Springfield Standard

Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) has allocated $194,147 in grants to ten community partners in Polk County. This funding is part of the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) initiative, a five-year pilot project with Missouri HealthNet aimed at addressing social needs through various local organizations.

The ToRCH Leadership Board, which includes representatives from different sectors such as healthcare and community-based organizations, selected the grant recipients. Jenna Hicks, CMH's director of quality and population health, emphasized the importance of addressing factors like housing, transportation, and food insecurity to improve overall community health. She stated that enhancing these aspects could reduce emergency room visits and improve Medicaid patients' health outcomes.

Among the beneficiaries is Bolivar R-1 School District, receiving $20,000 to provide behavioral health services for uninsured or underinsured youth. The Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation will use its $20,000 grant for kitchen renovations to offer medically tailored meals. Community Outreach Ministries plans to use its $20,000 allocation to tackle food insecurity and aid unsheltered residents.

Other recipients include Polk County Community Connections with a $17,884 grant for expanding its summer lunch program; Empower: Abilities with $20,000 for home modifications for people with disabilities; and Polk County KLIFE receiving $20,000 to enhance youth services.

Additional funding goes to the Polk County Health Center ($16,262.70) for nutrition counseling expansion; Polk County Cares ($20,000) for warming center enhancements; Refuge Apostolic Church ($20,000) for facility renovations; and Sling N Stones Ministries ($20,000) for sober living facilities.

Jenna Hicks noted that these grants mark the beginning of ToRCH's impact on Polk County residents. The program will continue providing funds over the next three years to support community partners in improving population health.

For further details about the ToRCH program, contact Jenna Hicks at 417-328-7953.