Piedmont Healthcare’s community benefit grant program, which aims to improve the health and well-being of the community through direct service grants, is now accepting grants through Monday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. This year, Piedmont will provide $500,000 in funding for programs that eliminate barriers to affordable, appropriate care or address the current opioid crisis.   

The grant program, which extends financial support to organizations providing specific health-related services and programs for at-risk and underserved populations, focuses on community health education and wellness, access to primary and specialty care, community-based health support services and social determinants of health. These grants are a critical part of Piedmont’s community benefit programming, which are core to Piedmont’s non-profit status. In Fiscal Year 2019, which ended June 30, 2019, Piedmont provided an estimated $275 million in community benefit, including care for low-income patients. (Note: these figures do not include Piedmont Columbus Regional.) Piedmont is the largest healthcare system in Georgia, treating 2 million patients annually and reaching 70 percent of Georgia’s population.

“This year we will continue to focus on our goal of making a positive difference in every life we touch, and our community benefit grant program allows us to expand our reach into all parts of our Piedmont communities,” said Thomas Worthy, vice president of government and external affairs at Piedmont Healthcare. “The grants program has helped us to make significant strides toward improving the health of our communities, including our most vulnerable patients. We are excited to continue to partner with vital community-based organizations to support our shared vision of a healthier Georgia.”

The grant program supports implementation strategies crafted to address the system-wide prioritized needs of increasing access points for appropriate and affordable healthcare and reducing opioid and related substance abuse and overdose deaths. These needs were identified in Piedmont’s 2019 community health needs assessment findings.

System-wide priority areas are:

·         Increasing access to appropriate and affordable care for low- and no-income patients.

·         Reducing opioid and related substance abuse and overdose deaths.

Piedmont’s community benefit grant program supported 34 organizations in calendar year 2019. Among these partners are: 12 charitable clinics, three mental health agencies, three sexual assault centers and multiple organizations providing critical support to patients needing special services, including care coordination, meals and medical transportation.

Grants are limited to not-for-profit, community-based organizations or government entities. Grant recipients will be notified in November, and funding will start in January 2020.