UCF Lake Nona Hospital announced $50,000 in inaugural Community Health Advancement grants this week to organizations working to improve access to healthcare and provide critical medical services to those in need.
“Thank you for the work you do and for allowing us to be part of it,” said hospital CEO Wendy Brandon as she presented the awards. “Together we are advancing health, access and hope across Central Florida.”
UCF Lake Nona Hospital is a joint venture teaching hospital between HCA Healthcare and UCF. The hospital provides non-veteran adult care to the growing Lake Nona community and beyond and is one of two innovation hubs in the HCA system that is testing and creating new technologies that improve healthcare delivery. It also helps train UCF medical and nursing students and partners in UCF medical research. The hospital’s Community Health Fund invests $500,000 a year to strengthen community health, including support for the new UCF Heath Mobile Health Clinic, which was on display at the grant announcement.
Dr. Deborah German, UCF’s vice president for health affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine, praised partnerships as the best way to improve healthcare for all. “Partnerships allow us to do more together than we can ever do alone,” she said. “Let’s find a way together to take care of everyone.”
Five community organizations in Orange and Osceola counties each received $10,000. In addition, the hospital announced support for three community health projects conducted by UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center, which includes the colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine and Nursing. Here are the community awardees:
- Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, which supports newborns and mothers to reduce postnatal risks and provide services to families in need.
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, which improves maternal health by addressing food insecurity, providing nutritional information and encouraging health eating habits for families.
- Nemours Children’s Health, which provides a swimming academy to teach water safety skills to neurodivergent children, who are at a high risk for drowning.
- Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation, which expands screenings, diagnostic services and patient navigation for uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients.
- Shepherd’s Hope, which offers a community cardiac wellness initiative for uninsured patients to improve their outcomes for cardiovascular disease.
The three UCF programs are:
- HeartSmart Living for Older Adults, led by the College of Nursing, is an eight-week, evidence-based program focused on improving cardiovascular health among underserved older adults through partnerships with local community centers.
- Heart Health at the Laundromat, a joint effort between the Colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing, brings biweekly heart health education and screenings to laundromats in high-need ZIP codes.
- Mothers Moving Forward, led by the College of Nursing, supports pregnant and postpartum women served by the Florida Department of Health with self-blood pressure monitoring, mental health strategies, physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits.
Dr. Tracy MacIntosh helps lead these and other community programs through her role as the College of Medicine’s Associate Dean of Access, Belonging, and Community Engagement.
The Community Health Awards recognize “your commitment to improving health and well-being across our Central Florida community,” she said. “These initiatives reflect what’s possible when academic expertise, healthcare systems and community organizations work together with shared purpose.”