La MesaLa Mesa — Grossmont Healthcare District announced it has granted more than $1.3 million in community grants and sponsorship awards to 39 wellness-focused nonprofit organizations working in East County.
The funding is expected to benefit at least 80,000 residents through projects that address aging, cancer, behavioral health, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by providing direct, hands-on care and training programs.
Launched in 1952, Grossmont Healthcare District is a public agency overseeing the Sharp Grossmont Hospital and the Health & Wellness Library on Wakarusa Street in La Mesa. The district’s board has granted more than $40 million to local nonprofits since 1996. The district also offers free meeting and event space on its campus in La Mesa.
Amy Abrams, Grossmont Healthcare District chief community health officer, said the goal of the grant program is to help meet the non-medical needs of the community to improve long-term health results.
“The district, through our long-standing support of the Grossmont hospital, meets a lot of the direct medical care needs that people in this district have, but a hospital does not a well person make,” Abrams said. “The board of directors of the Grossmont Healthcare District is very committed to sort of spreading those resources out among nonprofit organizations that touch a variety of people.”
Of the recipients selected by the district, the largest award was distributed to the Grossmont Union High School District, which received $227,500 for its Health Career Pathway Initiative.
The program aims to develop a strong health care workforce by providing training, science preparation and career awareness to high school students. Health Career Pathways Coordinator Todd Linke said it also promotes making healthy living choices and encourages students to help other members of the community.
“We make them aware of the wide variety of allied health careers to really let them know that there are a lot of options,” Linke said. “It’s not all about just being a doctor or a nurse, although those are certainly options. There are many other options available.”
While the bulk of the Health Career Pathways budget comes from annual Grossmont Healthcare District grants, Linke said the program also receives funding through the federal government under Title I and other smaller grant programs.
During the 2022-2023 school year, 507 students from eight high schools completed the program and 300 students completed life support training, also known as CPR.
“We’re promoting lifesaving techniques, in terms of cardiac arrest and choking, so I feel like that’s an amazing thing that our program does,” Linke said. “That’s going to obviously directly impact the students’ lives and lives of their loved ones or people that are in need of that lifesaving treatment.”
Some of the other nonprofit organizations that received funding from the district included Crisis House, Jewish Family Services, Meals on Wheels, Mama’s Kitchen, Home of Guiding Hands, Oncology and Kids, Saddles in Service and San Ysidro Health. The East County Economic Development Council received a $105,000 grant from the district for its Healthcare Workforce Pipeline Project.
For more information about the Grossmont Healthcare District and its grants program, visit grossmonthealthcare.org.
