Valleywise Health Foundation Receives $100,000 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant to Support Expansion of Pediatric Care Coordination
PHOENIX – April 15, 2024
Valleywise Health Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Valleywise Health, Arizona’s public teaching health system, has been awarded a $100,000 grant through the Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment grant program. The grant will support The Pediatric Care Coordination Medical Home Project, which expands the continuum of care to more than 11,700 patients ages 6 to 17 with a special emphasis on more than 5,100 vulnerable teen patients ages 13 to 17.
“The grant targets teen patients who are experiencing deep poverty, family dysfunction, and homelessness. It also expands Valleywise Health’s capacity to reach teen patients through bi-directional texting, bi-lingual scheduling and expanded provider availability for appointments,” said Dr. Jodi Carter, Chair of Pediatrics at Valleywise Health.
According to Dr. Carter, studies have shown that texting is the most effective and frequently used technology for low-intensity behavioral health interventions and has demonstrated effectiveness in supporting healthy behavior changes. Successful care coordination takes into consideration the continuum of health, education, early intervention, nutrition, mental and emotional health, and community partnerships, as well as financial resources for these services.
Mercy C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service, is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative. Through grant funding, sponsorships, volunteer efforts and board participation, Mercy C.A.R.E.S. supports AHCCCS’ Whole Person Care Initiative, which addresses Social Risk Factors to improve health outcomes.
About Mercy Care
Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed-care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Learn more at www.MercyCareAZ.org.
About Valleywise Health Foundation
Valleywise Health Foundation is the Phoenix-based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to providing philanthropic support for critical patient and program needs at Arizona’s public teaching health system, Valleywise Health. Named Arizona Business Magazine’s AzBusiness Angels Healthcare-focused Nonprofit of the Year in 2020 and in 2021, key funding areas include, burn survivorship care, innovative behavioral health programs, and teaching tomorrow’s healthcare professionals. The Valleywise Health mission is to provide exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time – regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. More than 70 percent of Valleywise Health’s patients are financially vulnerable. To learn more and donate, visit www.valleywisehealthfoundation.org.
About Valleywise Health
Located in Phoenix, Arizona and named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by IBM Watson Health in 2020, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System) has a proud tradition as the public safety net health care system with a mission and commitment to serving the underserved. Valleywise Health consists of Valleywise Health Medical Center, Arizona’s only public teaching hospital, the only trauma center in Maricopa County verified by the American College of Surgeons to treat both adults and children, and Arizona’s only nationally verified Burn Center serving the entire Southwestern United States. Other services include the McDowell Healthcare Center, the largest provider of HIV primary care in Arizona, Refugee Health Services, three behavioral health hospitals, and a network of 11 community health centers located throughout Maricopa County. To learn more, please visit www.ValleywiseHealth.org.
Contact:
Kate Fassett
Valleywise Health Foundation
480-688-2657 or kfassett@valleywisehealthfoundation.org
Contact:
Alison Bailin,
Mercy C.A.R.E.S. – 602-318-3775