MINNEAPOLIS, January 29, 2007 — The Medica Foundation in its second cycle of funding for 2006 awarded two grants to Duluth organizations. A $30,000 grant was made to the Minnesota Physicians’ Foundation of the Minnesota Medical Association for its program, The Power of the Pyramid. The program will develop a year-long pilot program for the Duluth metro area that focuses on teaching children in schools and their families the four basic tools for living a healthy lifestyle.
East Hillside Patch, a Duluth neighborhood organization, was awarded $15,000 for its Health Equity Project. It seeks to empower low-income people to more effectively manage health and wellness needs, navigate the health care system and use more resources that aid in prevention and maintenance of chronic health conditions.
“The Medica Foundation recognizes the need for wellness education activities throughout Minnesota,” said Rob Longendyke, executive director. “We are pleased to be able to provide this much needed funding and look forward to working with our partners on these essential services in the Duluth area.”
In addition to the Power of the Pyramid program and the Health Equity Project, the Medica Foundation provided $30,000 in funding to the Initiative Foundation, also serving the area. The Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative creates a strong network of local, regional and statewide services to support the healthy social and emotional development of Minnesota children ages 0-5.
In 2006, the Medica Foundation provided $1.5 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including several that address healthy living, health care literacy, access to behavioral health services and health care issues in rural Minnesota.
About the Medica Foundation: The Medica Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable grant-making foundation and a sister organization to Medica Health Plans, a Minnesota-based nonprofit HMO. The Foundation generally seeks to fund community-based programs and initiatives that can provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the availability, access and quality of healthcare.
Email:
foundation@medica.com; Phone: 952/992-2060
About Medica: Medica (www.medica.com) is Minnesota’s largest HMO, largest PPO and leading non-profit and independent provider of health plans. Medica has more than 1.3 million members and nearly 27,000 providers in a regional health care network service area that is available to 98 percent of Minnesotans and a growing number of adjoining counties in Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network. Medica has the highest accreditation, Excellent, from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA
®) for the commercial health plans it provides to Minnesotans and North Dakotans and for Medicaid HMO plans. Medica’s vision is to become the community’s health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency.
For more information, contact:Greg Bury
Senior Communications Manager
Office: 952-992-8437
Cell: 612-810-4556
E-mail:
greg.bury@medica.com###