The Cox Family Medicine Diabetes Fund recently announced its first round of grant awards, which will provide funding to four projects designed to improve the health of people with diabetes and related chronic conditions.
The fund, founded by Dr. Larry Halverson (at left, above), was created in the summer of 2007 with a goal of raising $5,000,000 to improve the health of area diabetes patients. The first four grants offer funding for projects proposed by some of the staff directly involved in diabetes care.
“This type of grant encourages people on the front lines to do something helpful and constructive to improve health care without having to go through all of the hurdles of a large grant writing process,” says Dr. Tim Fursa, faculty physician at Cox Family Medicine Residency. “I think we’re going to see a lot of good come of these small grants. It’s a wonderful approach.”
The recipients of the first four grants are:
Amanda Mellington, LPN, Family Medical Care Center: $500 for efforts to help persons with chronic conditions stop smoking. The grant will provide for educational materials such as books and brochures and incentives for a smoking cessation competition.
Rhonda Robinson, FMCC clinic administrator (center, above): $500 for strategies to increase the number of diabetic persons who receive periodic complete foot exams. Funds will go toward educational materials explaining the importance foot exams and incentives including towels and socks.
Jessica Spickard, FMCC secretary: $500 to foster efforts to increase exercise habits in people with diabetes. Grant provides for educational materials, diet guides, diet journals and pedometers for patients.
Tim Fursa, MD, (right, above) and Eric Wolfe, DO: $250 to uncover and treat underlying depression in poorly controlled diabetic patients. Funds will support efforts to screen patients for underlying depression covering the costs of mailings, telephone calls and brochures.
“These awards represent the fund’s first efforts to energize community health improvement at the grassroots level,” Dr. Halverson says. “When fully funded, the Family Medicine Diabetes Fund will support long-term projects that will serve our community.”
The Family Medicine Diabetes Fund is an Endowment Fund with a mission to improve health and reduce healthcare costs for people with diabetes and similar chronic conditions who seek care at the Family Medical Care Center.
For more information or to contribute to the Diabetes Fund, contact Lisa Alexander, president of the CoxHealth Foundation, or Larry Halverson.
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