NOVATO -- The Marin Community Foundation today said it will distribute to local health clinics $2 million in new grants from the Sutter Health Access to Care Fund.
The foundation has handed out $8 million in the past four years from a fund Sutter Health set up in 2010 to distribute $10 million over five years.
Six of the new grants will extend efforts to provide enhanced access to care the uninsured patients served by Marin’s community clinics. Another new grant will help expand "much-needed" oral health services for children and adults in southern Marin County, according to the foundation.
Additionally, five community clinics will also receive grants to help them prepare for the implementation of federal health reform under the Affordable Care Act. Planning grants in the amount of $25,000 will be allocated to four of the clinics. The fifth -- Marin Community Clinics -- will receive $100,000.
Recent grant recipients include:Marin Community Clinics, for oral health, behavioral health, adolescent health and health-reform preparation: $1.025 millionThe Ritter Center, for behavioral health and health-reform preparation: $325,000Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, for breast cancer screening, case management and surgical and specialty care: $175,000Lifelong Medical Care, for geriatric care and health-reform preparation: $150,000Coastal Health Alliance, for behavioral health and health-reform preparation: $150,000Partnership HealthPlan of California, for children’s insurance subsidies: $100,000Marin City Health and Wellness Center, for oral health and health-reform preparation: $75,000
Since 2010, the Sutter Health Access to Care fund has resulted in 9,000 dental screenings, more than 12.000 primary care patients have screened for depression or anxiety and subsidized health insurance for 250 children who did not qualify for public health insurance.
In addition, the grants allowed more than 9,000 residents to receive vaccinations and 3,800-plus students in San Rafael, Novato and Tamalpais school districts to participate in health education sessions in the past two years.
