Stratis Health has announced the three recipients of its 2024 Building Healthier Communities awards totaling $45,000. The awards are small grants that catalyze collaboration and innovation to nurture health care quality in Minnesota.

“Our long-standing commitment to improving health equity is reflected in these awards,” said Jennifer Lundblad, Stratis Health president and CEO. “We are proud to honor and feature the transformative work of leaders who are improving lives and communities and bringing us closer to an inclusive and equitable health ecosystem.”

The 2024 Building Healthier Communities Grant Award Recipients:

Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate (HPHC) educates health professionals, the public, and policymakers about structural racism as a cause of disproportionate climate change impact on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). HPHC will use this award to grow its statewide presence by supporting activities such as speakers’ bureaus and community forums on climate, equity, and health issues.

Mi CASA’s Familia Saludable Initiative promotes healthy lifestyles and mental health in the Hispanic community. This Shakopee-based nonprofit will use its award to promote holistic health and wellness education among Latino families in Scott and Carver Counties by providing culturally tailored programs and services that address prevention of type 2 diabetes prevalence and direct patient care.

Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, a rural northern Minnesota critical access hospital in Ely, has begun a diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. The hospital will use the grant to launch efforts to increase awareness and education more formally, offering training to staff, campus partners, and community members.

Stratis Health is an independent nonprofit organization based in Minnesota, celebrating more than 50 years of leading collaboration and innovation to improve health. The Stratis Health Board of Directors dedicates a portion of the organization’s reserves to the Building Healthier Communities award program. Awards are small grants that catalyze collaboration and innovation to nurture health care quality in Minnesota. The selected projects must be innovative, drive impact, and ensure sustainability. The awards emphasize our long-standing commitment to health equity, patient safety, and family engagement. Since 2007, Stratis Health has awarded 60 grants totaling over $825,000.