Dignity Health Central Coast Provides $393,172 in Grant Funding to Community Non-Profit Organizations

The grants will help provide critical health and human services to San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County residents.

CENTRAL COAST, CA – January 30, 2023 – Dignity Health Central Coast, which includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH), French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC), and Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC), is proud to announce it has awarded $393,172 in grant funding to seven non-profit community partnerships in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Representatives from each organization were invited to an awards ceremony this morning at MRMC, and were presented with checks to help aid in the critical health and human services they provide to county residents.

Grants are awarded through a Community Improvement Grants Program created by the Dignity Health parent company CommonSpirit Health. The intent of the annual community grant program is to help non-profit organizations with an interest in building healthier communities by improving health and living conditions. Criteria for this funding cycle were based on the following priority areas identified in the hospitals Community Benefits Report and Plan and Community Health Needs Assessment: Educational Attainment, Access to Primary Care including Behavioral Health and Oral Health, and Health Promotion and Prevention.

This year, the Dignity Health Community Improvement Grants were awarded to the following local Accountable Care Communities:

Marble: Multi-tiered Youth Mental Wellness Project

This accountable care community, named MARBLE which stands for Mindfulness-Acceptance- Resilience-Bullying-Leadership-Education, will employ a strategy of providing both mental health counseling and prevention education curriculum to targeted middle school student groups from the San Luis Coastal Unified School District school system.

Fiscal Agent: Community Counseling Center

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Community Counseling Center, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, Community Action Partnership of SLO County, and French Hospital Medical Center

The Estero Bay Resource and Outreach Project

This accountable care community will provide assistance to the underserved including access to the resource center, clean laundry programs, nutritious meals and food delivery, assistance accessing healthcare and healthcare education, continuing education/scholarships, information such as community resource guide and computer access, referrals, community meetings, emergency basic needs and transportation assistance, and a senior program that includes computer classes and the Estero Bay RUOK outreach program.

Fiscal Agent: Los Osos Cares Inc.

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Los Osos Cares Inc, Wilshire Community Services, Morro Bay Lions Club, St. Benedict's Episcopal Church, Transitions Mental Health Association, City of Morro Bay Resource Connection, Monarch Dream Center at Cuesta College and French Hospital Medical Center

Oral Health Access to Care: Service Expansion for Uninsured & Underinsured

This accountable care community will increase capacity and access for uninsured San Luis Obispo County Residents and expand the scope of care for adult Medi-Cal recipients through the following activities: (1) Comprehensive oral care for uninsured and low-income adults; (2) permanent dental crowns and dental services not covered by Medi-Cal to underinsured and low-income adults; (3) and Medi-Cal enrollment supportive services provided to qualified adults.

Fiscal Agent: SLO Noor Foundation

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): SLO Noor Foundation, Center for Family Strengthening- Promotoras Collaborative, County of SLO Public Health Department,and French Hospital Medical Center

5 Cities Wellness Connection for People Experiencing Homelessness

This accountable care community will provide outreach to the homeless population living in 5 Cities and provide Hepatitis C and HIV prevention, education, screening and treatment, as well as connection to primary and specialty care through Dignity Health and other services. Health and wellness services, including meditation, yoga and Zumba will be offered to clients of 5 Cities Homeless Coalition.

Fiscal Agent: Community Action Partnership of SLO County (CAPSLO)

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Community Action Partnership of SLO County, 5 Cities Homeless Coalition, Independent Zumba instructor, Empower Yoga Studio instructor, and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital

Senior and Caregiver Support

This accountable care community will work together to provide a whole person approach to services for vulnerable seniors and their family/friend caregivers in North Santa Barbara County.

Fiscal Agent: Family Service Agency

Member of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County, Community, Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens, Catholic Charities, and Marian Regional Medical Center

Youth Leadership and Education Project

This accountable care community will seek to align the college prerequisites for UC’s and CSU’s, known as the A-G’s, with the high school graduation requirements to increase educational attainment and work with parents to address health prevention and promotion in the Spanish speaking Latino/a community.

Fiscal Agent: Future Leaders of America Inc.

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Future Leaders of America Inc., Education Trust-West, Allan Hancock College Leadership and Student Government, Lideres Campesinas, Santa Barbara Dept. of Behavioral Wellness, UCLA Chicano Research Center, One Community Action and Marian Regional Medical Center

Santa Maria Stabilization Center

This accountable care community will provide seven beds for adult individuals under the influence to stabilize and be able to have a warm hand off to their next step of their journey (i.e. shelter, detox, residential treatment, family).

Fiscal Agent: Good Samaritan Shelter

Members of Accountable Care Community (ACC): Good Samaritan Shelter, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Dept., Santa Barbara County Public Defender, Santa Barbara County Probation Dept. Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness, and Marian Regional Medical Center

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Dignity Health Central Coast

Dignity Health Central Coast is comprised of three hospitals, all recognized for their quality of care, safety and service, primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically advanced imaging centers, outpatient services and comprehensive home health services. Hospitals in the Dignity Health California Central Coast Market Include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to provide additional funding to support new programs and services, as well as to advance the community’s access to health care. For more information, visit: dignityhealth.org/centralcoast