Silver Sage Hill Country Resource Center has been awarded $30,000 through AstraZeneca’s Accelerate Change Together (ACT) on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge, which provided a total of $3.5 million to 53 organizations nationwide.
The ACT on Health Equity initiative aims to improve access to healthcare, address social determinants of health such as housing and nutrition, advance culturally competent chronic disease care, and expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and career readiness among historically excluded populations.
Now in its fourth year, the program supports tailored, community-led solutions that address barriers to care and the impact of social determinants of health.
The initiative has contributed more than $15 million to date to nonprofit organizations across the United States.
Silver Sage, a cornerstone of the Bandera community for nearly 40 years, provides services including Meals on Wheels, veterans’ support, social services, and more to local seniors.
The organization’s $30,000 award was granted based on its ability to create measurable and sustainable progress toward health equity.
Art Crawford, CEO of Silver Sage, emphasized the importance of local efforts in advancing health equity.
“Community-based initiatives are critical to breaking down barriers that have long contributed to disparities in health and well-being within our communities,” Crawford said. “With the help of Astra-Zeneca, our program will continue to play a vital role in addressing the unmet needs of underserved Hispanic seniors, providing culturally relevant resources and opportunities for social connection to combat loneliness and promote healthier lives.”
Through the Community Solutions Challenge, AstraZeneca has awarded 45 nonprofits $30,000 each to support initiatives addressing housing and food insecurities, increasing access to healthcare services and screenings, providing cancer care support, and creating pathways to successful careers in STEM.
Additionally, eight nonprofits received a total of $2,150,000 through ACT on Health Equity: National Strategic Collaborations, supporting health equity initiatives in areas where AstraZeneca has expertise, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, COPD, heart failure, lupus, and oncology. These programs focus on reducing barriers to care, increasing access to innovative treatments, and addressing preventable conditions through education, early detection, and community- based care models.
According to a press release, AstraZeneca’s ACT on Health Equity initiative was launched in 2021 to address systemic barriers, including social determinants of health, that prevent millions of Americans from achieving optimal health outcomes. The program includes a first-of-its-kind Health Equity Advisory Council composed of community leaders, academics, healthcare professionals, and nonprofit executives, who guide the initiative to create meaningful change in underserved populations.
For more information about AstraZeneca’s ACT on Health Equity initiative, visit www.astrazeneca-us. com/actonhealthequity.
