Gifts totaling $450,000 provide support for Silver City Health Center

There are no bells and whistles at Silver City Health Center in the Argentine neighborhood. But there is a wealth of care provided by a compassionate health care staff. Silver City Health Center is a nonprofit safety-net clinic managed by KU Health Partners, a clinical enterprise operated by the University of Kansas School of Nursing and School of Allied Health. Safety-net clinics comprise a network of health care clinics that provide primary care and chronic care services to the uninsured and underinsured.

To help Silver City Health Center continue its mission of helping others, three foundations have made recent gifts to KU Endowment totaling $450,000. The REACH Healthcare Foundation, of Merriam, Kan., provided $100,000; the Kresge Foundation, of Troy, Mich., contributed $150,000; and The Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, of Topeka, gave $200,000.

The Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans is a Topeka-based philanthropic organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans.

Mary Virden, R.N., administrator of Silver City, said the funds will help support daily clinic operations and expand the clinic’s hours of operation, which will improve access to care for the clinic’s diverse patient population.

“We are thrilled with the support from the REACH Healthcare Foundation, Sunflower Foundation and Kresge Foundation,” Virden said. “Safety-net clinics like Silver City Health Center are a critical component of the health care system — because they serve patients who are otherwise unable to afford or access care.”

Virden said private support is critical to Silver City. Patient fees cover only about 10 percent of the clinic’s operating expenses. The clinic’s team includes a multicultural and multilingual staff to best meet the needs of a diverse population.

Additional funding from the REACH Healthcare Foundation will provide support for these University of Kansas entities:

• JayDoc Free Clinic, $36,000. Medical students from the University of Kansas School of Medicine run this clinic in Kansas City, Kan. It is staffed by volunteer physicians and residents who are assisted by first- through fourth- year medical students. The clinic serves the uninsured and underinsured.
• KU School of Social Welfare, $33,000. KU social work students spend part of their practica at middle schools in Kansas City, Kan., where they help educate students about mental health services that are available to them.
• Project EAGLE, $90,000. This University of Kansas Medical Center program provides comprehensive child development and family support services to children and families in Wyandotte County. The REACH gift will be used to hire a nurse practitioner to staff the on-site medical clinic at The Children’s Campus.