W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grants The Rogosin Institute $1.858 Million for Programs to Improve Health Outcomes and Economic Equity in the Mississippi Delta

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Building on more than a decade of successful collaboration in the Delta region of Mississippi, The Rogosin Institute and its Dreyfus Health Foundation division have received a $1.858 million grant award from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to fund the "New Pathways to Health and Opportunity" initiative to build the Delta's health workforce over the next three years. Core partners for the initiative include the Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center, Inc. (AEH), the Mississippi Hospital Association Foundation (MHA-F), Tri-County Workforce Alliance (TCWA), and the University of Mississippi's Center for Population Studies (CPS).

"In Mississippi, recruiting and retaining quality health professionals, of any discipline, to a rural or remote community is challenging," said Aurelia Jones Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of AEH. "The New Pathways program provides an innovative approach to introducing young adults to careers in the healthcare industry that develops workforce capacity for years to come." New Pathways to Health and Opportunity works to improve health by increasing access to jobs and building a well-prepared health workforce in the Delta community.

The program will provide educational opportunities for young adults and parents in Sunflower and neighboring counties, including job shadowing, health professions' trainings (Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy, Community Health Worker), hands-on training and externships for nursing students, and leadership development workshops. Rogosin's "Problem Solving for Better Health®" methodology will be utilized to engage and unleash the great potential of the community itself in all of the on-the-ground efforts.

John Green, Director of CPS and Professor of Sociology at the University of Mississippi said, "Education and workforce development to address population health needs is critical, and we need to provide more opportunities for young adults from economically vulnerable areas to pursue professions in these fields. There are a range of health system career opportunities from frontline care to management and research that they can pursue to fill important gaps and achieve livable incomes and benefits, thereby further stimulating the economy. There is the potential for mutual benefit and the uplift of the Delta region, and our state more broadly."

Dr. Barry H. Smith, President and CEO of Rogosin said, "We are thrilled to be able to continue working with our partners in Mississippi to develop the health workforce and are grateful to the Kellogg Foundation for this grant opportunity. Over the course of nearly 15 years of partnership, this collaborative network has truly turned into a community-based movement for better health and better lives. We know that by building livelihood security, we are creating healthier communities and improving the quality of the lives of vulnerable children and families."

The Rogosin Institute is an independent not-for-profit treatment and research center focused on providing the best possible health care and quality of life for people with kidney disease, as well as those with diabetes, lipid and cardiovascular disorders, and cancer.  The Rogosin Institute is committed to the further development of a unique and practical model for optimal, cost-effective health care and health promotion. The Dreyfus Health Foundation (housed within The Rogosin Institute's Center for Health Action and Policy) and its flagship program, "Problem Solving for Better Health^®", facilitate the development of effective and sustainable interventions through community and institutional initiatives designed to increase the effectiveness of health systems and improve the health of individuals and communities in more than 32 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.rogosin.org.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work, and life. 

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes.  Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success.  WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally are in Mexico and Haiti.  For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

SOURCE Rogosin Institute

Related Links

http://www.rogosin.org