Craig, Colorado – October 7, 2022 

Memorial Regional Health is grateful to have been awarded two generous grants from the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, both of which will help the organization improve the lives and access to care of those in our community with the greatest level of need. 

One of the YVCF grant awards, the foundation’s annually awarded Community Grant, will support a new program out of MRH called Bridging Gaps to Healthcare. The program, operated by the hospital’s Population Health Management department, will seek to improve three areas of need for community members: Transportation to and from care; access to medication; and housing. 

Bridging Gaps to Healthcare will carefully identify community members whose access to healthcare is most directly impacted by their inability to travel to and from healthcare facilities by funding rides to and from the facilities, as well as a handful of trips to specialized care provided at hospitals in Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction. Medication assistance will be provided in the form of modest stipends, typically to be used to overcome gaps in financial or insurance assistance in order to ensure critical treatments are missed for financial reasons. Finally, recognizing safe housing as a significant barrier to health for some, a portion of the grant will go toward targeted help for those in the most critical moments of need. 

“The grant funding will help MRH provide assistance to individuals that we don’t have community resources for,” said Jenell Lazarony of MRH’s Population Health department, who will be executing the grant. “There are needs that we can now cover to bridge a gap in their overall wellness. This could mean we can help someone afford their medication until we find a permanent solution, we could provide transportation to an appointment that they would have otherwise missed, and, for a few folks, we can help with housing. The grant gives us the flexibility to serve our community.” 

A second grant from YVCF will be disbursed annually to allow MRH to help cancer patients in dire financial straits access care. 

“My role is to connect people with resources for their needs,” Lazarony said. “I am so grateful to be able to have access to these grants and further our ability to serve our community. I see people with needs that we don’t have resources for every day. I’m excited to see the impact on the community.” 

MRH can’t overstate its gratitude to YVCF and its donors for their generosity. 

“Yampa Valley Community Foundation and the donors supporting our annual Community Grant Cycle are pleased to help fund Memorial Regional Health’s efforts to bridge gaps, providing healthcare access to those most in need,” said YVCF executive director Tim Wohlgenant. “MRH’s focus on transportation, access to medications, and housing are all critical needs that can contribute directly to the health of people in our community.” 

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Contact:  Sheli Steele, Marketing and Community Relations Director

Phone: (970) 826-3106

E-Mail: [email protected]