Community Benefit gives out nearly $100,000 in first of 3 grant cycles for this year

May 23, 2023 -- In the first cycle of an expanded grant program, Reid Health Community Benefit is giving nearly $100,000 to 23 local organizations.

Reid's latest Community Health Needs Assessment identified three priorities -- mental health and substance misuse; physical activity, nutrition, and weight; and maternal, infant, and children's health. As a result, the Community Benefit Grant Program has $300,000 to distribute over three grant cycles this year, an increase of $50,000 from the previous three years.

The first cycle of 2023 was focused on mental health and substance misuse, with $99,922 being awarded to a mix of nonprofits, schools, law enforcement, and other regional organizations.

Requests were evaluated based on their ability to impact the average number of days for poor mental health, death rate due to suicide, death rate due to drug poisoning, adults who smoke cigarettes, drug and opioid overdose rates, and depression among the Medicare population.

Applications for the second cycle focusing on physical activity, nutrition, and weight are now closed, but organizations with programs aimed at maternal, infant, and children's health will be able to apply for the third cycle from July 6 to Aug. 17.

The awards for the first cycle include:

• $1,300 to 228 Club to support the relapse prevention class
• $4,500 to A Better Way for billboards to promote the 988 suicide and crisis hotline
• $10,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County for Prevention Plus programming at the clubs and in schools
• $2,600 to Bridges for Life for training of a certified peer recovery coach for the Recover Together program
• $2,500 to Brighter Path for scholarship support for the equine therapy program for children and adults
• $2,100 to Communities in Schools for staff training for site coordinators
• $7,500 to the Hagerstown Police Department for its K-9 program
• $4,000 to Independent Living Center for prefabricated, reusable ramps
• $1,700 to the Knightstown Community Education and Law Enforcement Foundation for drug prevention programming through schools
• $5,000 to Meridian Health Services for group meals for participants and families in the maternal treatment program known as The Nest
• $6,000 to Northeastern Wayne Schools to buy vape detectors for the middle and high schools
• $4,200 to Oak Park Church for mental health first aid training for youth and adults
• $2,000 to the Preble County Council on Aging for a 13-week pilot program for senior caregivers and their loved ones
• $7,500 to The Journey Home to support the Veteran's Outreach Team in locating homeless veterans and providing them with services and support
• $5,000 to Randolph Eastern School Corp. for ongoing Leader in Me development for K-12 students and staff
• $2,162 to Richmond High School to buy two carts to be used with Fatal Vision substance impairment goggles
• $700 to Salt of the Earth to provide a counselor for a sober living/transitional housing program in Wayne County
• $2,160 to Senior Opportunity Services to support the homemaker program for seniors
• $4,000 to Servants at Work to provide wooden and specialty ramps
• $6,000 to The Shepard's Way for a parttime case manager and the purchase of curriculum for women with a history of addiction and trauma
• $8,000 to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for its K-9 program and a pilot program for peer counseling of officers
• $10,000 to Whole Family Community Initiative for counseling services for residents of House of Ruth and their families
• $1,000 to YMCA of Darke County to support the Physical Training for Change wellness program for adult probation clients in Darke County

Community benefit is the basis of the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. Community benefit is defined as programs or activities that improve access to health services, enhance public health, advance health knowledge through research and education, and/or relieve the burden of government to improve health.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act added new requirements for tax-exempt hospitals in the areas of community health needs assessment (CHNA), implementation strategy, billing and collections, and reporting. In 2014, the IRS issued final rules implementing these requirements. The goals of these provisions are to ensure tax-exempt hospitals are meeting the health needs of their communities and to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Grants, along with other specific outreach and requirements to meet Reid Health's not-for-profit status, have put more than $168 million back into the community in the past five years. A committee of Reid's governing board and community members reviews grant requests. The grants are awarded as part of the health system's efforts as a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization.