Union College Receives Grants to Promote Knox County Health

Union Receives Grants to Promote Knox County Health

Union College has received two grants to pursue health initiatives that will benefit Knox countians.

The James Graham Brown Foundation awarded Union a $500,000 challenge grant in support of the Union College Partners for Health initiative. The partnership includes Union College and the Knox County Fiscal Court, and the initiative involves the plan to purchase and re-purpose the former Knox County Hospital building. Union entered into a lease-purchase agreement for the building in the spring.

Union plans to use the abandoned structure as a center for academic programs, residential space and community meetings and events. Nursing is being examined closely by Union to determine what type of program and curriculum will best serve the region’s and college’s needs. Allied health programs are also being considered.

The projected cost of the Partners for Health plan is $4.8 million. The $500,000 challenge grant encourages others to support the project by adding value to their donations.

According to Denise Wainscott, Union’s vice president for advancement, the James Graham Brown Foundation found the partnership to be “a winning opportunity to advance education, economic development and neighborhood revitalization.”

Union has also been awarded a grant from the Good Samaritan Foundation, Inc., a ministry of the Kentucky Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The grant of $28,150 will be used to establish a county health coalition. The coalition will assess current programs and use the information to develop a county health improvement plan with an emphasis on fitness, health and nutrition education activities.

Union sought the grant after meeting with local leaders following publication of the Kentucky Institute of Medicine’s report on the “Health of Kentucky.” In the report, Knox County ranked 81st out of 120 counties. High incidences of smoking, diabetes, cardiovascular deaths and lack of physical activity, among other variables, led to the county’s low ranking.

Debbie D’Anna, dean of student development at Union, will coordinate the coalition project. She plans to involve Union students, who “will work with teachers, family resource directors and parents to address the need for increased physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices.”

The first meeting to discuss the establishment of the county health coalition will take place at 12:00 on September 23 in the Patridge Campus Center on Union’s campus. Those working in health care and education, and other interested organizations and community members, are encouraged to attend.

For more information about the county health coalition and the upcoming meeting, contact Debbie D’Anna at 546-1619.