Leominster, Mass – UMass Memorial Health - HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital (HA-C) is proud to award nearly $50,000 in grants of up to $10,000 from Determination of Needs (DoN) funding to five local non-profit organizations working to improve health outcomes for communities in the region.

The grants will support initiatives that address components of the hospital’s 2021-2024 Community Health Needs Assessment, including:

• Healthy food and nutrition
• Behavioral health and substance abuse
• Housing, neighborhood, and built environment
• Social and community context
• Health care access and quality
• Economic stability
• Chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, and cancer)

"Our hospital is dedicated to supporting community resources that address social drivers of health and existing conditions, such as chronic diseases and behavioral health needs,” said Dr. Charles Cavagnaro, Interim President of UMass Memorial Health - HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital. “We are committed to fostering a healthier community through our continued partnerships and initiatives.”

Since 2020, HA-C has been committed to distributing $2,355,000 over five years in community benefits through Determination of Needs (DoN) funding. These funds represent 5% of the total cost of the Leominster Campus emergency department renovation as approved by the Department of Public Health on January 17, 2017.

Since last year, more than $576,000 has been committed to 25 local community organizations. To date, more than $1.9 million has been distributed to community organizations. The remaining funds will be distributed by end of fiscal year 2024 to projects that address the Community Health Needs Assessment priority areas, including resources to support prenatal, postnatal, and infant care. HA-C will be announcing additional grant awards by September 30th. Tier 1 recipients include:

2Gether We Eat (awarded $10,000): The grant will fund its Cultivating Community: Hydroponic Gardens for Leominster Seniors program. This initiative will establish a sustainable hydroponic garden program engaging 10-20 seniors in weekly hands-on gardening sessions and social activities focused on harvesting and sharing produce. The goal of the program is to reduce social isolation and increase access to food assistance and address barriers to healthy food.

Community Health Connections, Inc (awarded $9,933): The grant will fund its Diabetes Patient Group Visits program. In this program, patients observe and engage in activities such as healthy eating demonstrations, cooking exercises, yoga and exercise classes, and workshops to set and track health goals for themselves.

Friends of Sterling Seniors (awarded $9,956): The grant will fund its Senior Center Health Care Access Project. The goal is to expand this existing program with new sessions for wheelchair seniors and those who have reduced mobility.

Robert F. Kennedy Community Alliance (awarded $10,000): The grant will fund its Behavioral Health Services to Children program. This program serves nearly 200 children/adolescents and aims to improve access to behavioral health services by providing in-school and outpatient therapy, reducing barriers to mental health care access, and increasing collaboration with school staff to prioritize the mental health.

LUK Crisis Center, Inc (awarded $10,000): The grant will fund its LUK AmeriCorps Thrive Ambassadors program. Thrive Ambassadors will focus on addressing the social-emotional learning needs of Central Massachusetts youth who have experienced one or more Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs).

About UMass Memorial Health - HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital

UMass Memorial Health – HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital is a full-service, regional community hospital with a commitment to serving North Central Massachusetts and beyond. As part of the UMass Memorial Health system, we provide more than 550 physicians across nearly 50 health care specialties and a full complement of services on campuses located in Clinton, Fitchburg, and Leominster. We critical care services, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, dialysis, laboratory, palliative care, surgery and in-patient hospice care. Other services include two 24-hour, state-of-the-art emergency departments, two urgent care centers, primary care, the Simonds-Sinon Regional Cancer Center, home health and hospice, physical therapy centers, a specialty care clinic and geriatric medical psychiatry programs and services. We are relentless in our pursuit of compassion and patient-centered care. Visit https://www.ummhealth.org/healthalliance-clinton or call 978-466-2000.

About UMass Memorial Health

UMass Memorial Health is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts with 17,000 employees and 2,100 physicians. Our comprehensive system includes UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, UMass Memorial Health – HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Marlborough Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Community Healthlink, and UMass Memorial Medical Group. We are the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School.