Owensboro Health Announces 2024 Community Health Investments

Owensboro Health announced its Community Health Investments on February 7, 2024 at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.

Owensboro Health community health investments target specific needs identified by the hospital’s community health needs assessment and address its Partnering with Our Communities strategic imperative. This year’s competitive community health grant investments program prioritized mental health, and the system’s strategic imperative emphasizes mental health and housing.

Owensboro Health announced support for 23 projects totaling $349,310. In grants alone, Owensboro Health has invested more than $10 million in area organizations and agencies since 2011.

Community Health Investments provide in-kind and financial support for health, human services and arts projects and programming throughout the region.

In addition, the system allocated $25,000.00 to SOS International and shared it will be making additional targeted investment announcements in the next few months directly impacting both priority health areas and social determinants of health.

Mark Marsh, Owensboro Health’s President and CEO, said this support is a key element to Owensboro Health fulfilling its mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities we serve.

“These direct community investments allow us to reach beyond the walls of the health system and impact other areas that are key determinants to the health of our patients and community,” Marsh said. “By working together with these community partners, we can accomplish even bigger goals to improve the health of our region. These partnerships are vital for a healthy and vibrant community.”

Agencies and projects funded for the upcoming fiscal year are listed below.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana

Growth in Henderson and Spencer 

The organization is looking to expand services into Henderson County (KY) and Spencer County (IN). Mentors for youth will be recruited through lunch and learns. At - risk youth will be targeted and paired with an adult match to provide a stable, consistent adult presence in the child's life.

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum

Enhancing Community Mental Health through Interactive Bluegrass 

This program will look to engage volunteer musicians in the community to provide musical programming to various audiences in the region. Mental health will be focused upon through writing workshops with a trained mental health counselor.

Community Dental Clinic

Dental Health Access Expansion and Collaboration Project 

Target population is the uninsured and Medicaid patients in our area who need routine and emergent dental care through their Charity Care Fund.

Daviess County High School NJROTC

Construction of Obstacle Course

Funds will be used for the purchase and installation of one of multiple obstacles in an obstacle course. The course will be housed on the Daviess County High School campus and will be available for other local NJROTC units to utilize during competitions, as well as incorporated into physical education classes at DCHS.

Girls Inc. of Owensboro Daviess County

"Making Space" for Mental Health Now and in the Future 

Funding will provide needed updates to a newly acquired space for the girls served. The focus would be on overall wellness, with a focus on physical and mental health. Upgrades to the gymnasium will provide a safer space for physical activity. The yoga and community meeting room will allow for a more targeted focus on mental health and educational needs.

Grayson County Alliance

Financial Literacy Education 

The Money Habitudes curriculum will allow for workshops focusing on financial literacy to be available for residents in Grayson County.

Green River District Health Department

Daviess County Access Project -DC-CAP 

Prescription assistance and access to care program reaching at risk vulnerable populations. Goal is to provide at least $3.5 million dollars in donated prescriptions to our local community.

Green River District Health Department

Safe Sleep Environment For Baby 

Purchase of 50 Safe Sleep Kits: Sleep Sack, Pack ‘N Play, fitted sheet with safe sleep messaging, soothing pacifier and a “Sleep Baby Safe and Snug” children’s book.

HPC Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Kentucky

Good Grief! Providing healthy grieving opportunities to our community 

The Good Grief! initiative looks to provide mental health and educational resources focusing on grief. Funding was provided for both physician and community bereavement education. Resources specifically for youth who have lost a loved one, including Camp Erin, were also included in this allocation.

Junior Achievement of West Kentucky, Inc.

JA Pathways toward Career and Life Success for K-12 Youth

Investment targeting youth in 11 counties in the highest free and reduced lunch classrooms, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and tools to increase understanding of the importance of improving their economic well-being.

Muhlenberg County Public Schools

NFC Fitness Court 

The NFC Fitness Course will be housed at Muhlenberg County High School, which is located directly next to the Greater Muhlenberg County Parks and Recreation complex. The court will not only be utilized during physical education courses for high school students, but will be a free community resource. Users of the court can download a mobile app to track their progress, as well as be introduced to videos showing them how to use the equipment.

New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services

Transforming Communities: From Burnout to Revival 

Training for mental health professionals will provide attendees with a better understanding how trauma affects in the nervous system. Additional resources on trauma stewardship and the importance of self - care for those in the field of mental health will be expounded upon. The goal of this training is to allow attendees to gain a better understanding of how to better engage with those who have experienced trauma.

Owensboro Catholic Schools

GoGuardian Beacon Software

Funding will used to pilot the GoGuardian Beacon software, which will be monitored on each OCS laptop assigned to students from grades 4 - 12. This software will look for at-risk activity. A Rapid Alert Team comprised of key adults in the facility will be instituted at each school campus. Should a topic be flagged in the software, a prompt will alert the team to initiate a response.

Owensboro Dance Theatre

Dance for Wellness 2024 

Funding will provide supplies for the Dance Movement / L.E.A.N. and Dance to Learn programming, as well as continuing education ODT staff involved in the four total components of the Dance for Wellness program.

Owensboro Symphony

Music on Call 

Music On Call brings meaningful, musical experiences directly to participants in their environment through a variety of community partnerships. Funds will assist with artistic expenses, technical expenses, travel expenses, and staging and property expenses.

Refuge International Owensboro

Driving School for Refugees/Immigrants 

Due to the unique cultural needs of many of the refugees residing in the region, the need for a driving school specifically for this population was identified. This new driving school will allow for eligible members of the refugee community to undergo training through a driving school to meet their specific needs. This will increase the independence and autonomy of those who are able to obtain a license at the conclusion of the program.

RiverPark Center

Arts Teach Kids Summer Camp Series

Camp series will provide arts enrichment programming that utilizes Social - Emotional Learning (SEL) to support the mental health of area youth. Referrals for camps will be accepted for at - risk youth through partner agencies. Partial and full scholarships are available for students in need. Funding will specifically cover the cost of scholarships, as well as the supplies and equipment necessary for the camps.

Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County

Weekend Accessible and Ready Meals and More (WARMM) 

Provision of nutritious meals on the weekends to vulnerable seniors in Daviess County. Both the physical strength and mental wellness of these seniors will be measured and recorded during the course of the grant year. A select number of participants will have the opportunity to receive a mental health screening, participate in Bingosize programming, or potentially both.

Spencer County 4-H Association

Summer Community Adventures 

The program will primarily serve Latino youth in Spencer County to enrich youth development through activities to improve physical, emotional, and social health.

Tri-State Food Bank, Inc.

Operation Full Pack for Daviess County Veterans 

This project will improve the health of low-income, food-insecure veterans in Daviess County. A partnership between TSFB and the Owensboro - Daviess County Veterans Association already exists to best serve veterans in need.

The Way of Rockport, Indiana

Moving Forward into Recovery 

Funding will be used to provide programmatic support and to reduce barriers to seeking treatment. Programming is open to both residential and nonresidential clients needing substance use disorder intervention.

Western Kentucky Botanical Garden

Meditation Garden 

Funds will allow for greater access to the Meditation Garden, especially for those with disabilities. The pathway and bridge to the garden will become ADA handicap accessible, which will allow for a greater number of attendees to visit the garden.

Western Kentucky University

Providing a mobile health resource for mothers who have experienced pregnancy loss

"This project will improve resources for women who have suffered a pregnancy loss in our

community/communities, and hopefully, in the future, support women across the nation and world. While popular, pregnancy apps fall short in that they do not support a woman who has suffered a loss. The allocation supports the creation of new content, which will be integrated into a digital platform (BumptUp, https://bumptupapp.com/), tailored especially for women who have lost a baby and then tested in a pilot study to determine whether it helps women recover both mentally and physically after a pregnancy loss.

SOS International

Hospital Recycling Partnership Program 

Funding supports continued Hospital Recycling Partnership to help support the expenses related to collecting and redistributing surplus medical supplies. SOS was a key partner in addressing needs presented by COVID-19 in Kentucky.