Valley Health Awards Partnership Community Grants to Help Address Complex Health Challenges

May 20, 2024

Valley Health Awards Partnership Community Grants to Help Address Complex Health Challenges

Grants prioritize collaborative approaches to address important community issues.

(Winchester, VA, May 10, 2024) — Valley Health recently announced that 11 nonprofit organizations are recipients of 2024 Community Partnership Grants to support local organizations in their efforts to address critical health needs.
“Our mission is to serve our community by improving health,” says Jeff Feit, MD, MS, Chief Population and Community Health Officer, Valley Health. “We understand that the health of the community is determined by much more than what goes on inside our hospitals and medical offices. We are excited to partner with community organizations who work together to improve the overall health and well-being of our region.”

Valley Health’s 2024 Community Partnership Grant program awarded 11 one-year grants totaling $200,000 to area non-profit organizations that address critical health needs. One organization receives the top grant award of $100,000, two receive $25,000 awards, four receive $10,000 awards and four receive $2,500 mini-grants.

This year, Horizon Goodwill received Valley Health’s top grant award. With the grant funding, Horizon Goodwill Industries proposes to establish a mobile Community Health Hub in Winchester that will support healthy behaviors and improve health outcomes and access to care. The Community Health Hub’s comprehensive approach will emphasize case management, housing support, workforce development programming, connection to health services, and access to basic needs like food and clothing.

“Horizon Goodwill’s mission is to remove barriers to social mobility so that everyone has the same chances to attain their desired outcomes no matter where they begin,” said David Shuster, President and CEO. “We believe that through this new initiative and the generosity of Valley Health, we move one step closer to making this a reality for many in our community.” Added Chief Mission Officer Brooke Grossman, “We are excited to bring this proven model of service to Winchester that has been transformative for participants across our four-state territory. We are grateful to Valley Health for their generosity and shared interest in meeting people where they are to help them get where the want to be.”

Community Partnership Grant recipients were selected through a competitive application process, evaluating how proposed projects align with Valley Health strategies including health education and navigation, mobile health, telehealth, transportation, behavioral health, and community collaborations. The 2024 grant recipients were:

$100,000
Horizon Goodwill Industries, Inc. (Winchester, VA)

$25,000
Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter (Winchester, VA)
Mountaineer Community Health Center, Inc. (Paw Paw, WV)

$10,000
Concern Hotline (Winchester, VA)
Hampshire County Pathways (Romney, WV)
Page One of Page County (Luray, VA)
Wheels for Wellness (Winchester, VA)

$2,500
Bread of Life Food Pantry (Woodstock, VA)
Innovative Community Solutions (Martinsburg, WV)
Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area (Winchester, VA)
Strength in Peers (New Market, VA)

The grant program is one of the ways the regional health system nurtures more collaborative approaches to improving health. “At Valley Health, we believe that we are healthier, together,” says Jason Craig, EdD, Director, Community Health. “By working collaboratively with community partners, we believe we can achieve meaningful results and improve health outcomes in communities across our region.”

Valley Health is a nonprofit health system serving a population of more than 500,000 in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, and western Maryland. As a healthcare provider, employer, and community partner, Valley Health is committed to improving the health of the region. The system includes six hospitals, more than 70 medical practices and Urgent Care centers, outpatient rehabilitation and fitness, medical transport, long-term care, and home health.

Horizon Goodwill Honored with National Award for Exceptional Employee Health Program

June 13, 2023

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Horizon Goodwill Industries today received the 2023 Health Plan Hero award in a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. Horizon Goodwill leadership was recognized for its outstanding employer-sponsored health program by national healthcare industry professionals.

David Shuster, President and CEO of Horizon Goodwill Industries, was honored alongside ten other winning businesses and participated in expert round table discussions with employees, human resource representatives, patient advocates, CEOs, and healthcare benefit design experts in Washington.

The program, developed by the national non-profit organization Patients Rising, recognizes companies with innovative health plans that expand patient access to care, lower out-of-pocket costs, lower employer spending, and are competitive due to increased workforce health, productivity, and savings. Horizon Goodwill was recognized for its health plan that created an open-access network, added direct primary care, and redesigned its pharmacy cost containment program while still reducing per-employee annual spend by 26%.

“We appreciate being recognized with the Health Plan Hero award for our efforts to provide improved access to quality care while controlling costs for the organization and our employees,” said Shuster. “Our mission at Horizon Goodwill Industries is “removing barriers to social mobility” and with the support of EBS as our benefits advisor, we are committed to developing innovative strategies that holistically advance the health and wellness of our workforce. While uncomfortable at times, we are taking a ground-up approach to address the challenges with access and cost that has become the norm with our healthcare and insurance system.”

The award program was launched last year in response to nationwide increases in health coverage premiums and deductibles. Family premiums have increased by an average of 22% from 2015 to 2020, and deductibles for single-covered workers rose by 25% during that same time period.

“Horizon Goodwill and those honored today prove that it is possible to provide insurance that expands patient access to care while saving money for both employee and employer,” said Terry Wilcox, CEO of Patients Rising. “Employers are the biggest providers of health insurance in this country, and these companies show that by taking a hands-on approach to their health plans, they can not only save money but also provide more affordable, accessible care to their employees. This truly disrupts how healthcare is delivered and paid for in this country.”

More details on Horizon Goodwill’s Health Plan Hero award are available here.

About Patients Rising: Patients Rising is a non-profit organization serving patients and caregivers living with chronic or rare illnesses and disabilities. We work directly with these healthcare users in learning, seeking, and advocating for access to the care they need.