On Friday, Skaggs Foundation is awarding 33 Skaggs Legacy Endowment grants totaling $974,950 to organizations working to improve health and wellness in Stone and Taney counties. These projects, plus four multi-year grants that will continue into the coming grant year, are estimated to impact more than 50,000 lives.
Access to care continues to be one of the biggest challenges Skaggs Foundation is confronting.
“One of the ways we are taking on the issue is by working with local schools to make accessing healthcare easier for students and staff,” said Nita Jane Ayres, chairman of the Skaggs Legacy Endowment Grant Committee. “Last year, we awarded grants to Forsyth and Kirbyville school districts to support telehealth programs. This year, we are awarding a two-year grant to Mark Twain School District to fund a school nurse and help furnish and equip that office.”
Mark Twain Superintendent Joe Donley said the district hasn’t had a school nurse in years, and while they have many caring adults in the district, they are finding it increasingly difficult to handle more serious issues. That concern plus a rise in students with chronic conditions are just a couple of the reasons Donley turned to Skaggs Foundation for help.
“There are no hospitals or urgent care facilities within an hour drive from our school,” Donley said. “The closest medical facility is not equipped to handle emergencies.”
He said while there are wonderful volunteer first responders in the area, it could take up to 20 minutes for one to arrive and an ambulance could take as long as 30 minutes to get to the school.
“On the surface, about 80 individuals will be directly impacted,” Donley said, adding that includes students and staff. “Overall, our whole community will be impacted by the care and education given to our students by the nurse.”
Skaggs Legacy Endowment fund is a restricted endowment fund made possible by a generous gift from CoxHealth in 2013. Since that time, Skaggs Foundation has awarded more than $9.3 million in grants to organizations working to improve health and wellness throughout Stone and Taney counties.
About the Grants:
Grant awards by category: Access to Care: Cox Medical Center Branson – CMCB Unites Stone and Taney Counties; Cox Medical Center Branson – Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Patient Scholarships; College of the Ozarks – Senior Nursing Student Scholarships; Mark Twain R-8 School District – School Nurse; Cox Medical Center Branson – Good Samaritan Fund for Cox Medical Center Branson Patients; Cox Medical Center Branson – Patient Transportation Assistance; Cox Medical Center Branson – Healthier Mothers, Healthier Babies; SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging - Transportation for Seniors; Free Medical Clinic of the Ozarks – Free Medical Clinic of the Ozarks; Hurley School District – Personal for Hurley Students; Reeds Spring Schools – High School Health Office Recovery Bed; Child and Family Safety: Boys and Girls Club of the Ozarks – Summer Enrichment Program; Branson School District – Branson High School Cents of Pride Store; Gift of Hope, Inc. – Cents of Pride Store at Forsyth Schools; Options Pregnancy Clinic – Options Dad Prep Program; Central Taney County Fire Protection District – Improving Access: CPR and Stop the Bleeding Program; Galena R-II School District – Galena Abesville Elementary Cents of Pride; Gift of Hope, Inc. - Cents of Pride Store at Kirbyville Middle School; Dental Care: Fordland Clinic – School Based Dental Services; Children’s Smile Center – Dental Equipment for Intensive Treatment; Healthy Lifestyles: Boys and Girls Club of the Ozarks – Healthy Lifestyles; Branson Hollister Senior Center – Sunny Side; Tri-Lakes Special Education Cooperative – Mindful Movements; Branson Parks and Recreation – Youth Sports Scholarship Program; White River Community Development – Transportation for Summer Program; Taneyville School District – Filling in Gaps; Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation – Helping Hands; Mental Health: Burrell Behavioral Health – Stone and Taney County School-Based Services; Faith Community Health – Sound Mind Initiative; Cox Medical Center Branson – Code Lavender Cart; Substance Use: Brook Wellness Center – Marijuana Brief Intervention Program; Stone County Judiciary – Housing and Dental Assistance; Brook Wellness Center – Recovery Support Services
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