Thursday, August 30, 2007

Riverwood Foundation awards grant for emergency needs fund at hospital

The Riverwood Foundation provided a grant of $500 from its Community Health Initiative Fund to the Emergency Care and Social Services departments of Riverwood Healthcare Center. This grant will be used to assist patients receiving care at Riverwood’s hospital emergency with urgent needs when there is a financial need and other community resources are not available.

“Our emergency room treats patients from time to time who have urgent needs that can’t be met by local community resources,” says Val Thompson, Riverwood social worker. “This grant money is much appreciated and will help us pay for services such as meals when the local food shelf is not an option, short-term medication when a patient has no insurance coverage, or cab fare when other means of transportation is not available.”

The Community Health Initiative Fund (CHIF) is set up to support community-related health programs that benefit local community members in Riverwood’s service area. Riverwood Foundation acts as a catalyst to help address wellness and healthcare needs of our communities in a collaborative fashion with Riverwood Healthcare Center, other healthcare providers and public agencies.

CHIF grants are awarded only to individuals or organizations that are collaborating with Riverwood on health initiatives. Grants may be awarded for educational programs, new equipment, support groups or other initiatives that affect the healthcare needs of the local community. The maximum grant is $2,000. Grant applications are reviewed and awarded on a quarterly basis.

For more information, call the Riverwood Foundation at (218) 927-5554 or go to www.riverwoodhealthcare.com and click on Riverwood Organization/Foundation.