MCF NEWS ARCHIVES
4/5/05

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, Eagan, is helping to strengthen the health care system in rural Minnesota through its recent round of grants. The grants, totaling $199,933, were awarded to Minnesota nonprofit health care delivery organizations and represent the second and final year of the foundation’s New Times, New Tools small grants initiative. In 2003, the foundation made $200,000 in grants under this initiative.

"The economy continues to press health organizations stretched for resources, especially in Greater Minnesota where the health infrastructure is already thin. New Times, New Tools grants help nonprofit health care delivery organizations creatively meet the needs of their communities in challenging times, and emerge with increased capacity to serve their communities in the future," said Daniel Johnson, Blue Cross Foundation executive director.

New Times, New Tools proposals were evaluated on their ability to increase organizational capacity to respond to local needs in the current environment; support community-based efforts to retool service delivery models to better meet rural needs; promote best practices in nonprofit governance and health services management; and spur creative and pioneering responses that improve efficiencies and access through shared services, greater integration, regionalization and other strategies.

2005 New Times, New Tools grantees include community mental health centers, hospitals, emergency medical services, community clinics, hospice programs, parish nurse programs and other community-wide health programs.

The grant recipients are:

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