Accomplishments

Accomplishments - By focusing resources on community-based programs serving the health needs of the indigent and medically underserved, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities (SLEHC) has had a significant community impact through its philanthropic giving.

Since its inception in March 1997, SLEHC has invested over $41 million in 507 community-based programs. About seventy five percent of these grants support health programs in the greater Houston area, with the remaining going to programs throughout the Diocese of Texas. In addition to the greater Houston area, organizations were funded in Crockett, Beaumont, Freeport, Lufkin, Waco, Austin, Tyler and in Brazos, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Waller and Washington Counties.

Early Focus on Health and Well Being of Children

249 grants totaling $20.7 million have been awarded to date for children and families, accounting for 51% of grants made. Programs include perinatal support, dental services, after school programs, adolescent clinics, immunization initiatives, childcare services, school-based health clinics and mental health services.
SLEHC has published and includes on its website, special reports on the status of Maternal and Child Health in the Diocese and a unique "index of child well-being" for counties and communities across the Diocese of Texas.

SLEHC has also identified several additional areas of focus:

Congregational Health Ministries
Homelessness
Palliative Care/End of Life Issues
Seniors

Through its innovative Needs Assessment process, SLEHC has also created the Community Health Information System (CHIS) an online interactive resource of both quantitative and qualitative information about the 57-counties making up the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. It currently contains extensive information such as population statistics (census, ethnicity, sex, births, deaths) and community resources (churches, hospitals, medical professionals, public parks, schools). CHIS also features the Community Resource Database. The Community Resources Database was developed through a partnership with the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast. This online tool allows users to locate health and social service programs (within the United Way's 13 county service area) by zip code or by city.

Key Initiatives
SLEHC has also sought consultation from all the mobile health service providers in the Greater Houston Area to form the Greater Houston Mobile Health Forum (MHF). In addition, the East End Healthy Children Collaborative is a partnership of eight individual agencies working together to target children 0-18 who live in the East End community of Houston, Texas.