Lake Chelan Community Hospital and Clinics is one of the recipients

Information released by Premera Blue Cross and Empire Health Foundation

Premera Blue Cross and Empire Health Foundation jointly announced the awarding of $579,407 through the Washington State Rural Facilities Capital Grants Partnership Fund to eight rural and tribal health facilities statewide. The grants will increase access to care and advance health equity in rural and tribal communities by addressing disparities.

The Partnership Fund was created out of a $5 million grant awarded in July 2019 by Premera Blue Cross to Empire Health Foundation, who serves as program administrator for the fund. The purpose of the fund is to support the advancement of quality healthcare in under-resourced communities by making grants to hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare providers for equipment and small capital projects in rural areas of Washington State.

Over $2.3 million was requested in funding during the Fall 2019 funding cycle from 29 organizations across the state. Of the eight organizations awarded, three reside in Central Washington.

  • Lake Chelan Community Hospital and Clinics was awarded $65,000 for the purchase of a wheelchair van to transport vulnerable and low-income people who need access to critical health and social services, such as medical and dental care, medications, food, clothing, housing, senior meals, and chronic disease self-management and strength and balance classes twenty four hours a day and seven days a week.
  • North Valley Hospital was awarded $100,000 for the replacement of their 67-year old three-boiler steam-and-hot water system, which has kept going through costly, constant upkeep and repairs. Like many rural hospitals, North Valley Hospital (NVH) is a health and economic backbone in North Okanogan County, but finds that its most pressing challenge is finding the ability to reinvest in the sick and aging facility infrastructure.
  • Cascade Medical, located in Chelan County, was awarded $65,160 to purchase a new ultrasound unit for use in their clinic. A modern unit that is easy to understand, learn, and deploy will greatly improve patient safety and expand their ability to diagnose locally. With more advanced ultrasound equipment, they will be able to provide more efficient care, have better access to modern training and competency verification for providers, decrease the number of patients transferred for screening, decrease the cost to the patient and the healthcare system, and increase patient satisfaction.

According to a 2017 study from the National Rural Health Association, people living in rural areas suffer worse health outcomes than their urban counterparts. They are sicker, poorer and older and are more likely to experience higher rates of premature death, disability and chronic disease. Across Washington, more than one million people, or 14 percent of the state’s population, live in rural communities.

“We are grateful for Premera’s commitment to improving access to care in rural areas,” said Jeffrey Bell, Interim President of Empire Health Foundation. “Our rural and tribal residents face daunting healthcare challenges in their communities as well as capital constraints in identifying funding for equipment and capital projects. The Premera Fund will play a meaningful role in improving health and quality of life, and closing disparities in rural and tribal areas. Empire Health Foundation is proud to partner with Premera in facilitating this funding.”

Investments in the infrastructure of rural and tribal clinics will contribute to increased access to services for patients by adding new technology or equipment that may have been previously unavailable. Improvements to health facilities and equipment also have a proven positive impact on physician retention and recruitment.

“Premera is proud to support Empire Health Foundation in their efforts to improve health care access to these remote and medically underserved communities,” said Paul Hollie, Premera Social Impact lead. “With the growing disparity between urban and rural health care access, it is critical to invest in providing this much-needed equipment and building infrastructure that supports more integrated health services. We want to close this gap.”

The Partnership Fund is a four-year funding opportunity for rural and tribal health facilities. The next RFP through this Fund will open at 8 a.m. (PST) on March 2.

Find a full list of grantees and more information on applying for a grant through this Fund at https://www.empirehealthfoundation.org/our-programs/rural-facilities-capital-grants-partnership/.

Learn more about how Premera is investing in rural communities at https://www.premera.com/wa/visitor/about-premera/press-releases/2019_07_31/.

ABOUT PREMERA BLUE CROSS

Premera Blue Cross, a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., is a leading health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to approximately 2 million people, from individuals to Fortune 100 companies.

ABOUT EMPIRE HEALTH FOUNDATION

Empire Health Foundation is a private health conversion foundation based in Spokane, Wash., with philanthropic assets totaling approximately $79 million. Through partnerships with key community leaders, government agencies and nonprofit organizations, EHF seeks to move the dial equitably, measurably and sustainably on health by investing in improvements in health outcomes, strengthening health systems, growing physician supply, building nonprofit capacity and advancing health equity.