Central Maine families will soon have better access to health care, drug coverage and mental health services thanks to grants from the state’s largest private health care foundation.
The Maine Health Access Foundation, a three-year-old nonprofit group created from the sale of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine to Anthem, handed out almost $2.5 million in grants to 18 health care organizations throughout Maine. Three Central Maine groups received a total of almost $600,000.
The one-and two-year grants were awarded to projects that expanded or improved health care for poor and uninsured people.
“What we were looking for was a focus on changing the system,” said Executive Director Wendy Wolf.
Last year, the Maine Health Access Foundation gave more than $3.7 million to 43 Maine hospitals, social service agencies and other organizations. It gave $2.5 million to another 25 groups earlier this year.
More than 150 organizations applied for the latest set of competitive grants awarded Tuesday. Eighteen received awards. Grants ranged from $30,000 to $270,000.
Western Maine Health won a one-year, $50,000 grant to start a new CarePartners program in Oxford County. The program, which is already running in Cumberland, Kennebec and Lincoln counties, helps provide managed health care and drug coverage to uninsured residents who don’t qualify for government programs.
The Franklin Health Access Project in Farmington received a two-year, $270,000 grant to provide uninsured and low-income families with better health care. After identifying those in need, the project will connect families with a worker who will oversee their health care and help them get any basic and preventative care they need.
Common Ties Mental Health Coalition in Lewiston won a two-year, $270,000 grant to integrate mental health and primary care services. Through the project, low-income residents who use the Bates Street Family Heath Center will be able to get a range of mental health services while they are there for more basic care.
“To kind of meet the entire needs of a patient in a single visit,” Wolf said.
Other grants went to groups in Kennebec, greater Penobscot, Cumberland and Lincoln counties. Six grants went to organizations running statewide projects.
The Pine Tree Society for Handicapped Children and Adults, for example, received a one-year, $30,000 grant to expand its statewide video relay interpreting project. That program provides video-conferencing sign language interpreters for hospitals throughout the state. With the grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation, Pine Tree plans now to bring that technology to mental health agencies and county jails.
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