Thriving in Place Initiative Continues to Grow
Augusta, ME (December 13, 2016)— Two Maine communities will receive a total of $600,000 in grant support over three years as part of the Maine Health Access Foundation’s Thriving in Place initiative. These awards represent the third round of implementation funding under this program, designed to promote community-driven approaches to supporting people with chronic health conditions, helping them to remain independent in their own homes and communities.
Grantees Millinocket Regional Hospital and Washington Hancock Community Agency/ Community Caring Collaborative used support provided by MeHAF through previous planning grants to develop extensive partnership networks and gather broad-based input from within their communities to identify priority areas of focus for their efforts. These two organizations join seven other communities across the state now in the implementation phase of the Thriving in Place initiative. In addition to their local work, all TiP grantees participate in periodic learning community meetings to share with and learn from one another’s successes and challenges.
“We are excited to receive this funding to continue the work that was started during the planning period. Multiple partners in the Katahdin and Lincoln Lakes Region have been meeting to better understand the needs of seniors and those living with chronic disease and disability. This funding allows us to put our plans in motion,” said Jane Danforth, TiP Project Director for Millinocket Regional Hospital.
As is central to all TiP communities, these projects employ a team approach. Partners include area health care providers, home and community based service agencies, community service organizations, consumers, local government, educational institutions, media, state and federal agencies, and others. Working together, these partners coordinate community resources and communications to help ensure that area residents are aware of and able to access the services they need, when they need them.
Among the initiatives identified in the action plans for these two communities are efforts to increase knowledge and use of local resources, promote and expand local transportation services, reduce food insecurity, address social isolation, and expand caregiver education, training and support.
“Thriving in Place communities across the state are building multi-faceted local networks of collaboration and support that are effectively tackling many of the key barriers to successful aging in community,” said Barbara Leonard, MeHAF’s President and CEO. “TiP grantees are demonstrating the power of partnerships to build healthier communities for people of all ages and abilities.”
Contact: Ruta Kadonoff, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 207.620.8266 x114 | Email: rkadonoff@mehaf.org
Local contact: Jane Danforth, Director of Grants and Community Wellness, Millinocket Regional Hospital
Phone: 207-723-5288 | Email: jdanforth@mrhme.org
###
The Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) is Maine’s largest, private, nonprofit health care foundation dedicated to promoting access to quality health care, especially for those who are uninsured and underserved, and improving the health of everyone in Maine. MeHAF uses its grant resources and expertise to identify and move forward key initiatives and issues to improve Maine’s health care system, so people across every region of Maine have access to quality care for better health.