CHEFA Grant Program 20th Anniversary Forum Focuses on Health Equity
CHEFA commemorated the 20th Anniversary of its Grant Program at the annual Nonprofit Forum on June 23, 2022. The forum focused on the current state of health equity in Connecticut and what can be done to address the systemic hurdles preventing marginalized communities from having equitable access to healthcare.
The keynote presentation and the panel discussion was led by Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Solutions.
Dr. Everette gave a powerful presentation that provided valuable insight highlighting the various ways in which the social determinants of health impact access to quality healthcare for different groups of people, particularly those groups who have been traditionally marginalized.
She demonstrated that the conditions in which we are born, grow, age, live and work all play a critical role in determining our health and wellbeing. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, housing, education, employment, and access to health services.
Other panelists included, Tiffany Donelson, President and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation; Kenneth Barela, CEO of the Hispanic Health Council; Dr. Cesarina Thompson, Dean of the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Hartford; and Monica Belyea, Public Health Consultant with UCONN and Middlesex Hospital. Each of the panelists provided commentary on the impact of health equity on their respective fields and the individuals they interact with on a daily basis. The overriding theme of the conversation was the cross-sector impact that health inequities play in Connecticut and across the country.
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels.
World Health Organization
At the close of the Forum, CHEFA Manager of Grant Programs and Philanthropic Outreach, Betty Sugerman Weintraub, announced a major philanthropic commitment of $1M focusing on health equity through the FY 2023 Targeted Grant Program. The RFP for Letters of Interest will be open through July 12th at 1:00 PM for statewide (defined as at least three counties of the state) 501(c)(3) organizations focused on addressing the issue of health equity in Connecticut. For more information call 860.761.8428 or bweintraub@chefa.com
In its twenty-year history, CHEFA’s grant programs have provided more than $43 million dollars in grant funding to support programs and capital expenditures on a statewide basis for healthcare, education, childcare, and cultural organizations.
In its twenty-year history, CHEFA’s grant programs have provided more than $43 million dollars in grant funding to support programs and capital expenditures on a statewide basis for healthcare, education, childcare, and cultural organizations.
