CATALYST - FALL 2018 VOL 1 NO 2 | Page 10

CATALYST [Healthcare Georgia Foundation is pleased to introduce Notes from the Field, an online feature on healthcaregeorgia.org that offers personal insights on healthcare and the social determinants of health that affect all Georgians.] L et’s face it. There are numerous health challenges in Georgia and health disparities that at times, seem almost insurmountable. As a funder, Healthcare Georgia Foundation acknowledges our privilege and responsibility to ensure that we remain good stewards of our grantmaking dollars to accomplish our mission to advance the health of all Georgians and to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare services for underserved individuals and communities. Andrea Young Kellum is Senior Program Officer at Healthcare Georgia Foundation Recently, the Foundation also has become keenly aware that in order to accomplish our mission, we need to take a more upstream, rather than downstream approach, by addressing the social determinants (e.g. poverty, education, employment, transportation) that impact health. Our current funding strategies reflects the Foundation’s values and commitment to place- based grantmaking and to supporting programs that address health equity, thereby reducing health disparities. “ 10 The most exciting part of this program is seeing all of the relationships that have been formed or strengthened. HEALTHCARE GEORGIA FOUNDATION ”