Samaritan Awards Nearly $450,000 to Local Non-Profits January 10, 2020 The five hospitals of Samaritan Health Services have awarded a total of $449,000 in Social Accountability grants to local service organizations, to be distributed over the next 12 months. Social Accountability grants are awarded within Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties. Funding decisions are made by committees consisting of employees and board members at each Samaritan-affiliated hospital. Funded programs address unmet needs of underserved populations and improve overall community health in one of these six areas: Healthy Families – Increase physical activity, fitness and access to nutritious food for children and families Greater Access – Increase access to medical, dental and mental health supports and services in the community Better Networks – Increase social supports for families Healthy Kids – Increase services and supports for children Healthy Teens – Increase services and supports for adolescents Healthy Seniors – Increase social supports for seniors residing in the community The grants are part of the larger Samaritan Community Benefit program, which encompasses the organization’s efforts to build healthier communities by providing direct and in-kind support for services such as health screenings, health professions education, health research and community health activities. Community Benefit also encompasses the charity care that Samaritan provides to low-income patients. In 2018, Samaritan invested nearly $161 million in community benefit activities and services. To be eligible for funding, programs must: Focus on unmet needs in underserved populations. Be collaborative, involving partnerships with other organizations. Focus on improving the health status in the community. Use quality indicators to measure progress and outcomes, reporting results and sharing them widely to attract more resources. Plan for self-sufficiency, where appropriate. Learn more about Samaritan’s Social Accountability program and view the list of agencies that received funding in 2020.
