$100M In Affordable Care Act Grants Made Available To Create Healthier Communities

Online, May 18, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that over $100 million in grant funding has been made available through the Affordable Care Act to help promote preventive care and health improvement in communities across the U.S. The goal of these funds is to target chronic disease and chronic disease risk factors in order to improve health, reduce health disparities, and lower health care costs.

The projects funded by the grant money will focus primarily on five priority areas: (1) tobacco-free living; (2) active living and healthy eating; (3) evidence-based quality clinical and other preventive services, specifically prevention and control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol; (4) social and emotional wellness, such as facilitating early identification of mental health needs and access to quality services, especially for people with chronic conditions; and (5) healthy and safe physical environments.

State and local government agencies, tribes and territories, and state and local non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for these grant funds. Successful applicants will ensure that their community projects and activities have broad population impact and that they use evidence-based strategies to help address health disparities.

"The fact that the government is finally making these funds available to community groups is fantastic," says Bucky Markus, Founder and CEO of Tri Wellness. "We've worked with community-based groups in the past and one of the key issues is always the budget; where are they going to get the funding? Local organizations, especially, are in a unique position to have a significant impact on their communities. Many already have great ideas and great plans for community-based health programs. With this funding now available, these communities will have the resources to see results from their programs."

Applications for grant funding are due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July 2011, with the awards announced sometime near the end of the summer. Grants are expected to run for five years, with projects growing over time as resources allow.

To get more details about applying for this grant, go to www.grants.gov. Click on "Find Grant Opportunities," click "Basic Search," then search by CDFA number 93.531. For more information about the grants, you can also visit http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/grants05132011a.html or http://www.cdc.gov/communitytransformation.