Foundations Programs: Health Care

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Since 1981, the Foundations have focused grants in health care on “caring attitudes.” Trustees have been concerned that advances in technology and continuing changes in the health care system have diminished the humane aspects of patient care. Patients and their families often feel that their emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs are not adequately met when confronting illness.

In 2005-06, the Foundations sponsored a study and conducted a review of its caring attitudes program. The Board concluded that many efforts in recent years have helped advance caring attitudes in patient care; however, significant areas still need attention and support. Consequently, the program in caring attitudes will concentrate on leveraging improvement in specific areas of need. These include:

Medical Education: Of interest are initiatives that advance caring attitudes in physicians during all aspects of education, including medical school, residency training, and in practice. Programs leading to organizational and transformational change in medical education, addressing the “hidden curriculum,” and designed to integrate caring attitudes throughout the curriculum will be considered. Faculty development initiatives are encouraged, including role modeling and mentoring.

Other Health Care Professionals: Also of interest are innovative programs that seek to train other health care providers in caring attitudes such as nurses and hospital chaplains. Systemic approaches to ensuring sensitive and compassionate care of patients and their families will be given priority.

Preference will be given to institutions and organizations with the visibility and organizational capacity to develop programs likely to be replicated nationally. Proposals should be submitted by the head of the institution under whose auspices the project would be accomplished and include a project description, intended beneficiaries, plans for accomplishing objectives, expected outcomes, evaluation, dissemination of results, and budget. Contributions of the requesting institution and other sources of project support should be identified. Grants made in this program area normally range from $100,000-$200,000.

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