After 20 years of grantmaking, the Foundation took a look back at the many transformative programs funded over the years and welcomed two new grantees working to advance equity and innovation in health care.
The Equity & Innovation Grant Program were born out of a desire to support the patients who rely on our city’s public hospital, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Small grants to purchase patient comfort supplies quickly grew to larger investments in programs, like the Trauma Recovery Center and the Orthopaedic Trauma Institute.
This year, the Foundation celebrated the two grantees, and thanks to a multi-year partnership with BMO, each grantee was awarded a $100,000 capacity-building grant, allowing for critical investment in new initiatives that will have a widespread impact on patient care at ZSFG.
The first program to receive funding is the Eye Clinic. This program is focused on expanding access to ophthalmology and optometry care and reducing wait times with new diagnostic equipment and hybrid visits. By addressing critical barriers to timely care for diseases like cataracts and glaucoma and offering patients earlier interventions to lower the risk of negative health outcomes, the Eye Clinic is committed to ensuring all San Franciscans have equitable access to care.
Second to receive funding is the Healthy Lifestyles Clinic. This initiative focuses on childhood obesity, and will link children of low-income families with community resources for physical activity and healthy eating. These early interventions have been found to prevent adverse health outcomes, like diabetes, in children with obesity while also improving mental health—all of which leads to longer-term success over the lifespan.