The Aetna Foundation hopes to award $750,000 each to six not-for-profit community or local government organizations to promote innovative ways of using health information technology to improve the outcomes of chronically ill patients in medically underserved populations.
“We want to invest in grantees that are not just about creating technology, but that are improving outcomes with hard-to-reach populations,” said Dr. Garth Graham, president of the foundation. A cardiologist, Graham previously served as deputy assistant secretary at HHS, leading the Office of Minority Health.
Grant applications will be accepted through Feb. 26. Applicants need not have developed the technology themselves, Graham said. Implementations of commercial products are acceptable. Proposed new programs, as well as those already underway, are eligible.
The money will paid out in installments over a three-year grant period “to give folks time to show they can improve health outcomes,” Graham said.
Chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke—some of the targets of the program—are on the increase in medically underserved communities, according to the foundation. So, too, is the use of mobile technology—more than 84% of low-income adults use devices such as smartphones and mobile apps.
“We just want to partner with local communities and prove that these applications are scalable and impactful,” Graham said.
More information is available at the foundation's website.
Follow Joseph Conn on Twitter: @MHJConn
