Loyola receives $50,000 CareFirst grant to expand health equity services

Loyola University Maryland was awarded $50,000 of grant funding by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, to enhance a place-based health services program in the Govans community of north Baltimore. Loyola Clinical Centers will partner with Loyola’s York Road Initiative to offer behavioral health and wellness workshops in five locations and incentivize attendance by distributing coupons for fresh produce to participants.

The Loyola Clinical Centers provides clinical training to Loyola graduate students and offers treatment at reduced rates in the areas of psychology, literacy, hearing, speech and language.

“As a community-based organization, the Loyola Clinical Centers is committed to providing care to all,” said Kara Vincent, executive director of the LCC. “The current health and economic crises have severely impacted the population we serve and call us to action in a deliberate and intentional way.”

With support from the CareFirst grant, the Loyola Clinical Centers will host three nutritional workshops led by Baltimore-based organizations and will lead 26 behavioral health and wellness workshops to Govans residents of all ages. Participants will receive $12 in coupons for fresh produce for each workshop and may attend up to six workshops over the course of a year. Participants will receive an additional $9 in coupons for starting individual or group therapy, if recommended. Coupons are redeemable at designated local markets, including the Loyola’s York Road Healthy Corner Store network.

"Our goal is to utilize this grant to support the many grassroots community organizations in Govans who are already serving our local seniors and families to further increase access to physical and mental wellbeing resources,” said Marie McSweeney Anderson, assistant director of the York Road Initiative.

The York Road Initiative is a community development effort in the York Road neighborhoods of Baltimore that seeks to improve the quality of life for all persons living, working, and learning in the York Road corridor. The initiative focuses on educational development, health and well-being, and economic development.

The Loyola Clinical Centers and York Road Initiative will work with existing partners to expand outreach and serve communities along the York Road corridor.