Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) leaders have invested $10 million in a comprehensive plan to address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis in Texas. The plan includes emergency grants and loans to help health nonprofits and organizations continue business operations to serve at-risk communities across Texas, plus a statewide research project aimed at identifying what Texans need for an ongoing recovery.
“COVID-19 continues to highlight inequities in our health system and in many underlying community issues related to health,” said Elena Marks, EHF’s president and CEO. “Chronic conditions like obesity, asthma, and diabetes that are making COVID-19 so severe for some Texans can’t be prevented or fixed by health care alone. Our focus has always been on improving community health in Texas beyond just the doctor’s office, and this crisis is a clear example of why that’s vitally important.”
As part of the response plan, EHF has awarded $5 million in grants to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and 55 nonprofit clinics and other organizations that are serving at-risk communities in Texas on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.
“These grant recipients are organizations providing desperately needed services to low-income Texas families who are often at-risk of chronic health issues,” Marks said. “COVID-19 has highlighted why these services are so important for communities in need. And at the same time, many of these organizations are battling severe financial issues plus increased demand for their services. That’s why this funding is aimed at helping them continue their critical work during the ongoing financial and public health crisis.”
EHF’s COVID-19 grants are supporting community clinics serving low-income Texans, behavioral and mental health organizations, nonprofits offering enrollment in health and other benefit programs, organizations promoting early childhood brain development, and groups raising community voice on health equity issues. All of the organizations receiving these COVID-19 grants are current EHF grantees working within the foundation’s strategic plan to improve health, not just health care in Texas. In addition to added demand and additional costs, many of these organizations are also transitioning to telehealth and remote services during the pandemic. EHF expects there will be additional COVID-19 grant funding available later this year.
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EHF’s COVID-19 Page
Along with grant funding, EHF’s COVID-19 $10 million response plan calls for an extensive research project related to COVID-19 similar to EHF’s groundbreaking survey conducted after Hurricane Harvey. The project’s goal will be to provide relief efforts and government leaders with reliable information about Texans’ needs and priorities for ongoing recovery. Other parts of the plan includes an emergency loan program for grantees, technical assistance to help organizations apply for government aid programs, and a pilot program to support those facing social isolation during the ongoing crisis.
“Public health events like COVID-19 are experienced even more deeply by low-income communities or those living in a neighborhood that just doesn’t have access to the many different services needed to be healthy,” said Marks. “To do this important work, we know that the organizations and clinics working in these communities and supported by EHF must remain strong and effective both now and in the future.”
EHF’s COVID-19 grants
Community Clinics:
These clinics operate on the front lines and are sustaining significant financial losses as a result of decreased reimbursement and increased expenses associated with response to the pandemic. Grants will fund personnel-related costs, equipment, and new and emergency needs in order to continue patient care.
Access Health (Fort Bend County)
$100,000
Avenue 360 Health & Wellness (Houston)
$100,000
Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic at Wisdom High School (Houston)
$50,000
Community Health Network (Brazoria County)
$100,000
El Centro de Corazón (Houston)
$85,000
Family Health Center (Waco)
$100,000
HOPE Clinic (Houston)
$85,000
Legacy Community Health (Houston)
$100,000
Lone Star Circle of Care (Central Texas)
$100,000
Lone Star Family Health Center (Conroe)
$85,846
Matagorda Episcopal Health Outreach Program (MEHOP) (Bay City)
$100,000
People’s Community Clinic (Austin)
$85,000
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (Houston)
$75,000
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (Tyler and Waco)
$15,000
Spring Branch Community Health Center (Harris County)
$100,000
St. Paul Children’s Foundation (Tyler)
$50,000
Tejas Health Care (La Grange)
$50,000
The Rose (Houston)
$50,000
Vecino Health Centers (Houston)
$100,000
Early Childhood Brain Development:
Partners provide programs and services in alignment with EHF’s strategy to improve maternal health outcomes and optimize early childhood brain development and is adapting work to maintain critical supports in response to the pandemic. Grants will fund equipment and new and emergency needs.
Mama Sana Vibrant Woman (Austin)
$25,000
Nurse Family Partnership (Various Counties)
$24,000
Partners in Parenting (Statewide)
$22,320
Rupani Foundation (Houston)
$12,000
Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. (Houston)
$70,000
Enrollment & Benefits Assistance:
These organizations work to enroll individuals and families for health insurance and other benefit programs and are experiencing large increases in demand during the COVID-19 crisis. Grants will fund additional technology, equipment and other related costs for enrollment services and to begin remote assistance for those services.
The Beacon (Houston)
$70,000
Boat People S.O.S. (Houston)
$10,000
Casa Marianella (Austin)
$70,000
Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS) (Houston)
$70,000
Every Texan (Formerly Center for Public Policy Priorities) (Austin)
$15,000
Memorial Assistance Ministries (Harris County)
$70,000
North Pasadena Community Outreach (Pasadena)
$56,062
Northwest Assistance Ministries (Harris County)
$50,000
SEARCH Homeless Services (Houston)
$70,000
Mental & Behavioral Health:
Local mental health authorities, behavioral health organizations, and advocacy groups. Grants will provide personnel and equipment support to allow them to continue providing patient care, including realignment to telehealth services.
Andrews Center (Tyler)
$50,000
Community Healthcore (Longview)
$100,000
Family Service Center (Galveston)
$25,000
Integral Care (Austin)
$30,000
Mental Health America of Greater Houston
$25,000
Network of Behavioral Health Providers, Inc. (Houston)
$25,000
Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas (Tyler)
$45,000
Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas (Port Arthur)
$48,850
Texana Center (Fort Bend County)
$25,000
Raising Community Voice:
Partners raise community voice on inequality issues impacting underserved families during the pandemic and is experiencing revenue loss and increased expenses associated with response. Grants will fund personnel related costs and equipment needs to continue serving under-resourced communities.
Austin Interfaith Sponsoring Committee, Inc. (Austin)
$60,000
Avenue Community Development Corporation (Houston)
$25,500
Communities for Better Health (Houston)
$30,580
Gulf Coast Leadership Council (Houston)
$61,300
Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corporation (Houston)
$18,000
Texas Organizing Project Education Fund (Houston)
$20,000
The Immunization Partnership (Statewide)
$30,000
Young Invincibles (Statewide)
$50,000
Other grants:
BakerRipley (Houston)
$32,000
Community service organization rapidly responding to maintain services to community members. Grant supports equipment needs to continue serving under-resourced communities.
Children’s Defense Fund (Statewide)
$25,000
Partner offers systems level advocacy and benefits enrollment service to address access to comprehensive care for underserved populations in pronounced need during the pandemic. Grant supports equipment and personnel-related costs.
Northeast Texas Public Health District (Tyler)
$40,000
Public health department operates on the front lines and is sustaining significant financial losses as a result of increased expenses associated with response to the pandemic. Grant supports personnel-related costs and equipment.
Palacios Community Medical Center (Palacios)
$25,000
This rural health clinic is associated with a hospital system operating in small rural community serving low-income patients. The grant will support personnel as the clinic experiences reduction in patient revenue due to the pandemic.
The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (Statewide)
$40,000
Partner offers frontline provider training and systems level advocacy to address access to comprehensive care for underserved populations in pronounced need during the pandemic. Grant supports personnel-related costs.