CommonSpirit Awards Community Health Grants To Local Nonprofits

CHATTANOOGA, TN (April 7, 2026) – CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital has awarded nearly $220,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations. The grants, part of the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program, are designed to address health differences and improve the health and well-being of vulnerable people in our community.

The grant program supports efforts that improve community health, advance health equity and enhance vital local services through charitable contributions. Qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations applied for grant funds to address significant issues identified in Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment. These needs include improving access to affordable health insurance and health care providers, mental and behavioral health and resources, transportation and prevention, education and health literacy.

The following local organizations received grants to support program activities between April 2026 and March 2027:

• AIM Center – Connected Care Program – $28,500

  • The AIM Center, partnering with River Valley Health and The Bethlehem Center, will expand its connected care program. This program is an effort to improve health outcomes for adults with serious mental illness in Hamilton County.

• Girls, Inc. – Preventative Health Initiative – $20,600

  • Girls, Inc. of Chattanooga, collaborating with Partnership For Families and Sleep In Heavenly Peace, will launch the preventative health initiative to support the well-being of girls.

• Kidney Foundation – Patient Services Transportation Assistance – $35,000

  • The Kidney Foundation, with Dialysis Clinic Inc. and Fresenius Kidney Care, will expand its patient services transportation program, providing transportation for patients to attend treatment.

• La Paz Chattanooga – Latino Health care – $47,000

  • La Paz, in partnership with the Hamilton County Health Department and Chattanooga Area Food Bank, will help address Latino health care needs, including fighting food insecurity within Hamilton County.

• Medical Foundation of Chattanooga – Southeast Tennessee Project Access – $20,000

  • The Medical Foundation of Chattanooga via Project Access, in collaboration with Chattanooga Area Food Bank and Southeast Tennessee Regional Health Department clinics, will expand its work. This work addresses patients’ social factors that influence health and will grow its emergency food program.

• The Bethlehem Center – Neighbor to Neighbor: A Ministry of Health and Hope – $68,783

  • The Bethlehem Center, partnering with Hope For The Inner City and Urban League Of Greater Chattanooga, will help improve food insecurity, chronic disease and barriers to care in under-resourced Chattanooga neighborhoods.

“These Community Health Grants reflect our commitment to creating a healthier future for everyone in our community. We believe that improving health extends beyond our hospitals and clinics. It thrives in community settings where vital services are available through our nonprofit partners,” shared Janelle Reilly, Market President, CommonSpirit Health, Tennessee and Georgia. “By supporting these organizations, we are helping to ensure individuals and families can obtain the essential services they need, directly helping the overall well-being of our entire region."

This local effort by Memorial Hospital is part of a broader commitment by CommonSpirit Health, which awarded a total of $15 million to 329 organizations nationwide.

“The Community Health Improvement Grants show how CommonSpirit Health is living its mission and investing to address our communities’ health needs,” said Michael Bilton, System Director, Community Health/Community Benefit. “By financially supporting and partnering with local organizations in the communities our hospitals serve, we are able to help strengthen prevention, access to care and vital services for people in crisis.”

About CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital

CommonSpirit–Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit, faith-based health care organization. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, it offers a continuum of care including preventative, primary and acute hospital care, as well as cancer, heart, neuroscience and stroke care, and orthopedic and rehabilitation services. Memorial Hospital is a regional referral center with 4,700 employees and almost 500 affiliated physicians providing health care throughout Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. To learn more, visit commonspirit.org/memorial.