Volunteers in Medicine director Ilana Steinhauer receives health equity award | Business

GREAT BARRINGTON — Ilana Steinhauer, the chief director of Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires, has obtained the sixth annual Robert Wooden Johnson Basis Award for Well being Fairness introduced by the Nationwide Affiliation of Free & Charitable Clinics.

The Robert Wooden Johnson Basis — the nation’s main philanthropy on well being and well being care — developed this award program to seek out and honor individuals working for systemic change to deal with well being inequities inside their communities.

Steinhauer shouldn’t be solely the chief director of VIM Berkshires but additionally serves as medical director and is an energetic nurse practitioner. The Massachusetts clinic gives care to about 1,300 sufferers, 80 % of whom are minority immigrants, primarily from Latin America.

Steinhauer helped create a transportation program to get sufferers to and from appointments, eliminating a serious barrier to care. This program gives virtually 1,000 rides yearly, which considerably elevated affected person go to attendance and, in flip, drove improved well being outcomes.

The RWJF Awards for Well being Fairness have been introduced to the NAFC and different organizations spanning sectors together with public well being, well being care, social justice, civic management, training, group improvement, and philanthropy.