Contact:
Colleen McDonald
Sr. Consultant – Earned Media
414.801.3146 | cmcdonald@mcw.edu
10 organizations serving communities throughout Wisconsin to receive American Rescue Plan Act funds
Milwaukee, Aug. 17, 2023 – The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has identified 10 community-based organizations serving diverse populations throughout the state to receive $2.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding designed for maternal and child health equity projects.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services routed the federal funds to MCW in November 2022 to be administered by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) in a pool separate from the public funds the philanthropy received from the privatization of Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin in 2000.
AHW invited applications for the ARPA funds in February from Wisconsin-based non-profit hospitals and health systems; federally qualified health centers; and other nonprofit organizations to develop and improve strategies to address social determinants that contribute to Wisconsin’s significant disparities in maternal and child health outcomes.
Forty-four proposals were received by the March 6 application deadline, with 10 projects selected for funding after a rigorous review process. Of the 10 approved proposals, three provide services statewide, three are focused in Milwaukee, three address health challenges in rural areas of the state, and one serves tribal members in three northern Wisconsin counties.
“We are thrilled to be able to leverage our statewide networks and partnerships to identify and fund a really exciting slate of projects aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes in underserved communities throughout Wisconsin,” said AHW Executive Director Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH.
In addition to administering ARPA grants, AHW will, as it does with all funded partners, help build the capacity of recipients through educational programs, learning and networking events, and technical and operational assistance tools and resources.
“We want all organizations devoted to the health of the people of Wisconsin to succeed, not just in the project we fund, but in the long-term,” said Ehrenfeld. “Only then will we see real progress in our shared mission of creating a healthier Wisconsin.”
Organizations Approved for American Rescue Plan Act Funding from the Medical College of Wisconsin
| Organization | Project Title | Geographic Area | Grant Amount |
| Sokaogon Chippewa Community | Sokaogon Chippewa Health Clinic Maternal and Child Health Equity | Sokaogon Chippewa Community | $250,000 |
| Malaika Early Learning Center | Effectively Addressing Social Determinants of Health through Early Childhood Education | Milwaukee | $250,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin | Improving Collaboration with Community Partners for Equitable Pregnancy Outcomes in Milwaukee | Milwaukee | $250,000 |
| Supporting Families Together Association | Consistency is Key: Enhancing Family Support Services with Essential Infrastructure | Statewide | $500,000 |
| Progressive Community Health Centers | Food for Healthier Pregnant Women and Babies | Milwaukee | $500,000 |
| Marquette University | A Culturally Informed Interdisciplinary Prevention Program for Perinatal Depression | Milwaukee, Statewide | $244,305 |
| Wisconsin Medical Society, Inc. | Wisconsin Maternal Care Education Program | Statewide urban and rural | $232,467 |
| Sauk County Health Department | Advancing a Healthier Sauk County | Sauk County | $81,551 |
| First 5 Fox Valley | Supporting Maternal & Child Health Equity Using the Help Me Grow Model | Rural Wisconsin, Statewide | $249,620 |
| Arbor Place, Inc. | Reaching the Un-reachable: Building Maternal and Child Health Equity Workforce in Rural Wisconsin | Rural Wisconsin | $250,000 |
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About the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) is a statewide health philanthropy established by the Medical College of Wisconsin to steward a generous financial gift from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. Since 2004, AHW has invested more than $336 million in 600 health research, workforce development, and community health initiatives statewide. Learn more at www.ahwendowment.org.
