Blue Cross Awards $25,000 Grant
VNA Care Network recently received a $25,000 grant for its Cultural Competency Program from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.
VNA Care Network's Cultural Competency Program was established in September 2001 to educate health care professionals about the ways cultural beliefs affect people's access to health care and improve the care and services available to area residents. The program is available in more than 200 communities in Eastern and Central Massachusetts served by VNA Care Network.
Blue Cross awarded the grant as part of an effort to expand access to health care for diverse cultures in Massachusetts. The funding will enable VNA Care Network to strengthen its interpretation services, provide cultural competency training and resources for clinicians serving several ethnic minority patient groups, and support the development of a resource library.
VNA Care Network will collaborate with the Brazilian Community Association in Framingham, the Metta Health Center in Lowell, the New Vision Foundation in Framingham, and the Lynn Asian Outreach Initiative in Lynn to support its mission to enhance the delivery of culturally competent health care.
VNA Care Network was among 24 organizations to receive grants from the Foundation totaling $800,000. Foundation President Andrew Dreyfus said, "Among the many types of barriers to care that confront low income and uninsured patients, cultural and linguistic differences rank among the greatest. These cultural competence grants will help support the institutional transformation and behavioral changes necessary to expand and promote greater understanding among providers."
For more information, contact Cathy Romeo, program manager, Cultural Competency Program manager, at 888-663-3688, ext. 4528 or cromeo@vnacarenetwork.org.
Posted: Aug. 26, 2002