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

MFH Awards $870,789 in Grants to Springfield-Area Organizations

St. Louis -Three Springfield-area organizations have received a share of $870,789 in grants from Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH). The funding enables recipient organizations to improve services to diabetics and promote smoking cessation in the workplace, as part of MFH's efforts to improve the health of all Missourians.

The MFH grants are:
Cox Health Diabetes Center, Springfield, $428,775. This three-year grant adds a diabetes education and case management program to Cox's existing Diabetes Center, which plans to serve almost 2,500 uninsured, underinsured, and high-risk individuals. This grant is one of eight funded under MFH's new Priority Area Grant effort - Better Self-Management of Diabetes - which opened in 2006 and encourages high-quality care for individuals with this chronic disease.
Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Springfield, $392,755. This three-year allocation enables the health center to offer comprehensive diabetes care to 1,900 high-risk individuals. This is a second grant in the Springfield area through MFH's new Better Self-Management of Diabetes funding effort.
Polk County Health Center, Bolivar, $49,259. This two-year grant enables the organization to work with local employers to create tobacco-free work environments and assist employees who want to stop using tobacco products. This is part of MFH's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative, a nine-year, $40 million funding effort now in its third year of grantmaking.

"We are pleased to provide grants to help area residents who want to quit smoking or who are living with diabetes, a chronic disease that is growing in our state," says Dr. James R. Kimmey, MFH's president and CEO. "We welcome the opportunity to partner with these Springfield organizations, as we all work toward ensuring all Missourians have adequate access to high-quality health care options, and thus can live healthier lives."

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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