January 4, 2006
Contact: Bev Pfeifer-Harms
Director of Communications
314.345.5500 office

Burrell Behavioral Health One of Five Area Grant Recipients

Latest MFH awards focus on specialty pharmacy, ALS and SIDS

St. Louis, Jan. 4 -Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) recently approved more than $650,000 in grants to five organizations serving southwest Missouri. The largest grant was awarded to Burrell Behavioral Health, of Springfield, to open a specialty pharmacy for patients with mental illness. Additional grants provide basic support to area organizations dealing with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, domestic violence and drug abuse.

Burrell received a three-year, $419,764 grant to set up the pharmacy, which will help almost 4,000 uninsured and underinsured people receive the medications needed to help manage their mental health issues. The pharmacy will collaborate with existing area facilities that provide services to indigent patients with mental illness.

"Southwest Missouri is the only region of our state without a state mental health hospital," said Dr. James Kimmey, MFH president and CEO. "Often, these patients receive a prescription, but cannot afford to get it filled at a for-profit pharmacy. This grant will ensure that every patient receives the proper medication, regardless of his/her ability to pay, and can continue to function in the community."

Four area organizations also received two-year "basic support" grants from MFH, to help offset administrative, operational and equipment costs so the organizations' resources can remain focused on existing programs and services for the uninsured, underinsured and underserved. Those organizations are:

• ALS Association Keith Worthington Chapter, $99,747. This grant enables the chapter to continue its Patient Services Program, which provides information and resources to ALS patients, families and caregivers;
• Community Connections Polk County, $24,000. This organization operates a domestic violence shelter, House of Hope, and offers crisis intervention and counseling in a five-county area;
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resources, Inc., $97,872. This grant allows the organization to continue providing education and outreach to the public, community and health professionals about SIDS. This grant will help both Greene County and the St. Louis community; and,
• Webster County Adult Drug Court, $17,016. This grant expands the county's team treatment approach and counseling services to help people who have been convicted of substance and alcohol-related offenses.

Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder of community health activities in the state. The Foundation is in its fourth year of grantmaking, having issued more than $148 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. For more information about MFH, visit www.mffh.org.

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Editor's Note: For more information on any of the grantees, please contact the organization directly at:

• Burrell Behavioral Health
  Springfield, MO 65804
  417.269.7244
• ALS Association Keith Worthington Chapter
  Springfield, MO 65807
  417.886.5003
• Community Connections Polk County
  Bolivar, MO 65613
  417.777.8137
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resources, Inc.
  St. Louis, MO 63122
  314.822.2323
• Webster County Adult Drug Court
  Marshfield, MO 65706
  417.859.2041
  

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