SARASOTA, FL ( 4 P.M. EST December 21, 2017) Eight grants totaling $854,869 were awarded by Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation to Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and five local community organizations recently during its Fall 2017 grants cycle.

“These grants address very important range of health care needs within our community,” said Mason Ayres, president of the Healthcare Foundation. “It is in this way that the Healthcare Foundation makes a significant difference in the lives of others by supporting critical equipment and infrastructure needs of Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System (SMH) and other local health related organizations.”

The grants included:

$427,829 SMH Rehabilitation Department for equipment used for locomotion therapy, over-ground gait and balance training, a verticalization (tilt) table and an upper extremity (arm and hand) exoskeleton for adaptive arm weight support training.

$140,000 Community Health Centers of Sarasota County (CHCSC) for a comprehensive electronic health record system that will interface with the SMH electronic patient medical record computer system. CHCSC is a publicly supported charity that serves as a primary care safety net for families below the Federal poverty level.

$80,850 First Step of Sarasota for a medication assisted treatment program for indigent and uninsured drug addicted individuals who arrive at the SMH Emergency Care Center with opiate overdoses or IV drug use-related medical crises. The grant will cover personnel costs as well as medications and supplies. The goal is to reduce the number of repeat overdoses.

$76,000 SMH Clinical Research Center for salaries and technology for a pilot chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) study to evaluate how remote health care management might reduce hospital re-admissions and improve patient outcomes. Up to 100 SMH patients who have been admitted for acute exacerbation of COPD will be enrolled through the SMH Clinical Research Center.

$73,000 SMH Clinical Research Center for a pilot program for participants who don’t medically qualify for the hospital’s “Ornish Diet & Lifestyle Program.” Grant funds cover salaries for a nutritionist and wellness coach to implement the pilot program. Study results would be compared to those of the Ornish program to see if they’re comparable.

$40,000 Vincent Academy, a vocational school for adults with severe mental illnesses, to help integrate those with mental illness into the community through gainful employment. The grant covers salary and benefits for a full-time “Outreach/Enrollment Coordinator” to connect hospital discharge departments, such as Sarasota Memorial, with local businesses, law enforcement, shelters and faith based groups working with the mentally ill.

$9,690 Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota for pre-natal and post-partum educational videos and printed materials in both English and Spanish. The printed materials will be given to new mothers at the time of discharge from Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

$7,500 Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation for non-medical patient assistance. Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation fosters community resources for financial and emotional support and education for cancer patients. The grant is assist cancer patients with non-medical living expenses while undergoing treatment.