of free and charitable clinics, their volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, technicians and other health care professionals, and the patients served by free and charitable clinics in communities throughout the nation. For more information, visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NAFClinics or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics.