Families First Receives $50,000 Grant

Medtronic of Portsmouth announced that it gave a two-year Health Access grant for $50,000 to Families First Health & Support Center. Families First was nominated by local Medtronic employees working at the Advanced Energy business unit in Portsmouth. Grant funds will be used over the next two years to help cover unreimbursed services provided to patients with chronic diseases.
 
Families First cares for around 2,000 patients living with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. Ninety-five percent of these patients live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
 
“Families First looks at the whole person and realizes that one patient may need the support of many health care professionals in addition to medical providers, such as a certified diabetes educator, nutritionist, care coordinator, and counselor,” says Families First's Executive Director Helen Taft. “Even when patients have insurance, it often doesn’t cover such services. And for uninsured or underinsured patients, those services would come at a steep price without community support like Medtronic’s grant. Access to these support services may make the difference that helps a person with a chronic disease attain good health.”
 
Josh Vose MD, medical director for the Advanced Energy business, led the efforts to provide the grant to Families First. “At Medtronic, we’re driven by a belief that access to quality health care is fundamental for everyone around the world, and it starts right here, locally, in the Seacoast region,” Vose said. “Through the Medtronic Foundation, we invest in health access initiatives that support and recognize community-based organizations, allowing them to continue and expand their great work. We’ve had a long standing relationship with Families First and have witnessed first hand the difference they are making in people’s lives in this area.”
 
Medtronic Foundation Health Access Grants are awarded in 72 communities around the world in recognition of community-based programs and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to expanding access to chronic disease care for the underserved.
 
Families First Health and Support Center provides primary, prenatal, behavioral and oral health care; parent and family groups; one-on-one family support; and mobile health care. Learn more at 603-422-8208 or FamiliesFirstSeacoast.org.
 
Medtronic plc is among the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies. The Medtronic Foundation focuses on supporting health and health access initiatives in communities where Medtronic employees live and give.