Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has announced that it awarded a record $30 million during fiscal year 2020-21 in support of programs serving vulnerable communities across the Los Angeles region.

Nearly two hundred nonprofits working to improve access to care, housing stability, food security, and health equity will receive grants through Cedars-Sinai's Community Benefit program. Grants awarded in the area of crucial access to medical care services totaled more than $10 million, including grants in excess of $1.5 million to the California Community Foundation to help behavioral health organizations build capacity for increased mental health needs; $800,000 to the Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health for a health and wellness initiative in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and nearly $2 million to the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County to help its network of clinics prepare for new healthcare reform initiatives. In the area of health equity, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science was awarded $100,000 in support of its recently launched Black Maternal Health Center of Excellence, which will work to improve birth outcomes and address racism in South Los Angeles, with a focus on demonstrating the benefits of community-based midwifery bolstered by multidisciplinary teams.

Grants in support of efforts to meet the needs of Los Angeles's homeless population include a $5 million grant to the UniHealth Foundation to build the capacity of organizations to ensure access to clinical support services for people with complex health needs as they transition out of homelessness. In the area of food insecurity, the Hollywood Food Coalition was awarded $50,000 to help feed food-insecure seniors; the Nonprofit Finance Fund received $225,000 to identify ways to sustain local food access efforts; and Food Forward was awarded $75,000 to help recover, rescue, and repurpose fresh produce.

"UniHealth Foundation is incredibly excited about this new stage of partnership with Cedars-Sinai," said foundation CEO and board chair Bradley C. Call. "We have been working closely together over the last few years to address the health challenges facing our unsheltered neighbors, and this grant firmly cements our collaborative relationship. The funds will be directed toward our new effort called A Pathway to Health and Home to address the healthcare needs of homeless individuals in Los Angeles County."