Major gifts allow Grace Medical Home to move, expand services for uninsured

Central Florida South, January 15, 2019 — ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 15, 2019 — Grace Medical Home, which provides charitable health care for thousands of Central Floridians, is pleased to announce it has received several major donations that will allow the organization to move to a new location, expand and serve even more people.

There are more than 2 million uninsured Floridians, and about 200,000 live in the Orlando area. Since opening in 2010, Grace Medical Home has experienced rapid growth and logged about 11,000 patient visits each year.

On Tuesday, Grace Medical Home announced it is moving to a new facility on East Concord Street near downtown, an expansion made possible by generous gifts from:

• City of Orlando — $300,000 toward construction.
• AdventHealth (formerly Florida Hospital) —$900,000 to support mental health and spiritual care programs, and $150,000 toward a new dental program.
• Orlando Health — $900,000 to support the pediatrics program.

• Dr. Phillips Charities — $800,000 toward construction.
• The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation — $250,000 to develop a new dental program.
• Community donors and patients who also contributed to the multimillion-dollar project.

Grace Medical Home recently purchased the 19,000-square-foot building, but before the organization moves into the space, crews must complete major renovations.

“We are grateful and inspired by the outpouring of financial support from these community pillars toward Grace Medical Home. This response tells us we live in a thriving and compassionate community that is committed to serving those that are often overlooked and ignored,” said Dr. W. Marvin Hardy, mission director and pediatric medical director of Grace Medical Home.

Hardy said he expects the organization will be able to treat 60 percent more patients each year.

The clinical team — comprised of volunteer physicians and nurses — treats patients for an array of conditions including mental health, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and orthopedic disorders.

Grace will offer several new services including acute and preventive dental care, cooking demonstrations, social service connections and physical therapy, while orthopedics, ophthalmology and chronic disease management are services the nonprofit will be able to expand thanks to extra space.

“Grace Medical Home has become a place where our uninsured residents enjoy the benefit of quality, comprehensive and ongoing health care and the City of Orlando is pleased to be partnering with these local organizations to support its great work,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Grace Medical Home has become a key community partner for the main two health care systems in Central Florida, AdventHealth and Orlando Health, allowing underserved and uninsured patients to receive the care they need in the appropriate setting.

“We want Central Florida to be the healthiest community it can be, and to begin, we have to focus on healing the whole person. That means providing greater access to health services, and caring for the body, mind and spirit,” said Daryl Tol, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division. “We are honored to partner with Grace as they extend our healing mission in the community.”

“Partnering with Grace Medical Home has been a wonderful opportunity to support an organization that shares a commitment to provide medical care and social services to our community,” said Andy Gardiner, senior vice president, External Affairs and Community Relations, Orlando Health. “We appreciate the opportunity to continue our longstanding relationship with Grace Medical by contributing to its pediatric program and helping ensure the growing critical needs of our youngest community members are met. Investing today in health and wellness programs for our youth means a healthier adult community in the future.”

“Grace Medical is an outstanding example of a localized private solution to the national problem of healthcare. It’s a partnership of philanthropy, healthcare and government, driven by Grace Medical, a faith-based organization and its leadership,” said David Odahowski, president and CEO of Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation. “It’s a model worthy of replication because Americans lead with their hearts to inspire our elected leaders to create the national policy we desire to help our fellow Americans.”

“Dr. Phillips Charities is honored to be a part of Grace Medical Home’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the low-income who live in Orange County. Our board of directors values their determination to provide patient care,” said Dr. Phillips Charities President Ken Robinson. “We challenged Grace Medical Home with a $800,000 match and they stepped up.  When their new building is complete, they will have 19,000 square feet to serve 1,800 patients every year. This is impact! It is gratifying to be tied to their success that truly helps others help themselves.”

Grace Medical Home's new facility is slated to open in early summer. Until then, patients will continue to be treated in its current location.

For media inquiries only, contact AdventHealth External Communications at Call407-303-5950 or email [email protected]; or Orlando Health Media Relations at [email protected].