New England Health Funders Convene in Worcester | |
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Participants at the New England Health Funders gathering. (Foundation photo)
On May 2 and 3, The Health Foundation hosted approximately 40 representatives of New England health funders for a two-day convening to network and share experiences amongst colleagues. Interactive peer-led sessions covered trust-based philanthropy, health equity initiatives, public/private partnerships, and co-funding.
There was time for small-group discussions, peer consultations, and an entertaining round of New England trivia (e.g. What New England state has the highest cow-to-person ratio of any state in the country, at about 1:2? Answer: Vermont). Participants were also able to break into groups by role or functional area and share thoughts on best practices and consult with peers on topics of shared interest. The funders hailed from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, and 19 unique foundations were represented.
The Health Foundation's Vice President for Programs Jennie Blake and Grants and Operations Manager Daniel Germain worked tirelessly for months to organize this successful convening.
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Trust-based philanthropy session. (Foundation photo)
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In The Media - Grant Highlights in Southbridge | |
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The 20/20 Onsite Mobile Vision Clinic at Southbridge High School. (Foundation photo)
"Vision for Southbridge" Program
The Southbridge Public Schools, in partnership with 20/20 Onsite, launched the Vision for Southbridge program on April 29. The program will provide comprehensive eye exams and free eyeglasses to students at no cost through a $55,000 grant from The Health Foundation aimed at increasing access to essential vision services in 2024. You can read the 20/20 Onsite announcement here.
"I am very grateful to the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts and 20/20 Onsite for bringing this powerful program to the students enrolled in Southbridge Public Schools. Providing quality vision care and eyeglasses to students is an important part of ensuring all children have access to a high-quality education," said Southbridge Public Schools receiver/superintendent Dr. Jeffrey A. Villar.
Southbridge was formerly known as the "Eye of the Commonwealth" due to its rich history of manufacturing optical products and serving as the former home of the American Optical Company which was the world's largest manufacturer of ophthalmic products. Ironically, access to vision services is a challenge for many Southbridge residents today, and it hinders students' ability to learn.
"The Health Foundation is pleased to provide this funding as an investment in Southbridge students so they can receive the vision services they need to reach their full potential in school," stated Dr. Amie Shei, President & CEO of The Health Foundation.
This one-time investment is an important step towards identifying a longer-term solution for the community, and complements another Foundation investment in the community, the Southbridge CARES project.
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UMass Memorial Health Held Second Prescriber Training to Improve Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Also on April 29, the UMass Memorial Health Road to Care team and UMass Chan Medical School, offered a second free continuing medical education (CME) conference in Southbridge for providers to fulfill new federal training requirements and improve access to opioid use disorder treatment in the region.
The daylong training session, “Transforming Care: Harm Reduction, Overdose Prevention and Management of Opioid Use Disorder,” gave providers from different health systems and practices the opportunity to immerse themselves in a comprehensive learning experience led by experts in the field.
Coupled with the 103 attendees for the Worcester training in December,168 providers have been trained on the latest advancements in opioid use disorder treatment through this initiative, significantly expanding access to treatment in Central Massachusetts. A third training session and Project ECHO will be offered in the coming months.
These trainings are offered free of charge due to funding from The Health Foundation, Reliant Foundation, and RIZE Massachusetts, which together provided more than $150,000 in grant funding.
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The WRTA is now the longest-running fare-free regional transit system in the country!
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Senator Edward Markey joined the celebration of free-fares on April 25. (Foundation photo) | |
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On April 18, The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) Advisory Board voted unanimously to continue fare-free service through June 2025, as reported by multiple media outlets including Spectrum News 1. The WRTA has operated fare-free since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while most other transit agencies resumed fare collection and still struggle to recover ridership.
The Zero Fare Coalition hosted an event on April 25 to celebrate the history-making fare-free WRTA. It was attended by Senator Edward Markey, Congressman Jim McGovern, Worcester Mayor Joe Petty, MA Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Worcester City Council Vice Chair Khrystian King, Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, Auburn Senior Center Outreach Coordinator Usha Verma, WRTA Advisory Board Member Marcelino Guerra, Emcee Miss Chantel, and Anne Bureau of the Zero Fare Coalition.
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Prior to the vote, Dr. Shei wrote a Letter to the Editor in the Boston Globe highlighting the history-making fare-free WRTA and citing the importance of investing in transportation. In addition to its support of the Zero Fare Coalition's efforts in the WRTA region, The Health Foundation has also supported the development of the Quaboag Connector, a vital rural micro-transit service in the Ware region. | |
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As recently reported in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, some Central Massachusetts communities fail to meet new federal standards to limit potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in their public drinking water systems. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a class of man-made environmentally persistent chemicals associated with a range of adverse health effects. Due to their widespread use and disposal, PFAS have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, rivers, soil and wastewater.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent announcement of the first-ever nationwide, legally enforceable drinking water standards to protect communities from PFAS in their drinking water highlight the inequities that persist. Drinking water from private wells remains unregulated at the state and federal level, leaving individuals and families at risk of drinking contaminated water. To address this issue, The Health Foundation has supported the Private Well Program to Protect Public Health, a Round 5 Synergy Initiative project led by RCAP Solutions, since 2020, providing nearly $1.8 million in funding to date. Dr. Shei spoke about the project last month on Tap Talk, the Drinking Water in Rural America Podcast.
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Register Now for Health Equity Trends Summit | | |
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The Health Equity Compact will host its second Health Equity Trends Summit on June 6 in Boston. There is an option for virtual communal viewing at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers' James W. Hunt Jr. Training & Learning Center in Worcester. The Health Foundation's Vice President for Programs Jennie Blake will be supporting this satellite location.
The Health Equity Compact brings together over 80 leaders of color across a diverse set of Massachusetts organizations – including hospitals, health centers, payers, academic institutions and public health – to advance health equity in Massachusetts.
To learn more or attend, scan the QR code or register online.
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Worcester Business Journal Power 100 | |
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The Health Foundation President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei.
(Foundation photo)
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The Health Foundation's President & CEO, Dr. Amie Shei, was named one of the Worcester Business Journal's Power 100 for 2024. You can read all of the Power 100 profiles here. The Health Foundation would like to congratulate all of this year's recipients.
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The Health Foundation is celebrating our 25th Anniversary in 2024. If you have any stories or photos to share from The Health Foundation's first quarter century we'd love to hear from you!
Please send them to info@thfcm.org.
Thank you!
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Below are resources and information that may be of interest to our nonprofit partners across the region.
Philanthropy Massachusetts is a membership organization that serves as a bridge between funders and nonprofits, offering opportunities for learning and networking, and access to resources and tools, skill-building, and community-building. Following are two upcoming programs for nonprofits:
Date: May 22, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Fees: Members - $35, Non-members - $55
Date: June 4, 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: The Hanover Insurance Group, 440 Lincoln St., Worcester, MA
Fees: Admission is free for both members and non-members
Impala is a software platform dedicated to democratizing social impact data by providing FREE access (for two years) to the profiles of every funder and nonprofit in the US: grants given & received, impact, people, financials and more. Join this training session to see everything Impala has to offer to enhance your organization’s fundraising!
Date: June 4, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Who: Fundraisers, prospect researchers, nonprofit professionals
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The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, The Health Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the not-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., The Health Foundation’s grants have totaled over $56 million to more than 230 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit www.thfcm.org. | |
© 2024 The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts | | | | |
