Four Nonprofit Organizations Improving the Health of Populations

Last week during our annual Breakthroughs conference, Premier bestowed its annual Cares Award to Community Enhancement Collaboration, Inc., a Florida nonprofit dedicated to eradicating food insecurity.

The Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award recognizes exemplary efforts by nonprofit community organizations to improve the health of populations in need. We receive hundreds of applications each year for the Premier Cares Award, and the inspiring work of these organizations often moves our judges – made up of national healthcare leaders and Premier team members – to tears.

Premier has presented the Cares Award annually since 1991, when it was created by Dr. Monroe E. Trout, former CEO of American Healthcare Systems, one of Premier’s heritage organizations. The award is sponsored by Premier and its alliance of more than 4,100 hospitals and health systems and approximately 200,000 other providers and organizations.

This year, for the first time, we’re thrilled to recognize not just the winner but also the runners-up.

The award is open to nonprofit organizations that have been in existence for more than two years, are providing creative solutions to health status improvement, can provide documentation of outcomes and impact on a specific population, and have programs that can be replicated in other communities.

The organizations below are doing just that and stood out to our panel of judges for their efforts to respond to community needs and improve overall health.

Premier is honored to recognize the following finalists for the 2021 Premier Cares Award.

2021 Finalists

B'more for Healthy Babies – Baltimore

B’more for Healthy Babies @ Promise Heights is designed to improve birth outcomes and family well-being. The program serves low-income, predominantly African-American pregnant women and new mothers in West Baltimore. Since 2013, the organization has offered pregnant and parenting women program services through community outreach, group-based services, and individual support and resources tailored to their needs. As a result, women in the program have seen decreases in secondhand smoke exposure, depressive symptoms, food insecurity, stress and social isolation. Infant mortality and preterm birth have decreased by 75 percent, while breastfeeding rates continue to rise.

Moonlight Fund -- Bandera, TX

Moonlight Fund has been providing financial, emotional and in-kind assistance to burn survivors and their families since 1999. The program began in Texas and has grown to serve 12,000 patients and families annually across the nation. It is the only organization of its kind to offer services from the onset of an injury, through rehab and into patients’ and families’ futures. The organization also helps military and civilian survivors in paying medical bills, providing financial aid to finish college degrees, building and furnishing homes, and finding a support system. Those served by the Moonlight Fund have a lower number of divorces, suicides and depression than the national average.

Hometown Walk of Hope -- Union City, TN

The Hometown Walk of Hope The Hometown Walk of Hope was established in 2001 in response to the tremendous need for financial assistance for cancer patients in Obion County in northwest Tennessee. In this part of the country, approximately 25 percent of the population are considered low income – and if cancer strikes their family, they need financial support quickly. With the help of a huge group of volunteers, the Hometown Walk of Hope serves 600 patients annually, providing financial assistance to economically and medically vulnerable cancer patients while they are in treatment. The organization established a Hope Chest Room for cancer patients to borrow supplies like wigs and turbans, wheelchairs, walkers and shower chairs, and also offers a nutritional supplement program offering free protein and nutritional drinks to patients while they are in active treatment.

Refugees Helping Refugees -- Rochester, NY

Refugees Helping Refugees supports individuals in Monroe County, NY, where 90 percent reside in the poorest, most distressed neighborhoods in the state. The organization was founded in 2001 by refugees and is led by former refugees who know firsthand the challenges of resettlement. Staff and volunteers connect with clients through shared experiences, language and culture. Through interactive education and case management support, refugees develop the knowledge, motivation and confidence that enable them to navigate healthcare, employment, education and other social services.

Learn more about our previous Premier Cares Award winners.

• 2021: Community Enhancement Collaboration, Inc.
• 2020: Call to Freedom
• 2019: Lifehouse Maternity Home
• 2018: Hildegard House