Medica Foundation 2007 Second Cycle Funding Addresses Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Medica Foundation in its second cycle of funding for 2007 awarded $534,100 in grants for projects that address prevention and healthy lifestyles as well as provide financial support to organizations focused on general health issues. For all of 2007, the Medica Foundation provided nearly $1.2 million in funding for projects that address a spectrum of health issues.

Projects that focus on prevention and healthy lifestyles are important to the Medica Foundation because they promote habits that have a proven impact on the quality of life and the cost of health care. “The Medica Foundation is committed to funding projects that are key to addressing the fundamental aspects of good health,” said Rob Longendyke, executive director. “These projects help people understand why taking control of their health is important and, by instilling healthy behaviors in a broad base of the population, they have the potential to prevent more serious conditions and reduce the cost of care.”

Second cycle funding in the area of healthy living totaled $250,000. The projects are:

• 2008 City of Lakes Loppet Event and Programming Initiative, $30,000 to support the 2008 event and incorporate a year-round program to educate youth and promote physical activity and involvement in the Tri-Loppet and Trail Loppet events for Minneapolis Public School Students. A project of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation.
• Fit Team for Kids, $30,000 for expansion of the Health Start School-Based Clinic comprehensive health and fitness program for low-income students at risk for obesity in three St. Paul high schools. A project of West-Side Community Health Services.
• Healthy Lifeways Project, $30,000 to utilize nutrition awareness and structured physical activity to reduce health disparities in American Indian youth. A project of Little Earth Residents Association.
• Bolder Options Health Habits Program, $30,000 to expand the Healthy Habits Mentoring Program to a satellite office at Dunwoody Institute to support North Minneapolis youth. A project of Bolder Options.
• Healthy Lifestyles for North Minneapolis Teens, $25,000 to expand health and wellness activities through the completion of a health assessment, referrals to a nutritionist, health educator or on-site clinic and by offering healthy food choices. A project of the Plymouth Christian Youth Center.
• Ready. Set. Action! Peer Education Model, $30,000 to develop a program by junior high/middle school students to educate elementary school students about healthy eating and exercise. A project of the Illusion Theater and School, Inc.
• Running Buddies Program, $20,000 to pair at-risk youth (ages 5-17) with adults to train and run 5K, 5-mile and trail races, including training plans, nutrition education, shoes, goal setting advice and relationship support. A project of Duluth Area Family YMCA.
• Strong Kids, $25,000 to provide a 12-week program for parents and children to develop a healthy approach to lifetime weight management. A program of the Marshall Area YMCA.
• SWITCH, $30,000 to implement the program in two Burnsville, Minn. elementary schools. SWITCH, designed to help communities, schools and families promote and choose healthy lifestyles, is a program of the National Institute on Media and the Family.

Second cycle grants in the area of prevention and preventive services totaled $200,000. The projects are:

• Breast Cancer Screening Initiative, $50,000 to improve breast cancer screening among low income insured and uninsured in patients at clinics in Hennepin County. A project of the Neighborhood Health Care Network.
• Family Connection Liaisons, $35,000 to expand the project to include follow-up services to non-English speaking families in Hennepin County as their children enter school and to provide support in choosing a clinic for preventive services. A project of the Youth Coordinating Board.
• Guys’ Clinic, $50,000 to provide a “males only” clinic every two weeks for a program focused on sexually transmitted disease prevention, screening, treatment and education aimed at young males ages 12-23. A project of Annex Teen Clinic in Robbinsdale, Minn.
• Minneapolis Project for Lead-Safe Kids, $40,000 to increase blood lead level testing of Minneapolis kids at risk for lead poisoning by educating pediatric medical clinic staff about local lead poisoning prevention programs. A project of the City of Minneapolis.
• Primary Caries (cavities) Prevention by Primary Care Medical Providers, $25,000 to reduce the incidence of dental cavities among low-income, high risk children by integrating fluoride varnish applications and dental cavity prevention education into child and teen check-ups provided by medical providers. A project of the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Second cycle funding in the area of general community support totaled $84,100. Some of the projects include:

• 2008 Asthma Walk and Race Up the Place to Fight Lung Disease, $5,000. These two events are organized by the American Lung Association of Minnesota.
• Becoming Well Within: A Musical Tribute to Women with Breast Cancer, $2,500. This fundraising event supports Well Within’s efforts to increase awareness about breast cancer and available community resources.
• Community Health Initiative, $6,000 to support planning grants in the Health Disparities Research Grant Program. A project of the Regents of the University of Minnesota.
• Fremont Community Health Services 2^nd Annual Gala, $3,000 to support this fundraising event in support of efforts to provide health care education and outreach services to uninsured patients
• Mille Lacs County Operation Community Connect, $2,000 to support this project of Rum River Interfaith Caregiver and the emergency needs of homeless individuals in Mille Lacs County.
• Region 7E Integrated Services Program, $2,500 to provide financial assistance to help 200 at-risk families ensure compliance with medically advised treatment.

About the Medica Foundation

The Medica Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable grant-making foundation and a sister organization to Medica Health Plans, a Minnesota-based nonprofit HMO. The Foundation generally seeks to fund community-based programs and initiatives that can provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the availability, access and quality of healthcare. The Medica Foundation is governed by an independent board of directors made up of community leaders John Buck, Burt Cohen, Kris Sanda and Esther Tomljanovich. More information about the Medica Foundation can be found online at http://www.medica.com/C10/MedicaFoundation1/default.aspx. Email: foundation@medica.com; Phone: 952/992-2060.

About Medica

Medica is a health insurance company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in the Upper Midwest. With nearly 1.4 million members, the non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer, individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota and a growing number of counties in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network.

Medica has the highest accreditation status, Excellent, from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA®) for its Minnesota Medicaid HMO plans and commercial health plans in Minnesota and North Dakota. Medica’s vision is to become the community’s health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency.