December 20, 2006
Contact: Bev Pfeifer-Harms
314.345.5500 office

Foundation Awards $425,220 to Southern Missouri Community Health Center

St. Louis -Southern Missouri Community Health Center in West Plains has received a $425,220 grant from Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to improve dental care options for uninsured and underserved adults and children living in Howell County.

The three-year funding is among the first grants made by MFH as part of its newly developed Primary Care Access Initiative, which is designed to strengthen the health care safety net and improve access to care in the 84 Missouri counties served by MFH, including southern Missouri.

In addition to the Southern Missouri Community Health Center grant, MFH funded seven other organizations through the Initiative, for a total of $5 million. Initiative funding can be used to open new health care facilities, expand medical, dental and mental health treatment options, or increase service capabilities of existing health care facilities.

"The Primary Care Access Initiative helps address a serious issue in our state - the problem of access to adequate health care facilities, services and providers," says Dr. James R. Kimmey, MFH's president and CEO. "Many Missouri residents, especially those living outside our urban areas, cannot access even the most basic health care services. MFH hopes that by helping communities improve their health care infrastructure we can improve the health of all Missourians."

Established in 2000 through the for-profit conversion of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder of community health activities in the state. MFH is in its fourth year of grantmaking, issuing more than $195 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

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