Grants awarded to projects geared to low-income community health improvement

The BUILD Health Challenge has awarded inaugural grants to 18 projects working to improve health in low-income communities.

The funding collaborative awarded both implementation and planning grants to support community-driven initiatives. Seven implementation awardees received $250,000 over two years to strengthen existing partnerships, jump-start more advanced health data and analytics initiatives, and expand their impact, according to a release. Eleven planning awardees received $75,000 to kick-start still-nascent projects addressing specific health challenges with a committed group of community partners. The partnering health system or systems on each implementation award have also committed a 1:1 match with financial and in-kind support to advance the partnership's goals.

In addition, the BUILD Health Challenge will provide technical assistance for awardees in policy development and monitoring and evaluation to facilitate, promote and inspire collaboration between primary care and public health professionals to improve population health.

The Healthy Ontario Initiative of OntarioCalifornia, will improve access to healthy, affordable food and safe places to be active in order to reduce high rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Engaging the Community in New Approaches to Healthy Housing of Cleveland, Ohio, will remediate substandard housing in the Brooklyn Center neighborhood to curb lead poisoning, asthma and heart disease.

Access the complete list of awardees. 

Beth Walsh,

Editor

Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.

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