Quantum Foundation Awards $1.2 Million

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Quantum Foundation is awarding $1.2 million in health-related grants to organizations that aim to improve health and access to health care service. This amount of funding will bring Quantum’s current total to $2.7 million since January, 2004.

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Among the recipients, the Bethesda Memorial Hospital Foundation will receive $175,000 for a Medication Administration Check program (MAC) developed by the Hospital and Siemens. With this program all medications will be automated, including the filling, delivering, dispensing and documentation of orders -- and will become part of the patient’s permanent electronic medical record. According to the Institute on Medicine, this technology eliminates one of the greatest sources of medication errors, misinterpretation of hand- written orders.

Migrant Association of South Florida -- $350,000 -- The grant provides funds to hire a part-time data specialist who will prepare management reports, facilitate billing and scheduling. This grant also includes funds to hire a full-time registered nurse, provide part-time radiology services, and hire a full-time health educator.

Samaritan Gardens Community Health Center -- $100,000 -- to purchase a Welligent Health Manager information system for tracking patients, scheduling, allocation, volunteer scheduling and eventually billing. Welligent has worked successfully in Palm Beach County developing and implementing the Health Care District’s school health information system.

Alzheimer’s Community Care Association -- $250,000 -- to establish a Dementia Specific Education Program for health care professionals, first responders (police, fire/rescue, etc.), caregivers and a multi-pronged media campaign for the public-at-large.

Area Agency on Aging -- $110,000 -- renewal grant for The Leadership Institute for Active Aging a twelve week volunteer training program for seniors. Last year this program provided 212 volunteers who gave 37,986 volunteer hours to the community of which 6,758 hours provided direct services to the frail elderly.

Children’s Home Society -- will receive $90,000 to provide homeless youth with shelter, therapeutic counseling, and comprehensive independent living skills.

American Red Cross -- $103,000 -- to provide 3,000 children living in the Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay area with water safety instructions. Pre- teens and teens will receive the junior safety program, lifeguard training and/or swim instructor training.

YMCA of South Palm Beach County -- $103,100 -- to expand the S.W.I.M. (Safe Water Instructional Module) project to reach an additional 1,600 children with safe water instruction at off-site locations.

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CONTACT: Trudy McConnell, Director of Communications, QuantumFoundation, +1-561-832-7497, ext. 113, or cell, +1-561-644-6827