Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan are proud to announce that the Lincoln County Health Department is one of 14 recipients of their 2018 ABCS for Healthy Communities Grants.
Grant funding may be used to develop new projects or programs, or improve existing programs to focus on at least one of Marshfield Clinic Health System’s ABCS health focus areas: alcohol and substance abuse; behavioral health; chronic disease; and social determinants of health.
Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital has also contributed additional funds to the Lincoln County Health Department to provide a larger impact. Together, these organizations have awarded more than $30,000 for improving the health of Lincoln County.
The Lincoln County Health Department will work with eight Lincoln County schools to install hydroponic gardening units meant to provide students with education throughout the school year rather than a short-lived summer garden season. Hydroponic gardening is a soil-free option for growing produce. The schools receiving hydroponic units are: Tomahawk High School, Kate Goodrich Elementary, Washington Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Maple Grove Elementary, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran School, and Pine River School for Young Learners.
“Healthy eating was noted by our community as a health concern during our recent community health assessment,” said Kristi Krombholz, public health nurse at Lincoln County Health Department. “This opportunity to help our youth learn about agriculture and healthy eating is very exciting.”
According to the Lincoln County Health Department, students in multi-component school garden programs that incorporate farmer visits to schools, taste testing, field trips to farms, in-class lessons and farm-to-school programs experience greater increases in fruit and vegetable knowledge, preference and intake than students in school gardens alone.
“Marshfield Clinic Health System’s mission is ‘We enrich lives,’” said Jay Shrader, the health system’s vice president of Community Health and Wellness. “Enriching lives happens in a number of significant ways, including improving the health of our communities beyond our four walls. Our grants are one way we can help our local communities to also enrich the lives of their residents.”
These grants, he continued, are part of a larger health system effort to address the system’s ABCS health priorities. Funding may be used to develop new projects or programs, Shrader said, or to improve existing programs that focus on one or more ABCS health focus areas.
“I anticipate these grants, again this year, will foster positive change as they did last year and will help us continue our health system’s efforts in partnering with our communities to make them even better places to live, work and play.”