Milwaukee – Aurora Health Care announced today it will contribute $5 million to community groups in 2016 through the Better Together Fund. The grants will greatly expand access to primary care and behavioral health services, as well as sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and treatment programs.
“For people who are uninsured or underserved, health care provided by community organizations is quite literally a lifeline,” said Nick Turkal, MD, president and CEO of Aurora Health Care. “We’re truly excited to be able to extend our collaboration with organizations, offering them resources to help them do even more of their important work.”
This is the second year of the Better Together Fund. In the first year, more than 40 organizations across Aurora’s footprint received funding to enhance services in significant ways, such as hiring additional staff, undergoing skills training and building out needed clinic space.
Free clinics that previously offered traditional medical care have been able to expand into behavioral health services. Several now provide education on accessing insurance coverage, invaluable for people who may have never been insured before. In one community, a new medical mobile unit will bring care to people where they live.
“Many initiatives have begun to bear fruit, and the results we’ve seen encouraged us to make a new commitment, empowering organizations to create better access points to health care for all,” Turkal said. “Looking ahead, we welcome new ideas from organizations as to how the Better Together Fund can help people in our communities live well.”
Aurora’s Better Together Fund investments comprise both cash and in-kind donations. They build on the hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of dedicated caregivers that Aurora commits to caring for the underserved population each year. In 2015 alone, Aurora provided more than $390 million in charitable community support. Aurora is the largest charitable organization in Wisconsin.
During the application process, which begins today, Aurora is inviting eastern Wisconsin federally qualified community health centers, free clinics, and sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and treatment centers to submit proposals for consideration at www.Aurora.org/BetterTogether. Aurora, in partnership with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, will use the information that is submitted to select fund recipients that will be named this fall.
For more information on the Better Together Fund, visit www.Aurora.org/BetterTogether.