The app continues to be widely used and is updated regularly with pertinent information and information about life saving resources. VNA, CCH and YI welcome other agencies that are interested in partnering with us to grow and maintain StreetLight Chicago.
Young Invincibles and Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) were recognized with a 2019 Chicago Innovation Award for their development and management of StreetLight Chicago.
VNA supported the first year of the intervention which included the recruitment of six health centers representing a wide range of patient populations and communities, as well as identification of six communities for outreach that are deeply affected by disparities in maternal health: East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Austin, Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, and Chatham.
The CCMH envisions a Chicago where all people and all communities thrive because health care providers, policy makers, community organizations, individuals, and families partner to improve maternal health.
The Chicago South Side Birth Center plans to open in 2023, and once in full operation the team anticipates assisting with over 300 births and providing comprehensive care to at least 1,500 individuals. In addition to an initial grant of almost $100,000, VNA built partnerships with the Irving Harris Foundation and the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation to help make this birth center a reality.
Read about Past Awardees: 2022 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
An FY 20 VNA Foundation grant allowed the MAVEN Project its first presence in the Midwest, in the form of a pilot program to assist and mentor providers at Illinois free clinics.
The first year of the pilot program positively impacted 2,400 individuals at three free clinics in the Chicago area. VNA Foundation recently awarded funding for a second year, allowing three additional clinics to join the pilot.
The VNA Foundation Nursing Scholarship program ran from 2005 to 2010, and awarded grants to the Accelerated Bachelor of Nursing (ABSN) programs at Rush and Loyola Universities.
The goals of our scholarship program were two-fold: first, to encourage qualified candidates, who might otherwise not attend nursing school due to financial considerations, to apply to the ABSN programs; and second, to support and promote community nursing services to the underserved, by requiring scholarship recipients to practice in a Chicago-area community- or home-based setting for at least two years after graduation.
When Rush College of Nursing discontinued its ABSN program and implemented a Generalist Entry Master (GEM) of Science in Nursing program with a focus on clinical leadership, VNA Foundation agreed to continue its support and three GEM students also received VNA Foundation scholarships in support of their education.
Over the five year period, VNA Foundation’s scholarship program awarded 11 nursing scholarships totaling $369,100. And, as a result of their post-scholarship commitment to service, by the time the last scholarship was completed, underserved communities in Chicago received 23 years of nursing services from these well-prepared and dedicated young people.
For more information about the scholarships and their recipients click on these links:
During the early 2000s, the VNA Foundation team began brainstorming ways to help nonprofit health care service providers capitalize on rapidly evolving technology. Around the same time, the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG) performed a study of the most pressing needs of community-based clinics. The study found that lack of access to technology was cited as a significant contributor to lower staff morale and lesser levels of patient care.
VNA partnered with Prince Charitable Trusts, which initiated the HMPRG study, to award grants to community-based health centers serving low-income populations. The grants were used to improve the information technology capacity of the centers, including allowing medical staff to purchase, upgrade and repair computers and other equipment, and participate in trainings focused on improving accuracy and efficiency. VNA Foundation supported this Technology Initiative at Alivio Medical Center, Erie Family Health Center, and PCC Community Wellness Center. Technology Initiative funds also allowed 10 VNA grantees to access technology consulting, training, and critical resources through the Information Technology Resource Center (ITRC; now Lumity).
VNA partnered with Thresholds in FY 13 to launch the Women Veterans Health Project, which provides a broad range of services to address the unique needs of women who have served in the military during recent conflicts.
The Women Veterans Health Project responds to the increasing number of women veterans that require a diverse range of mental health and social services to manage the impact of military-related traumas. A first-of-its kind in the Chicago area, the Project partners Thresholds with the VA and other social service agencies to help women who have served get the resources they need to live hopeful, healthy and productive post-military lives.