ToRCH Be Well Leadership Board awards grant

The ToRCH Be Well Leadership Board recently awarded $46,300 to Pettis County Community Partnership for its new Empowering Low-Income Families through Health Equity Initiative.

ToRCH is a rural health program sponsored by the Missouri HealthNet Division, which manages the Missouri Medicaid program. It is a model of care that directs resources to rural communities committed to addressing non-medical factors that impact health outcomes. Known as social determinants of health (SDOH), these factors include safe housing, transportation, access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.

In July 2023, Bothwell Regional Health Center was named by the state to be one of six rural hospital community hubs to receive state and federal funds over five years to implement and manage the program in Pettis County. Bothwell is the program’s fiscal agent and the leadership board, made up of people from several organizations, sets the budget and project priorities.

Pettis County Community Partnership (PCCP) is a nonprofit organization serving nine counties, including Pettis County. PCCP identifies and addresses challenges such as homelessness, substance abuse, food insecurity and affordable housing through its Community Health Worker initiative, Futures program, Show-Me-Healthy Women and Housing program that ensures equitable access to essential resources and support for healthier lifestyles. 

Mari Asbury, PCCP executive director, said the grant funding will help the organization provide comprehensive support and resources to 30 families over a two-year period. 

“We know that low-income populations are disproportionately affected by health disparities,” she said. “Prior work only focusing on medical interventions hasn’t gotten to the root cause of these gaps. Our new program will tackle the underlying social and home issues affecting health.”

In its Empowering Low-Income Families through Health Equity Initiative, PCCP will identify 15 low-income families each year for two years. A Community Health Worker will visit with families to assess current health care conditions, perform home inspections to identify potential health hazards and establish relationships. 

“Through these monthly visits, we can get to know families and their specific needs,” Asbury said. “We will help them find a primary care provider for well-visit exams and preventative screenings, connect them with resources to fix home issues like mold or pests that are affecting their health, deliver monthly food boxes and provide education and support for living a healthy lifestyle.”

Allison Brosch, Dean of Health Sciences at State Fair Community College and chair of the ToRCH Be Well board, said PCCP’s new program is why ToRCH was created by the state.

“Through the ToRCH program, we are able to impact health issues at a local level,” she said. “We are connecting community-based organizations to discuss how they can enhance existing services or design new programs that help individuals and families in Pettis County who are approved for Medicaid. The overall goal is to improve health and well-being through impacting social determinants of health and thereby avoid potential hospital admissions and emergency room visits. ”Previous grant awardees include Pettis County Health Center, Pillars of Pettis County, Compass Health Network and Bothwell Regional Health Center. Community-based organizations interested in learning more about ToRCH grant funding should email torch@brhc.org.