Mercy and Memorial Hospitals to provide $365,318 in funding to local non-profits

BAKERSFIELD, CA - December 18, 2019 -

On Wednesday, December 18, 2019, eight Kern County non-profit organizations will be presented with grant checks by members of the Dignity Health Community Grants Program review committee. Committee members will visit organizations receiving grant funds to present checks, ranging from $25,000 to $75,000, in support of projects and programs benefitting Kern County communities.

In total, $365,318 is being awarded to eight non-profit organizations whose programs and projects provide a direct service to the poor, chronic disease management, and/or access to health care. To receive funding consideration organizations must apply as an Accountable Care Community, defined as three organizations bringing together different services and assets to serve the community.

The Dignity Health Community Grants Program was established in 1990 as an opportunity to collaborate with other non-profit organizations who are working to improve the health status and quality of life in communities where Dignity Health hospitals are located. Since the program began, over $4,500,000 has been awarded to 64 different agencies in Kern County alone.

The following agencies will receive grants from Mercy and Memorial Hospitals this year:

Grimm Family Educational Foundation
$35,318
6520 Buena Vista Rd

Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County
$25,000
4203 Buena Vista Rd

Links for Life
$25,000
5301 Office Park Dr. Suite 370

St. Vincent de Paul
$70,000
316 Baker St.

Catholic Charities
$60,000
825 Chester Ave

Bakersfield Homeless Center
$25,000
1600 E. Truxtun Ave

Bakersfield Recovery Services
$50,000
708 Lincoln St.

Wounded Heroes Fund
$75,000
3129 Standard Street

Each Dignity Health hospital has a grants administrator that oversees the program and works directly with the corporate office to ensure that the guidelines are followed and timelines met. Donna Winkley, Regional Director, Special Needs & Community Outreach, for Mercy & Memorial Hospitals Bakersfield, serves as the Grants Administrator for both hospitals. She works with a grant review committee made up of representatives from both hospitals as well as the community. This committee helps determine which agencies will be invited to submit proposals, reviews those proposals, and selects final awardees. The local review committee consists of: Donna Winkley, Toni Harper Dougherty, Jan Glinn, Denise Hunter, Valerie Lallo, Sister Judy Morasci, Sue Benham, Felicia Corona, Joan Van Alstyne and Michelle Willow.

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About Mercy Hospital
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Hospitals have a history of caring for our community that goes back more than 100 years. We provide a broad range of medical and surgical services including minimally invasive and outpatient options. Our family of services includes the area's only inpatient oncology unit, the Orthopedic, Spine, and Hand Center, Robotic Surgery Center, Family Birth Center, the Lactation Support Center and retail store, and many others. Mercy Hospital Downtown is a 194-bed facility located in downtown Bakersfield. Mercy Hospital Southwest is a 78-bed facility and the only hospital located in the rapidly growing area west of Highway 99. Mercy Hospital is a member of Dignity Health and a part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the nation dedicated to advancing health for all and serving communities in 21 states. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/mercybakersfield.

About Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital is a 426 bed acute care medical center offering a full range of services including the Sarvanand Heart and Brain Center, Grossman Burn Center, expanded maternity and family care, the Lauren Small Children’s Center, orthopedic services, wound care center, 24-hour emergency care and general/outpatient surgery. Memorial Hospital is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and is home to the Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House. Memorial Hospital is a member of Dignity Health and a part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the nation dedicated to advancing health for all and serving communities in 21 states. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/bakersfieldmemorial.