With the help of grants from Kaiser Permanente and the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, YourTown Health is working to make a difference in our communities in the areas of diabetes and mental health. Following a competitive application process, YourTown Health (formerly Palmetto Health Council) was awarded two Community Health Improvement Grants.
In September 2015, Kaiser awarded YourTown Health a $75,000 grant in support of the Integration of Primary Care and Behavioral Health Services. The focus of this program is to increase collaboration with behavioral health colleagues, while responding to the complex needs of patients. YourTown Health is committed to reinforcing the efforts between the primary care clinicians and community mental health partners to improve patient outcomes that cannot be achieved by primary care alone.
In support of a Diabetes Care Management Program, YourTown Health also received $50,000 from Kaiser in January 2015. This program is dedicated to enhancing and promoting patient care services for the diabetes population. With a coordinated approach to diabetes management, the goal of this program is to improve patient outcomes by using a multidisciplinary team that includes a Diabetes Care Coordinator.
“These grants enable us to make a greater impact in the lives of patients who struggle with diabetes and mental health issues,” said YourTown Health CEO Jon Wollenzien. “We strongly value the partnership with Kaiser Permanente and the funding opportunities made available to safety-net providers and the communities we serve.”
For 70 years, Kaiser Permanente has shown a commitment to improving total community health through a variety of grants for charitable and community-based organizations. Successful grant applicants must fit within their funding priorities with work that responds to identified health needs in the communities that Kaiser Permanente serves. In 2014, Kaiser Permanente invested nearly $215 million in charitable funding to organizations serving communities where they operate.
