LA GRANDE, Ore. — Northeast Oregon Network (NEON), a local health collaborative, recently learned it was awarded three grants, totaling over $600,000 to improve health care access. Two grants are from the federal government and the third is from The Regence Foundation, the corporate philanthropic foundation of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.

NEON, formed in 2004, is dedicated to increasing access to integrated health care in Union, Wallowa and Baker counties.

“We know the effects of the recession have been acutely felt here in rural Eastern Oregon, and it’s more difficult than ever for many to find health care,” said Miriam Lederer Farnam, NEON executive director. “As an organization, we’re grateful for these grants to enable us to grow and create jobs locally, and at the same time connect our community with needed health care resources.”

Grant details

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded NEON $465,000 over the next two years under the Children’s Health Improvement Reauthorization Act to support NEON’s Covering Kids and Families Eastern Oregon Program, which connects uninsured individuals and families to health coverage. This grant will allow expansion of the program to increase enrollment of rural children in health coverage.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded NEON an $80,000 grant to support a one-year planning process for a networked Federally-Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status, to conduct a tri-county health needs assessment, and to apply for regional Health Provider Shortage Area designation (HPSA). This would ultimately provide additional resources to the community to help overcome deficiencies in access to health care services.
• The Regence Foundation awarded NEON a $65,000 grant to extend the reach of its Covering Kids and Families Eastern Oregon Program by helping enrollees find care providers once they have health coverage and connecting them with a primary care medical home. Currently, up to half of all new enrollees do not have an existing relationship with a health care provider. This grant will allow outreach specialists not only to help their clients apply and become enrolled in health coverage, but also to facilitate an ongoing, patient-centered relationship with a physician suitable for their needs.

“The Regence Foundation believes that access to quality, affordable health care close to home is the cornerstone of a healthy community,” said Michael Alexander, Regence Foundation board chair. “In a community where at least 15 percent of the population is uninsured and the unemployment rate is between 10 and 15 percent, the work of a health care collaborative like NEON is absolutely critical.”