AHOSKIE – The Vidant Medical Center (VMC) Foundation hit a milestone last week when it exceeded a million dollars in grants given to entities providing health solutions in Hertford, Gates, and Northampton counties.

Reba Green-Holley, chairwoman of the Community Benefits Grant (CBG) Committee for this region, said Thursday after awarding $100,000 in new grant funding to ten local organizations, “This is the 11th year of distributing funds to the Roanoke-Chowan community. We have awarded 85 grants totaling $1,084,633 since the inception of the program.”

The groups receiving checks last week in Gates County were: Albemarle Development Corp. got $2,500 for Gates County Meals on Wheels; Albemarle Regional Health Services got $5,000 for Gates Partners for Health Coordinator position; and Food Bank of the Albemarle got $15,000 for its Mobile Food Pantry.

The groups receiving checks last week in Hertford County were: Cooperative Extension got $1,500 for Steps to Health; Hertford County Office of Aging got $17,000 for SPICE Home Safety Program; Hertford County Public Health Authority got $20,000 for its Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program; and the Town of Murfreesboro got $10,000 for Parks and Recreation Programming.

The groups receiving checks last week in Northampton County were: Cooperative Extension got $3,000 for its Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and Cooperative Extension also got $1,000 for its Diabetes Support Group.

Rounding out the 10 groups getting funding on Thursday was Roanoke-Chowan Community Health Center got $25,000 for its Diabetes Self-Management Program.

Lisa Newsome, director of marketing for Vidant Roanoke- Chowan Hospital, said all funded projects are about health and fitness, nutrition, and chronic disease prevention to try to reduce demand for hospital beds.

“Recommendations are based,” Newsome said, “on whether the proposed program is applicable to the health related focus areas for the grants program; the perceived capacity of the applicant organization to carry out the work described in the grant application; whether the program is creating a needed program or service; and the level of coordination to utilize existing community resources in carrying out the work of the proposed project.”

The ultimate goal of the program is to help the people of the community be healthier.

Green-Holley said the Community Benefit Grant Program increases the availability of health services for individuals living at or below the poverty level by providing health education, direct healthcare services, and the tools needed for individuals to manage their own health.

She also said grant program brings healthcare resources together with civic, church, and community leaders to establish common goals of improving the health of people living in rural communities.

Green-Holley concluded that the grant program helps provide technical assistance and serves an advisory role in grant writing and program coordination.

Members of the grant review committee is comprised of the president of the local hospital or designee, hospital employees, local health department directors or designees, members of the local Healthy Carolinians partnership, a physician, and community representatives.