MLK Received Grant from Fund for Health Equity

MLK Health Center & Pharmacy is excited to announce it was included among the awardees of the first round of grants issued by Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity, which mobilizes financial resources for community health centers, free and charitable clinics, and other nonprofit organizations focused on non-clinical interventions that affect a person’s health – commonly known as the social determinants of health, these factors include a person’s physical, social, political, cultural, and economic environments.

The grants were awarded with support from the AbbVie Foundation, which seeded the Fund for Health Equity with a $10 million donation as part of its commitment to support underserved Black and other communities across the United States.

“This initial round of grants from the AbbVie Foundation and Direct Relief recognizes organizations like MLK Health Center & Pharmacy that are in the trenches every day supporting their communities which are impacted the most in terms of health disparities,” said Dr. Byron Scott, MD, MBA, Co-Chair of the Fund for Health Equity and Board Director of Direct Relief and Chair of its Medical Advisory Council.

MLK is honored to be one of the original award recipients of Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity. This award will allow us to expand access to healthcare for our community’s most medically underserved population by offering an additional evening clinic each month.

MLK will also broaden health care professional education opportunities with a new Inter-Professional Education program that will bring students together to experience working as a multidisciplinary practice team.  The program will deepen their understanding of both their role and the roles of colleagues in improving health outcomes and overcoming barriers to improving health outcomes.

We want to thank Direct Relief and AbbVie for their financial investment in the health of our community.

The first round of funding, which totals $1.8 million, also went to the following organizations for their efforts to enhance workforce diversification, reduce health disparities, and expand innovative models of care:

• Community Hope – Washington, DC
• Roanoke Chowan Community Health – North Carolina
• Institute for Family Health – New York
• Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services – Mississippi
• Eskenazi Health – Indiana
• Good Samaritan Health Center – Georgia
• Health Brigade – Virginia
• Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc. – Pennsylvania
• The Night Ministry – Illinois