W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grants The Rogosin Institute $900K for Programs to Improve Health Outcomes in the Mississippi Delta

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Rogosin Institute and its Dreyfus Health Foundation (DHF) division have embarked on the "New Pathways to Health" initiative in partnership with the Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center, Inc. (AEH), the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce (ONW), Tri-County Workforce Alliance (TCWA), and the University of Mississippi's Center for Population Studies (CPS). This initiative is designed to improve the lives of families with vulnerable children in the Mississippi Delta and is the outgrowth of partnerships cultivated over the past decade, many of which were influenced by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The project aims to develop the workforce to understand health problems and disparities, and lead professionals to pursue greater racial and socioeconomic equity in health and well-being by expanded access to care. This three- year initiative will primarily serve the following five counties in the heart of the Mississippi Delta: Bolivar, Coahoma, Quitman, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie.

Program strategies include: 1) Academic enrichment and mentoring, 2) Youth workshops and community-based projects, 3) Community Health Worker and Certified Nursing Assistant trainings; and 4) Innovative Education and Practice Models (Dedicated Education Units) to improve workforce retention. DHF's Problem Solving for Better Health (PSBH) methodology will be threaded throughout the program components to catalyze civic engagement and action-oriented community led projects.

"A person's health is strongly influenced by socioeconomic circumstances and the place where they live and work," said Aurelia Jones-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of AEH.

As Barry Smith, President and CEO of Rogosin, said "Rogosin and its DHF division feel privileged to be a part of the coalition and blueprint for better health, on behalf of the vulnerable children and families in Mississippi. Over the course of the past decade, this collaborative has evolved into a 'Movement for Better Health and Quality of Life,' greatly due to the leadership exhibited by our core Mississippi partners. This Kellogg Foundation grant recognizes this and provides support for what we believe to be an innovative and effective approach to enabling the most vulnerable individuals, families, and communities to take a more active role in improving their health and quality of life, while improving family income and security."

The Rogosin Institute is an independent not-for-profit treatment and research center that focuses on treating kidney disease, including prevention, dialysis and transplantation, and disorders caused by cholesterol  (www.rogosin.org).   The Dreyfus Health Foundation (a division of The Rogosin Institute) and its flagship program "Problem Solving for Better Health®" facilitates the development of practical interventions through community and institutional initiatives to increase the effectiveness of health systems and improve the health of individuals and communities in more than 30 countries worldwide. www.dhfglobal.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. 

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., 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