The Medical College of Wisconsin awards $4.5M for 12 projects

Oct. 26, 2012 College News - The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP) will fund 12 new community health projects totaling $4.5 million.

Four Impact awards will receive approximately $750,000 each over five years and eight Development awards will receive approximately $200,000 each over two years.  Projects are selected for funding through a rigorous process led by the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Consortium on Public and Community Health, comprised of MCW and public members.

“These twelve projects represent new and innovative methods for approaching public health improvement as well as expansion of best practices created through previous community-academic partnerships,” said Syed M. Ahmed, MD, MPH, DrPH, FAAFP, Senior Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Director of the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program.

Impact awards aim to implement health promotion and disease prevention programs targeting a range of diverse health needs. One of this year’s four Impact projects provides mental health support for veterans while another grant helps create healthy schools to reduce obesity.  Of the eight Development awards aimed at program planning and pilot projects, one award focuses on integrating hunger relief and health care efforts to better manage care and nutrition for uninsured and underinsured diabetes sufferers.

“The MCW Consortium on Public and Community Health is excited about the new projects funded by the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program,” said Cheryl A. Maurana, PhD, Director of Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin and MCW Consortium member.

HWPP is one of three programs within the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin endowment created by funds generated from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin’s conversion to a for-profit corporation.  HWPP awards grants to partnerships between academics and community health and non-profit organizations for urban, rural and statewide health improvement projects in Wisconsin.

Since 2004, HWPP has invested $43.8 million in more than 140 community-academic health improvement projects, including $9.3 million for the Violence Prevention Initiative.  For more information on individual projects, please visit HWPP’s website.