More than $3 million in grant funds were awarded to five Coachella Valley organizations to improve access to primary and behavioral health care Friday throughout the region.
During a monthly meeting on Tuesday, Desert Healthcare District and Foundation Board approved to award $3.5 million, which officials said was one of the largest allocations for grant awards in recent years.
Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, doing business as Innercare, received $2,975,625 to address local physician shortage. They will use the funds over a period of three years starting on July 1 to “create and implement a teaching health center to locally train physician residents,” and plan to have 16 residents working, officials said.
Gailee Center received $185,337, which will be used towards its Bridge to Health program, an initiative designed to connect undeserved, low-income and migrant families to medical and behavioral health services.
Hanson House will hire a case manager and support partial salary of its executive director to coordinate care for patients and further conduct patients needs with the $103,155 in awarded funds.
Jewish Family Service of the Desert has received $143,750 that will go toward partial salaries of five positions and will expand mental healthcare access and strengthen the regional workforce.
LGBTQ+ Community of the Desert will make use of its $142,661 grant funds to support two Spanish-speaking therapists and train eight clinicians in LGBTQ+ affirming-, evidence-based care.
“These investments will expand access to care, strengthen our healthcare workforce, and bring critical resources directly to the residents who need them the most,” District Board President Kimberly Barraza said in a statement. “The impact of these dollars will be felt in real, tangible ways — more services, better access and healthier outcomes across the Coachella Valley.”