“Benson Health has provided a farmworker clinic at our office for the past 14 years. Due to Covid19 there has been a need to move to mobile medical care for farmworkers in order to reduce the spread. Farmworkers are critical to the agricultural economy of the rural areas of Johnston, Harnett and Sampson counties which we serve. This funding from the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation is making this critical outreach possible” says Benson Health CEO, William Massengill.
“The Fill the Gap Response Fund was formed to support North Carolina’s people and places disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has exacerbated health and economic challenges already present in rural communities and vulnerable populations around the state. They are often hit harder and take longer to recover,” said Julia Wacker, senior vice president of the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation.
The Foundation distributed a request for proposals (RFP) in May to healthcare, human service, safety net, and grassroots organizations for projects addressing health disparities created or worsened by the pandemic. Following a review process, 19 grant awards were approved with an average size of $87,635. Lead funders of the initiative include the David A. Tepper Foundation, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation, and The Duke Endowment.
About Benson Health
Benson Area Medical Center was renamed Benson Health on June 1, 2020. Established in 1979, the facility is a federally certified rural health center providing primary healthcare to more than 12,000 residents of Harnett, Johnston and Sampson counties and beyond. Benson Health has nine medical providers and a clinical pharmacist. In addition to the mission of providing quality, compassionate care, Benson Health also serves as a training site for many future pharmacists, physician assistants, and physicians. https://bensonhealth.org/
About North Carolina Healthcare Foundation
Established in 1961, the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the North Carolina Healthcare Association. Its mission is to foster and accelerate the collective impact of hospitals, health systems and community partners to improve the health of North Carolinians.
