More than $4 million awarded to community health groups in San Diego County

The Prebys Foundation announced more than $4 million in grants Wednesday to 23 community clinics and health organizations that serve as the first line of care for tens of thousands of residents across San Diego County.

The largest single grant was $300,000 to Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Eleven organizations each will receive $250,000. The other awards were in amounts of $200,000, $150,000 or $100,000 except for one $50,000 grant for CBO Medi-Cal Coalition via Ceres Community Project.

“Community health organizations are the beating heart of San Diego’s care network,” said Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant in a news release. “As policy shifts and funding cuts strain the safety net, these organizations are responding with courage, ingenuity, and a deep connection to the people they serve.”

San Diego County this year is projected to lose nearly $16 million in Medi-Cal funding and more than $700 million in federal support for public health, according to the foundation. As a result, community clinics and health organizations are being asked to do more with less.

Clinics and community organizations are redesigning health care by providing mobile units to reach rural areas, expanding evening hours for working families, and forming referral networks that link medical care with housing, food, and behavioral health support, a foundation official said.

“We are deeply grateful to the Prebys Foundation for investing in the future of community health,” said Kevin Mattson, president and CEO of San Ysidro Health, in the news release. “Their support helps strengthen organizations like ours, allowing us to think innovatively and continue meeting the evolving needs of our communities. Localized support like this is needed now more than ever.”

The grant recipients are:

• Alliance Health Clinic — $100,000
• CBO Medi-Cal Coalition via Ceres Community Project — $50,000
• Champions for Health —$100,000
• Community Health Systems — $100,000
• Family Health Centers of San Diego — $250,000
• Father Joe’s Village-Village Health Center — $250,000
• Health Center Partners of Southern California — $200,000
• Indian Health Council, Inc — $250,000
• La Maestra Family Clinic — $250,000
• Neighborhood Healthcare — $250,000
• Operation Samahan Health — $250,000
• Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest —$300,000
• San Diego American Indian Health Center — $150,000
• San Diego Family Care — $250,000
• San Diego Hunger Coalition — $200,000
• San Diego Wellness Collaborative — $150,000
• San Ysidro Health — $250,000
• Southern Indian Health Council — $250,000
• Survivors of Torture International — $50,000
• TrueCare — $250,000
• UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project — $150,000
• Vista Community Clinic —$250,000
• Volunteers in Medicine — $100,000