News Release
September 24, 2008
HMSA Foundation approves $285,906 in third quarter grants for various community health programs
Cliff Cisco
(808) 948-5481
cliff_cisco@hmsa.com
In the third quarter of 2008, the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) Foundation approved grants for 12 local health programs and community organizations. They are:
- American Lung Association of Hawaii. The grant supports Open Airways
for Schools® PLUS, a school-based program for asthma education and management. In
addition to serving students and school personnel, the program will help parents
and guardians. Grant amount – $25,000.
- Association of Native Hawaiian Physicians. The grant supports the
4th Annual Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress, a forum for physicians, trainees
and students from around the Pacific. The Congress will share best practices and
successes in research, workforce development, clinical practices and policy. Grant
amount – $5,000.
- Hawaii Lions Foundation. The grant supports the Hawaii Lions Hearing
Screening Program to identify significant hearing loss among school children. Utilizing
accepted practices and procedures, the program performs screening activities and
refers students who need further evaluation. Grant amount – $25,000.
- Hawaii Parkinson Association. The grant supports the production
of a video on movement exercises and techniques for persons with Parkinson’s
disease. The video, called “MOVE IT! An Exercise & Movement Guide for
Parkinson’s Disease,” is an effective medium for patients with the movement
disorder. Grant amount – $25,000.
- Helping Hands Hawaii. The grant supports the Neighbors in Need
program, which helps workers who recently lost their jobs. The program assists with
housing costs, utility bills, and other important necessities. Grant amount –
$49,900.
- Imua Family Services. The grant supports the Early Childhood Development
Program and Demonstration Project on Maui. The project provides therapeutic services
to children (ages 3 through 5) who do not meet developmental milestones and need
continued support to prepare for kindergarten and beyond. Grant amount –
$25,000.
- Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation. The grant supports the purchase
of a mobile X-ray system for Kohala Hospital to replace existing equipment during
renovations. Grant amount – $15,000.
- Moiliili Community Center. The grant supports the center’s
Senior Wellness Program, which educates seniors about physical wellness, healthy
eating, health resources in the community, and the importance of being active and
involved with others. Grant amount – $5,000.
- Pacific Cancer Foundation. The grant supports the development of
an information packet for cancer patients on Maui participating in the Navigation
Program. Grant amount – $5,500.
- Shriners Hospitals for Children. The grant supports the Awareness
and Outreach Program for Shriners Hospital. Grant amount – $5,000.
- The Hawaii Foodbank. The grant supports the Ohana Produce Program
to distribute fresh produce to needy communities on Oahu. The program provides nutritious
food that helps improve the health of seniors, low-income families, and the disabled
and homeless. Grant amount – $25,000.
- University of Hawaii at Hilo, College of Pharmacy. The grant supports
the purchase of hardware and software information tools for pharmacy students. The
use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) will enhance the students’ education
by providing access to pharmaceutical reference information similar to that used
by physicians. Grant amount – $75,506.
The HMSA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt private charitable organization.
It was founded in Hawaii in 1986 as a public foundation with the goal of stimulating
research aimed at some of the pressing issues that confront Hawaii’s health
care industry. In 1997, the Foundation was converted to a private foundation to
allow for larger contributions from donors, such as HMSA.
The mission of the HMSA Foundation is to extend HMSA’s commitment to provide
community access to cost-effective health care services, promote health, provide
health education and relevant research, and improve social welfare in Hawaii.
Health plan dues from HMSA members and employer groups are not used to fund Foundation
grants. Foundation grants are funded with annual investment income earned on its
original endowment. For more information on the HMSA Foundation, please visit www.hmsafoundation.org.
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