The Novato-based Marin Community Foundation has announced a five-year, $10 million grant from Sutter Health to establish a new fund designed to help Marin County residents with limited or no health insurance gain access to primary medical care.

Starting in May, MCF will award $2 million in grants each year from the Sutter Health Access to Care Fund to support community clinics and the healthcare safety net in Marin County. Grants will bolster efforts to increase the number of patients served by community clinics, purchase equipment, extend hours of services, support health prevention programs, and provide health insurance to children who otherwise would not receive coverage.

In recent years, there has been steady growth in the number of Marin residents with little or no health insurance and older residents whose healthcare needs are increasing. The fund is expected to increase the capacity of community-based health organizations while reducing the burden placed on crowded local emergency rooms, which often become the provider of last resort for people without health insurance.

"This funding initiative is a significant contribution to the health and well-being of every resident in Marin," said MCF president Thomas Peters. "When you have a county in which many are struggling and where four of every ten people do not receive health insurance from their employer, it's clear that the need for quality, affordable, and culturally appropriate health care is greater than ever."