St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services awarded more than $117,000 in grant funding to support successful patient programs at St. Elizabeth’s. The Infrastructure and Capacity Building (ICB) grants are designed to enhance the ability of hospitals and community health centers to provide health care services to low-income patients.

“For years St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center has been at the forefront of treating patients with behavioral health and substance abuse issues,” said St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center President Kevin R. Hannifan. “These grant funds will enable us to continue that important work.”

Steward’s Behavioral Health Navigatorprogram has played a crucial role in assessment and placement of behavioral health and substance abuse patients.  In addition to performing crisis evaluations, the Behavioral Health Navigators have made referrals to primary care physicians and outpatient behavioral health services, provided information and/or counseling on smoking cessation, and connected uninsured patients to the Community Health Advocates for enrollment in Commonwealth-subsidized health programs. For FY14, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center will receive $117,030 in ICB grant funding to continue and expand this program.

“This grant funding will enable us to provide health services to additional people,” Hannifan said. “We look forward to continuing to address the needs of our community through these much needed resources such as the ICB grant.”

 
About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine.  Areas of medical excellence include vascular and endovascular surgery, cardiology, neurosciences, general and robotic surgery, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine.  St. Elizabeth’s is a member of Steward Health Care, which is the second largest health care system in New England.