CMH announces nearly $300K in grants to aid Polk County

Citizens Memorial Hospital has announced several Polk County organizations are the beneficiaries of nearly $300,000 in grants through its participation in a state pilot program.

The eight recipients were chosen to collectively receive $290,853, with the intent of addressing social needs in Polk County, according to a news release. The grants were the result of CMH’s involvement in the state’s five-year pilot project with Missouri HealthNet, called Transformation of Rural Community Health, or ToRCH.

A Polk County ToRCH leadership board, comprising members from CMH, public health and community organizations, reviewed applications and chose the grant awardees. The board previously selected award recipients in a first round of funding in January 2025, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. 

Recipients in this funding round are as follows:
• Bolivar R-1 School District, $30,000 to offer on-site counseling for uninsured youth during school hours, with support for Medicaid enrollment assistance for parents
• CMH Nutritional Services, $29,238 to purchase equipment to expand home-delivered meals for Medicaid beneficiaries in Polk County who have food and transportation insecurity
• Community Outreach Ministries, $45,000 to aid in a facility remodel to create a one-stop shop for community resources, including housing and homelessness support, and staff for its Housing Connections program that promotes safe, stable and affordable housing
• Empower: Abilities, $38,250 to expand the organization’s ability to provide home modifications and supplies for people with disabilities in Polk County
• K-Life of Polk County Inc., $38,250 to increase staffing of the nonprofit Christian ministry in Fair Play and expand to another rural Polk County community to provide mentoring, school-based engagement and access to community resources
• Polk County Community Connections, $29,865 to expand its summer lunch program for children in Fair Play, Humansville, Morrisville and Pleasant Hope
• Polk County Cares, $45,000 to expand access to social services through staffing and construction support
• Polk County Health Center, $35,250 to expand nutrition education, including group events and one-on-one consultations, for food pantry clients

“These grants will help our community partners meet real needs in Polk County,” said Jenna Hicks, director of quality and population health at CMH, in the release. “By supporting local projects, we can improve access to care, strengthen prevention efforts and make lasting improvements in health. This work reflects ToRCH’s goal of building healthier communities through strong local partnerships.”

CMH was selected in June 2023 to be one of the six rural Missouri hospitals to participate in the first cohort of the project, according to the Missouri Department of Social Services. The program’s goal is to enhance health and manage chronic conditions more effectively for rural Medicaid beneficiaries by coordinating services to address health-related social needs.