Cambia Health Foundation announces $300,000 in grants to advance whole-person health for older adults

Investments focus on expanding access to behavioral health care

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambia Health Foundation announced $300,000 in investments today to expand access to behavioral health care among adults aged 55 and older. This funding falls within the Foundation's Healthy and Connected Aging portfolio, which focuses on reducing isolation and loneliness among older adults by strengthening social connectivity, improving care coordination and increasing behavioral health care access.

Older adults, including people aged 55 and older, often experience challenges that prevent them from aging well. Among those challenges, social isolation is a public health crisis associated with increased risk of dementia, heart disease and stroke. With this funding, community nonprofit organizations will address behavioral health risks among older populations and embark on projects that aim to help them better manage chronic conditions, reduce isolation and loneliness, and improve their quality of life.

"Our physical health and mental health are deeply connected, and a variety of social factors also impact our health and well-being," said Peggy Maguire, president of the Cambia Health Foundation. "That's why we've prioritized increasing access to behavioral health care within whole-person health models and meeting older adults where they are. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution – we're working with our community partners to build an infrastructure that fosters social connections, integrates behavioral health screening into primary care, supports people in substance use disorder recovery and addresses acute mental health needs."

These investments are part of a larger vision to advance equity through whole-person health across Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Cambia Health Foundation is pleased to invest in the following organizations:

• Cascade Medical Center (Idaho)
• Brookings Community Resource Response (Oregon)
• Homage Senior Services (Washington)

The three organizations receiving grants approach this complex issue in bold and distinct ways, with programs and services working toward one or more of the following solutions:

• Increasing preventive screenings in primary care settings
• Expanding access to integrated health care, including behavioral health, and social support services
• Improving management of chronic behavioral and physical health conditions

About Cambia Health Foundation
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions. Founded in 2007, the foundation has funded over $110 million in grants to advance patient- and family-centered care for all. We purposefully invest in ideas that expand access to behavioral health care to advance equity through whole-person health.

SOURCE Cambia Health Foundation