ECU Health is celebrating 20 successful years of the Community Benefit Grants Program which was created in 1998 as a joint partnership between the health system and the ECU Health Foundation to address the health and wellness of Pitt County residents. As the health system grew, the grants program expanded to include the regional hospital service areas, as well. The overall goal of the program is to help people before they reach the point of being hospitalized for health conditions that could otherwise have been avoided.
“ECU Health feels one of the best ways to empower people to be active partners in their own health care is to provide them with the education and tools needed to prevent and manage chronic disease,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO, ECU Health. “This is accomplished through establishing community partnerships with local non-profits. The grants program provides these organizations with financial support to develop and implement programs that provide: early detection of chronic illness, education on wellness and prevention strategies, community health initiatives, and health care services directly in the communities where people live.”
Since 1998, $30.4 million has been distributed to 1,670 grant recipients. These funded programs have improved the health and quality of life for countless residents of eastern North Carolina.
“People across eastern North Carolina have benefited from all of the funded initiatives. Programs take place in civic centers, community gardens, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches, schools, senior centers and other community venues,” said Brian Floyd, president of ECU Health Medical Center and chief operating officer of Vidant Health Hospitals. “The grants being funded help remove financial and transportation barriers in receiving health education and direct health services in rural communities. We are reaching well beyond the walls of our hospitals to care for the people in our region who need it most.”
This year, ECU Health is distributing $1.9 million to 160 grants for communities in eastern North Carolina for the 2016-2017 grant cycle. Grants are administered by the ECU Health Foundation and awarded to programs that focus on chronic disease prevention and management, nutrition and physical activity, and improving access to care.
Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, marketing and communications, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected]
SUMMARY
| ECU Health Hospital | # of Programs Recommended for Funding | Dollars Recommended |
# Estimated to be Served |
# Estimated to be Financially Needy |
| Beaufort | 18 | $100,000 | 21,021 | 15,533 |
| Bertie | 14 | $102,250 | 18,496 | 17,606 |
| Chowan | 22 | $107,430 | 19,269 | 7,186 |
| Duplin | 12 | $102,000 | 23,125 | 19,167 |
| Edgecombe | 14 | $106,000 | 6,625 | 5,445 |
| Outer Banks Health | 8 | $110,000* | 4,219 | 4,219 |
| Roanoke-Chowan | 13 | $100,000 | 12,054 | 9,554 |
| Total Regional | 101 | $727,680 | 104,809 | 78,710 |
| ECU Medical Center | 59 | $1,182,350 | 402,549 | 216,923 |
| Overall Total | 160 | $1,910,030 | 507,358 | 295,633 |
