Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center is among awardees across the United States that have received a grant from Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity, which mobilizes financial resources for organizations focused on non-clinical interventions that affect a person's health. 

Commonly known as the social determinants of health, these factors include an individual’s physical, social, political, cultural, and economic environment. The project period for the two-year grant funding is January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. 

"We are pleased to support Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center and other grassroots organizations dedicated to advancing health equity and addressing disparities in underserved communities across the United States," said Dr. Byron Scott, MD, MBA, Co-Chair of the Fund for Health Equity and CEO of Direct Relief. "These organizations are invaluable partners in creating lasting change because they are deeply rooted in the communities they serve, possess firsthand understanding of their needs, and are uniquely positioned to deliver impactful solutions."

Cornell Scott Hill-Health Center received the grant award from the Fund for Health Equity to support the establishment and implementation of a remote blood pressure monitoring program which will be available through primary care sites in New Haven, West Haven and Ansonia. 

Patients will participate in a 12-week program that is expected to reach 200 patients in its first year and 400 in its second year, eliminating barriers to timely blood pressure monitoring, which can have life-changing – and potentially life-saving – results for a patient population for whom blood pressure monitoring is often inconsistent or beyond reach. 

“We are tremendously grateful for the Direct Relief Fund for Health Equity grant award, which will support a new, innovative, sustainable program that incorporates technology to eliminate hypertension health disparities which currently exist in the patient population that we serve,” said Michael R. Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. “Many of our patients lack access to this vital technology due to financial barriers and limited internet access. This inequity contributes to the persistent challenge of uncontrolled hypertension in our community, especially among minority populations already disproportionately burdened by cardiovascular disease.”

In the new initiative to be supported by the Direct Relief grant, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center personnel will go to a patient’s home to set up blood pressure monitoring equipment, which will remotely send blood pressure information via an internet connection to CS-HHC to supplement provider care and patient visits. The new program will allow blood pressure to be closely monitored between visits. It aims to address a persistent healthcare gap - poor blood pressure control for those most in need.

“The program will enable patients to achieve hypertension control within 12 weeks in the context of a Community Health Integration and CDC Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program Best Practices model,” explained Dr. Michael Couturie, Chief Medical Officer of Medical and Dental Services at CS-HHC. Registered nurses will conduct regular follow-up visits with patients, in the clinic or via telehealth, to make data-driven care decisions in conjunction with our care plans.”

As part of the program, registered nurses will provide patient education on lifestyle modifications such as diet and address patient questions or concerns. These visits offer valuable opportunities to address other healthcare needs and close care gaps, such as ensuring patients are up-to-date on vaccinations and managing chronic conditions like diabetes. Medication changes will be reviewed and approved by a CS-HHC provider. Chronic care managers will assist by addressing those social determinants of health that restrict or impair good clinical outcomes.

“This latest round of more than $8 million in grants, made possible by generous support from MacKenzie Scott, the AbbVie Foundation, and Eli Lilly and Company, is the most recent infusion of funding for organizations deeply committed in eliminating health disparities and improving healthcare quality in their communities”, said Dr. Byron Scott, Direct Relief CEO and Co-Chair of the Fund for Health Equity. “Direct Relief is proud to support and is grateful for the work they do every day.” 

The awardees were selected by the Fund for Health Equity’s Advisory Council, which includes the following members: Co-Chair Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, 18th US Surgeon General of the United States, Founder Bayou Clinic, Inc.; Co-Chair Byron Scott, MD, MBA, Direct Relief CEO; Martha Dawson, DNP, MSN, RN, FACHE, President and CEO President of the National Black Nurses Association, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Jane Delgado, Ph.D., MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health; and Gail Small, JD, Head Chief Woman, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. 

Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center serves Greater New Haven and the Lower Naugatuck Valley, with nearly 40 care sites overall, including 21 school-based health centers in three communities and homeless care sites that include an intensive outpatient program and a partial hospital program. 

The announcement of the grants awarded by the Fund for Health Equity at Direct Relief, a California-based nonprofit public benefit corporation, include a list of each of the recipients, which can be seen here.

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For more information contact:

Carlah Esdaile-Bragg, Director of Marketing and Community Relations

Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center

203-506-2424, cesdaile@cornellscott.org