Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
The University of South Florida received a three-year, $2.5 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute designed to improve health outcomes and reduce hospital readmission for people of color managing chronic illnesses. The study will examine the impact of Care Transitions Intervention (CTI), a nationally recognized program that helps patients learn self-management skills to ensure their needs are met during the transition from the hospital to their home. CTI is widely recognized for its success in helping to improve overall outcomes for patients, but little research exists on its impact within Black and other underserved communities. The research is under the direction of Kyaien Conner, an associate professor in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the university.
Four historically Black medical schools have received about $6 million from Bloomberg Philanthropy to expand coronavirus vaccination efforts in underserved communities. The HBCUs say that they will use the funds to increase access for people who are homebound or who can’t use the internet to make appointments. The four institutions receiving grants under the program are Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta ($2.1 million), Charles R. Drew University of Medicine in Los Angeles ($1.6 million), Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. ($1.6 million), and Meharry Medical College in Nashville ($869,000).
Historically Black Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, received a $100,000 grant from the Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union to support the renovation of the Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital. The new Welcome Center at the hospital will feature the name of the credit union.
Virginia Union University, the historically Black educational institution in Richmond, received a $250,000 grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation to support the renovations on the historic Industrial Hall on the university’s campus. The building, which once served as the power plant for the university, will be transformed into a museum, gallery, and cultural education center.
