Grants benefit health-care services

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

By From staff reports,

AUGUSTA — The state's largest health care foundation has awarded $3.5 million in grants to 22 health care organizations. The money will got to improving health services for Portland's immigrant and refugee communities and providing oral health services for low-income children in the non-traditional setting of a YWCA. The Maine Health Access Foundation aims to expand and improve health care services for Maine's uninsured and medically underserved. It's hoped that the projects will serve as models for the rest of the state and elsewhere in the country.

In southern Maine, recipients of $200,000 grants include the American Cancer Society, to improve rural patients' access to services; the city of Portland, to provide improved education, in-home visitations and other services to the immigrant/refugee community; Family Planning Association, to improve use of family planning services among MaineCare members; and MedHelp Maine, to improve access to prescription assistance programs for low-income patients and their doctors.

Other awards include nearly $58,000 for the Waldo Community Action Partners, to provide dental services to children and senior citizens in the YMCA; nearly $69,000 for the Frannie Peabody Center in Portland, to improve HIV/STD/Hepatitis prevention, screening and treatment in York County; and $155,000 to Maine Medical Center, to analyze data from its smoking helpline and use it to maximize state-supported tobacco treatment services.

The foundation has awarded more than $15 million over four years to more than 110 Maine hospitals, community health clinics, advocacy groups, public policy organizations and governmental organizations. It was created in 2000 from the sale of the nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine to the for-profit Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. It has assets of approximately $103 million.

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