Anchorage, Alaska Dec. 8, 2022—Alaska Pacific University today announced it is among 71 awardees that received a grant from Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity, which mobilizes financial resources for organizations focused on non-clinical interventions that affect a person’s health. Commonly known as the social determinants of health, these factors include an individual’s physical, social, cultural, and economic environment.
The grants, which total $22.7 million and will be disbursed over two years, were awarded with funding from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the AbbVie Foundation, and Eli Lilly and Co. to support under-served communities across the United States.
APU received $380,000 from the Fund for Health Equity to continue creating pathways into healthcare careers throughout the state of Alaska, particularly in nursing, through their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Practical Nursing programs.
“We are pleased to bolster the indispensable work of APU and other grassroots organizations striving to reduce disparities and increase equity in vulnerable populations across the United States,” said Dr. Byron Scott, MD, MBA, Co-Chair of the Fund for Health Equity and Board Director of Direct Relief and Chair of its Medical Advisory Council. “It is a privilege to promote and support these organizations that are deeply connected to the communities they serve, know best what their patients and communities need, and the most effective means of providing it.”
The organizations in the latest round of funding were chosen for their efforts to enhance workforce diversification, reduce health disparities, and expand innovative models of care. A full list of winners can be found here.
Since the start of the Fund in 2021, more than $42.5 million has been provided to support 149 organizations across the U.S.
