In response to overwhelming needs identified through recent community health assessments, officials at Piedmont Healthcare created a grant program and laid out a plan aimed at improving the health and well-being of the surrounding communities, particular those most vulnerable.

The grant program, which extends financial support to organizations providing specific health-related services and programs for at-risk and underserved populations in Piedmont service areas, will focus on community health education and wellness, access to primary and specialty care, community-based health support services and social determinants of health.

“We took a close look at our communities’ health needs, analyzed public health and hospital data, and determined the best way to make the most impact in our neighborhoods,” Ginna Goode, community benefits specialist at Piedmont Healthcare, said. “We’re confident that working together with other nonprofit organizations will only strengthen our collective ability to ensure patients have access to the care they need.”

• The new grant program will support implementation strategies crafted to address prioritized Needs identified in Piedmont’s community health assessment findings. Priority areas include:
• maintain and, when possible, increase access to appropriate and affordable care for low- and no-income patients, including increased efforts at eliminating health disparities
• Reduce preventable readmissions and emergency department re-encounters, particularly among high-risk patients with a focus on chronic disease management
• Increase access to and awareness of cancer-related programming and low-cost mammograms to qualifying individuals through partnership programs
• Reduce preventable instances of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, obesity rates and obesity-related disease through educational awareness and promotion of healthy behaviors, including efforts to reduce tobacco use, nutrition counseling and exercise programs
• Increase efforts around senior health

Grants are limited to not-for-profit, community-based organizations that are exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applications are accepted starting Wednesday, Oct. 12 until Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. Grant awardees will be notified mid-December.

For more information on the new community benefit grant program or Piedmont’s community health needs assessments, visit piedmont.org.