Established in 1996 with an endowment gift of $4 million to Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the Fallon/OrNda Community Health Fund was created as a result of the sale of Saint Vincent Hospital by the Fallon Foundation, Inc. to OrNda Healthcorp. The purpose of the fund is to advance projects that increase access to healthcare or health promotion services that improve the health status of vulnerable populations. The Foundation awards approximately $200,000 annually supporting projects that result in:
- The support or creation of primary care outreach services to vulnerable populations.
- The removal of barriers that prevent people from receiving services such as lack of transportation, cultural competency of providers, language differences, or others.
- The development of continuing managed care services rather than episodic or uncoordinated care.
- Disease prevention and health promotion programming.
To be considered, grants may be for operational expenditures such as personnel costs, program expenses, small equipment purchases or physical improvements. Grant requests between $5,000 and $25,000 will be considered. Collaborative efforts will be given a higher priority. It is not the intent of the Fund to become a long-term underwriter of operational costs for any one program.