SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Janesville is inviting area non-profits to join them in their efforts to improve the overall health of Rock County residents. The hospital is offering a new grant program to tax-exempt organizations interested in forging partnerships with the hospital in three priority health areas:
• Obesity – reducing the percentage of overweight/obese adults and pre-school children
• Smoking – reducing the percentage of adults and pregnant mothers who smoke
• Fall Prevention – decreasing the number of deadly falls among older adults
“We are committed to improving the long-term health of the men, women and children who make their home in Rock County,” says St. Mary’s Hospital-Janesville President Kerry Swanson. “We hope our new grant program will help us to forge effective and lasting partnerships in our ongoing mission to provide exceptional healthcare for our community.”
Rock County consistently ranks among the lowest in Wisconsin for poor health outcomes in many areas of physical health, including; smoking, obesity and deaths from falls among older adults. The hospital identified its three health priorities after an extensive community health needs assessment which involved: interviews with key health officials, community surveys and evaluation of health-related information specific to Rock County provided by the Healthy Communities Institute.
Organizations interested in participating in the new grant program must be registered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit in Rock County. In order to be considered, local collaborations must focus on improving health outcomes in one of the hospital’s three priority areas.
The application deadline for the new program is March 3, 2017. Applications are available on the hospital’s website at ssmhealthstmaryshospitaljanesville.com or by contacting the hospital’s Community Education Specialist at 608-373-8903. The hospital plans to announce the grant recipients on March 17, 2017.
