PORTLAND, Ore. — The Regence Foundation announced today it awarded a $78,500 grant to HealthMatters of Central Oregon in Bend to fund its Care Coordination Pathways initiative. The initiative will establish a Medical Home pilot program for area children, especially those with special health needs.

A Medical Home is an approach to care that creates a partnership between families and their child’s primary care provider to better meet patients’ medical and non-medical needs. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, [PDF] Medical Homes can improve both quality and cost-effectiveness of care.

“The Regence Foundation seeks out nonprofits with collaborative and innovative programs that have the potential to change the health care system,” said Michael Alexander, Regence Foundation board chair. “The work HealthMatters is doing to provide better care for more people definitely has that potential and is exactly what our communities need.”

According to HealthMatters, rural Oregonians are less likely to receive the full benefits of a comprehensive range of health and human services. They are also four times less likely to have a regular source of medical care, and Central Oregon has one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the state.

HealthMatters is a community collaborative, and its mission is to develop and implement innovative strategies that improve health through the active participation of the Central Oregon community.

This grant was paid through The Regence Fund at The Oregon Community Foundation.