UCF Lake Nona Hospital and UCF Academic Health leaders presented five local nonprofit organizations with the hospital’s inaugural Community Health Advancement Grant Awards. The total of $50,000 in grants from the UCF Lake Nona Hospital Community Health Fund – $10,000 each – will help support their vital work in the communities they serve.

Recipients of this year’s grant awards include:

• Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
• Nemours Children’s Hospital
• Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation
• Shepherd’s Hope

“We are grateful to our community partners, represented by the five inaugural recipients of UCF Lake Nona Hospital’s Community Health Advancement Grant Awards, for the incredible work you do every day to improve health and access to healthcare across Central Florida,” said UCF Lake Nona CEO Wendy Brandon. “Your passion and commitment are exactly why this program exists. We look forward to continuing this work together and making a lasting impact on the health of our community.”

The grant award to Healthy Start will support improved maternal and child health through the Direct Connect program at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. The program provides staff to meet with families before discharge, assess postnatal risks, and provide immediate referrals to home-visiting and support services. 

“Our UCF Lake Nona Hospital Community Health Advancement Grant will be a game changer for new moms and babies in Osceola County,” said Kerri Stephen, executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County. “It will allow Healthy Start to expand our Direct Connect program for improved maternal child health to support new moms and babies at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. A member of our team will meet with families right after birth to assess potential risks and connect them with resources proven to support a healthier baby and prevent infant mortality. HCA Florida Osceola Hospital serves a high-risk population, and the need is great, so we can really make a significant impact on maternal-infant outcomes, reducing preventable complications.”

The grant award to Second Harvest will support the Bring Hope Home program, which expands access to nutrition education through monthly grocery box deliveries and evidence-based nutrition education. Participants also receive meal prep kits and materials to support healthy eating patterns.

“Over the last five years, HCA Florida Healthcare and its colleagues have made a significant impact on the lives of families facing hunger in our region through volunteer service and financial support,” said Dan Samuels, director of philanthropy at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “This UCF Lake Nona Hospital Community Health Advancement Grant extends HCA Florida’s legacy of fighting food insecurity. Because of the hospital’s generosity, neighbors have access to food, stability and hope during some of their most challenging moments.”

The additional Community Health Advancement Grant Awards support the following:

• The grant to Nemours Children’s Hospital supports The Swim Academy, which expands swimming instruction, including essential water safety skills for children with autism and developmental disabilities who face a significantly higher risk of drowning.
• The grant to Libby’s Legacy supports its cancer screening initiatives, expanding access to breast screenings, diagnostic services and patient navigation for uninsured and underserved women in Orange and Osceola counties.
• The grant award to Shepherd’s Hope supports Heart-to-Heart – a community cardiac wellness initiative that provides uninsured patients with cardiac wellness kits, volunteer-led health conversations, and American Heart Association-developed educational materials to improve heart health literacy.

These commitments go hand in hand with UCF Lake Nona Hospital’s support of the UCF Mobile Health Clinic, bringing patient-centered care directly to underserved neighborhoods across Central Florida. Together, these initiatives are made possible by the UCF Lake Nona Hospital Community Health Fund, which invests $500,000 annually to strengthen community health where it’s needed most.