Health Equity Fund

Health Equity Fund is sponsored by Richmond & Henrico Public Health Foundation. The Health Equity Fund invests in community-led, vital, innovative, and evidence-based initiatives that improve health and quality of life for Richmond residents experiencing deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism.

Health Equity Fund - Richmond & Henrico Public Health Foundation Since its inception in 2021, the HEF has designated over $4. 3 million of investments into 37 community organizations working to improve health and address root causes of health disparities in communities across Richmond. Additional investments are being made ongoing in initiatives filling gaps to address health disparities.

Gaps in funding and resources too often create or exacerbate disparities in our health outcomes. The HEF seeks to fill these gaps for vital, innovative, evidence-based initiatives by investing in community-led programs seeking to improve health and quality of life for Richmond residents experiencing the following deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism.

Access to healthcare and health education resources Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Decreased rate of ER visits Increased proportion of insured population Increased access and use of preventative care and treatment services Improved in knowledge of health status Improved in access to culturally relevant healthcare and/or wraparound services Chronic disease and underlying health conditions Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Decreased prevalence of high-risk behaviors, including smoking and binge drinking Decreased prevalence of chronic disease Decreased rate of ER visits due to chronic disease Decreased proportion of children and adolescents with obesity Decreased proportion of people who do no physical activity in their leisure time Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Decreased prevalence of food insecurity Improved access to supplemental food resources Improved access to culturally relevant healthy food Maternal and child health Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Decreased preterm birth rates Decreased infant maternal and mortality rate Decreased co-morbidities in pregnant women Increased proportion of pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care Increased vaccination rate of childhood vaccines Mental and behavioral health Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Decreased rate of ER visits due to non-fatal assault and/or intentional self-injury Decreased incidence of depression Decreased proportion of 18+ individuals who report their mental health was not good Decreased rates in hospitalization for mental health Decreased rates of re-incarceration Improved use and access to mental health services Other emergent health outcomes where Richmond’s populations have disparate burdens, as indicated by trends in data and community engagement processes Through community-based investments, the HEF seeks to make measurable improvements in the following health outcomes: Increased life expectancy within the bottom 20% of census tracts Decreased disparity of life expectancy across Richmond City Decreased social determinants of health risk factors including housing, economic stability, and transportation How the Health Equity Fund Works The Richmond Health Equity Fund is managed by Richmond and Henrico Public Health Foundation.

While RHPHF and Richmond and Henrico Health Districts serve all of Richmond and Henrico, the federal funding that makes the HEF possible has been allocated to the City of Richmond and cannot fund projects in Henrico at this time. Community Advisory Committee To prioritize where the HEF makes investments, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of Richmond residents informs and leads these decisions.

CAC members have a combination of both lived and professional experience in the health disparities of focus for the HEF. The CAC has helped to shape the process as well as the selections for funding, weighing complex questions of how the HEF can best fill gaps to address community needs.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE Health Equity Fund Investments Health disparities in communities across Richmond are longstanding but many deepened during the pandemic. Through the HEF, the City of Richmond and RHPHF provided immediate funding to several projects that will have a direct, near-term impact on community health. Since then, our partnerships have grown to include 35 organizations.

Access to Healthcare & Health Education CrossOver Healthcare Ministry Cultural and language supportive services to ensure access to testing and treatment and connections for broader follow up care. Also, access to chronic disease management programming for uninsured or Medicaid patients.

Daily Planet Health Services Personal follow up and support for unstably housed patients to ensure access to up to date vaccination and connections to primary care. Sustain and increase communicable screening for HCV, Syphilis, TB, and HIV.

Hitting Cancer Below the Belt Increase colorectal cancer screening for low-income and uninsured residents Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center Expanded hotline services for Spanish-speaking individuals. STI/STD testing, educational resource linkage, emergency support services referral, and harm reduction services offering. Access to vaccine, resources, and referral services for Spanish-speaking clients.

Chronic Disease & Underlying Health Conditions Expanding feeding program into comprehensive health fairs. Enhancing community-based diabetes self-management education program. Community-engaged design and planning for holistic healing space.

Resource distribution, health education, and race events for those at high risk for chronic disease. Expanding community-led food production, nutrition education, and healing-centered wellness programming in Richmond's East End. Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Richmond Stocking free store with high-value and high-quality foods.

Richmond Food Justice Alliance Youth urban agriculture and skill-building program for Richmond's East End. Expanding food access through community fridge network, skill share classes, and community cook days. Expansion of mobile market program.

Three-season youth farming program and online urban farm fellowship. Culturally relevant emergency nutrition services. Access to community doulas for families and certification support for doulas.

​ Access to maternal and child health resources at in-home visits. Access to community doulas for families and certification support for doulas. ​ Holistic, wraparound support for new and expecting parents with children ages 0-5.

Access to community doulas for families and certification support for doulas. ​ Also, expand maternal health hub program providing diapers to families in need and access to care coordination services. Virginia Prison Birth Project Doula services and perinatal programs that support justice-impacted birthing people in prison, jail, rehabilitation facilities and on probation in the community.

Mental & Behavioral Health Trauma therapy and mental health support for children and families. Daily Planet Health Services Mental and behavioral health care support for those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Youth-centered public health campaign, mindfulness-based restorative practices, and Healing Center Engagement training Empowering You for Positive Change Mental health skill building program for the uninsured.

Expanding community and individual mental health services in three RRHA community resource centers. Community based, healing-centered case management program for emerging adults touched by the criminal legal system. Virginia Anti-Violence Project Mental health and emergency services for LGBTQ+ survivors of violence.

Women Can Inspire Foundation Counseling and mental health services for underserved women. Substance Use Disorder & Treatment Transitional housing support, nutritious meals, and case management for residents with a history of substance use.

Gateway Community Health/Heart for the City Love Cathedral Education Academy (LCEA) curriculum implementation and recovery-centric services to assist those in treatment or in recovery for substance use disorder. Case management and peer-led workshops for justice-involved individuals with a history of substance use.

Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use. Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use. Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use.

Substance use disorder treatment program for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use. Learn More About HEF Investments' Impact in Our Communities We add updates and information to this site to inform our communities and partners on the HEF’s activities. For additional information, contact hef@rhphf.

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