HHS Office of Minority Health Awards

Maricopa Integrated Health System $300,000 in federal funding to support re-entry programs.

The Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) will receive $300,000 a year for up to five years to support efforts to improve the health outcomes for minority and/or disadvantaged re-entrants, ages 18-26, in transition from jail to their communities, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today.

MIHS is among seven organizations nationwide to receive federal grant funding under a new grant program, the Re-Entry Community Linkages (RE-LINK) Program.

Through this program, MIHS will work to connect the re-entry population to community-based organizations that provide links to health care, including behavioral health care services, health care coverage, and social services such as housing, adult education, and employment assistance programs.

“Maricopa Integrated Health System is an important partner in working with the HHS Office of Minority Health to address the barriers to obtaining services that improve the health outcomes for minority and disadvantaged young adults in transition from jail to their communities,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, deputy assistant secretary for minority health and director of the HHS Office of Minority Health.

Steve Purves, MIHS President and CEO, said MIHS is uniquely positioned to help this at risk population.

“This grant provides essential funding for improving the health of people leaving correctional facilities and ensuring they receive the care and services they need when they return to their communities,” Purves said. “MIHS is proud to provide leadership in this important policy change for advancing health equity.”

Grantee projects will demonstrate the effectiveness of multiple stakeholders within the public health system working together to implement a model transition process for the formerly incarcerated. The goals of the RE-LINK program are to improve coordination among the criminal justice, public health, social service and private sectors to address health care access for the re-entry population; reduce health disparities experienced by this population; increase access to needed public health, behavioral health, and social services; and reduce recidivism. 

The total funding awarded for the RE-LINK program is approximately $2.4 million.

MIHS is Maricopa County’s only public teaching hospital and safety net system of care, and includes the Arizona Burn Center, two behavioral health centers and 13 Family Health Centers.

For more information on MIHS, visit www.mihs.org.

For additional information on the HHS Office of Minority Health, visit www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov.