NORFOLK, Va. – $535,000 is being donated by Sentara Healthcare to 17 health-related programs in Virginia and North Carolina served by Sentara.
A broad spectrum of issues will be benefited by this donation. These issues including behavioral health and substance abuse, food insecurity and healthy diets, education, workforce readiness, medical transportation, EMS services and prevention of hospital readmission.
Sentara President & CEO Howard P. Kern (Photo: Sentara Healthcare)
“We are fortunate to be in a position to support creative programs in the communities we serve,” says Howard P. Kern, President & CEO of Sentara Healthcare. “Our contributions are directed toward initiatives aligned with the Sentara mission to improve health every day, with a particular focus on social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and transportation. We are happy to support programs that help people lead healthier lives and offer local solutions to specific community needs.”
“I am delighted by Sentara Healthcare’s generous year-end donations to so many worthwhile organizations,” said Sen. Bill DeSteph, (R)-Virginia Beach. “This will allow people in my district and nearby cities to receive important services that improve their daily lives. As chairman of the Hampton Roads Caucus, I am especially pleased with the long-term advantages contributions such as these afford our area. I look forward to more good news from Sentara as they continue to grow and enrich our community.”
“I appreciate Sentara extending its mission to communities across Virginia through these donations,” says Del. Marcia Price, (D)-Newport News. “Every community has unique local needs and donations by Sentara to these agencies will help them improve people’s lives right where they live.”
Programs benefiting from Sentara support are located in South Hampton Roads, the Peninsula, the Blue Ridge region, Northern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
Below is a list of the different beneficiaries by region:
South Hampton Roads, Virginia
- VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads – $20,000 for staffing and software development for VolunTier Vision, to connect high-level talent with agencies addressing pressing needs.
- Tide Swimming – $25,000 challenge grant to support Virginia Beach’s pursuit of a Blue Zones designation for communities where people tend to live longer, better lives.
- ARDX Foundation – $26,250 for development of an eight-hour education program on mental health intervention for college students and students who are single mothers.
- Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, Inc. – $50,000 challenge grant for a refrigeration unit in a ‘food desert’ to support the Healthy Foods Pantry Program.
- An Achievable Dream – $50,000 for operational support for two Achievable Dream school sites in Virginia Beach and Newport News in 2019.
- Ronald McDonald House Norfolk – $50,000 for renovation of existing communal space.
Peninsula Area, Virginia
- Peninsula Emergency Medical Services Council – $40,000 for development of a regional approach to pre-hospital care centered around regional service and referral patterns.
- Peninsula Emergency Medical Services Council – $40,000 for development of a regional plan for optimal care of behavioral health emergency patients and ensuring the safety of first responders and medical personnel.
- Christopher Newport University Education Foundation – $10,000 for development of targeted workforce development programs.
- United Way of the Virginia Peninsula – $10,000 for transportation of uninsured patients to community clinics in Gloucester and Williamsburg.
Blue Ridge (Charlottesville & Harrisonburg, Virginia)
- Charlottesville Free Clinic – $15,000 for a pharmacy assistance counselor to help patients access free and reduced-cost prescription programs by pharmaceutical companies.
- Bay Aging – $18,750 for piloting a Care Transitions program to reduce hospital readmission through intensive post-acute and in-home follow-up care.
- City Schoolyard Garden – $25,000 for Charlottesville Schools’ program to teach gardening skills and fresh food enjoyment to K-12 students and use harvests in school cafeterias.
- Region 10 Community Services Board – $25,000 for capital costs of The Women’s Center at Moore’s Creek, where women in substance abuse treatment live with their children.
- Way to Go – $60,000 for Valley Transportation (VTran) to develop a three-pronged approach to connect seniors with affordable, convenient transportation options.
Northern Virginia
- Action in Community Through Service Prince William, Inc. – $50,000 challenge grant for operational support of the Hunger Prevention Center, which serves 1,000 families monthly with food, food counseling and education.
Northeastern North Carolina
- Food Bank of the Albemarle – $20,000 for a pilot ‘Food Rx’ program, targeting food insecure patients with heart failure and diabetes who would receive supplemental healthy foods for six months after discharge from Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.
