Leading Change for

Better Health

Now and For Generations to Come

Leading Change for Better Health

Now and For Generations to Come

Leading Change for Better Health

Now and For

Generations to Come

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We're currently accepting applications for our Accounting and Grants Coordinator position.

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Our Charitable Funds Support

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 Building a Culture of Health

We support community health initiatives that promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles and tackle the social, economic and environmental factors that impact health in our neighborhoods.

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Advancing Brain Health

We inspire unique partnerships and innovative networks between brain science institutions, community members, and care settings to make Palm Beach County a national leader in promoting brain health.

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Strengthening the Health Professions

We support educational programs such as scholarships and trainings that improve the quality of care in clinical and community-based settings.

Our Impact

$4.6 M

Awarded over $4.6 million in
Nursing and Behavioral Health Professions Scholarships

FEATURED FUNDS

Palm Health Foundation Scholarship Funds

Thanks to our generous donors, Palm Health Foundation annually provides needs-based scholarships to assist individuals in the community to enter and advance in the nursing and behavioral health professions. 

FEATURED FUND

The Brain Health Innovation Fund

The Brain Health Innovation Fund advances new technologies, treatments, resources, and educational tools for better brain health in Palm Beach County.

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FEATURED FUND

The NeuroArts Fund

This fund supports the emerging field of the neuorarts and advances local brain health by inspiring collaboration between Palm Beach County’s robust cultural assets and world-class brain science institutions.

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Change Leader

Christine Koehn, PhD

“Establishing a scholarship fund at Palm Health Foundation is a way to give back, knowing we’ll help many people going forward. While we’re able to touch many lives now, our goal is to endow the fund, so that we can touch many more in the future.”

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Stories of Impact

27 Mar, 2024
“Dr. Wiese has brought knowledge, experience, and investment to Palm Beach County and our Glades region to empower and improve the lives of residents,” said Patrick McNamara, Palm Health Foundation president and CEO. “She includes community in every stage of her work, from training residents to collect health data, to profiling their contributions in her scholarly presentations and publications. Dr. Wiese exemplifies our belief in resident-led health solutions and will be a guiding voice on our board of trustees for years to come.” Dr. Wiese is the recipient of over 5 million dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Florida Department of Health. She is the principal investigator for a recent five-year, $4.2 million R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging of the NIH in collaboration with the University of Miami, Colorado State University, and Washington State University to study “The Role of Air Quality and Built Environment in Social Isolation and Cognitive Function Among Rural, Racially/Ethnically Diverse Residents at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.” The project will involve 1,087 Glades region adults ages 45 and older who have not been previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. A key factor in the work has been the continuous engagement of rural community residents and organizations in the design, implementation, and evaluation of research to decrease dementia risk. Dr. Wiese received her M.S. in Nursing from the University of Virginia, her Ph.D. in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University, and a post-graduate certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Drexel University. She is board-certified in Advanced Public Health Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, and Rural Health Nursing. Dr. Wiese was selected as a 2021 Hartford Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing and 2023 Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. She serves on the Florida State Health Improvement Plan taskforce and co-launched a new Rural Health Disparities workgroup of the Alzheimer’s Association Diversity/Disparities PIA of ISTAART. She was selected to attend the first annual Alzheimer’s Association Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute (2021) and the 2023 IMPACT-AD training, related to her work with rural, racially/ethnically diverse older adults. This workgroup's investigation into global rural health disparities was recently published in the Alzheimer's and Dementia journal. ### About Palm Health Foundation Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors, and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes, and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $93 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.
06 Mar, 2024
On February 3, 2023, the Empower Healthcare clinic in Pahokee, FL, partnered with Healthier Glades, a Palm Health Foundation initiative, for “Know Your Numbers by Heart,” a special event to promote heart health during American Heart Month. Fifty attendees came to the Senior Resource Room in Pahokee for rapid A1C and cholesterol screenings, nutritional counseling, live CPR demonstrations, and education about preventing heart disease. Testing and information were provided by seventeen community partners, including the American Heart Association, Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and the Diabetes Coalition of Palm Beach County. According to the 2022 Palm Beach County, Florida Community Health Assessment, heart disease was the leading cause of death in Palm Beach County. What’s more, Black Americans—the majority in Pahokee—are 54% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than White Americans, due to distinct risk factors like genetics and systemic disparities. Empower Health, under the leadership of its founder Dr. Jinga Oglesby-Brihm, has been focused on comprehensive and innovative chronic disease management for the rural Glades community since the clinic opened on the campus of First United Methodist Church in 2022. The heart health event is one of many ways she integrates local and county partners to improve patient health education and access to care. “We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with the community to provide free potentially lifesaving screenings and educational sessions,” she said. Healthier Glades and Palm Health Foundation have invested in Dr. Oglesby-Brihm to support her goal to “break the chains of healthcare disparity.” A Healthier Glades mini-grant provided funding to deliver healthcare services through churches in the Glades, and a Palm Health Foundation scholarship supported her doctoral studies at FAU College of Nursing, her first exposure to the Glades’ healthcare disparities. 
21 Feb, 2024
Palm Health Foundation , Palm Beach County’s leading community foundation for health, announced the release of its 2023 annual report . Entitled "Humanizing Health," the report describes the foundation's innovative approach to health philanthropy and how it is maximizing the impact of donor contributions.  The foundation’s president and CEO, Patrick McNamara, believes the report demonstrates the value of community collaboration fueled by philanthropy. “We are prioritizing the lived experiences of our neighbors and fostering community collaboration to guide our solutions to Palm Beach County’s greatest health needs,” he said. “Artists and musicians are coming together with world-class brain institutions to enhance the well-being of residents with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. Scholarship donors are developing bonds with nursing and behavioral health students. And health, government, and faith leaders are joining together with residents to create new solutions for health and wellness in their communities.” The foundation granted $2.4 million in 2023 and reported nearly $86 million in total assets. Highlights from the report include: Advancing Brain Health. Through The NeuroArts Fund, the foundation and its donors and partners are pioneering an emerging “brain coast,” with a vision to become as highly recognized as Florida’s Space Coast. Funding in 2023 supported learning about the neuroarts’ potential to impact mental health and neurodegenerative diseases. Building a Culture of Health. A collaboration with fellow Palm Beach County funders resulted in the new Community Changemakers Fund at Palm Health Foundation with $250,000 raised in 2023. A portion of the funds supported education for nearly 40 local change agents to advance their skills and increase their networks. The majority of the fund will support grants for resident and community-led ideas to address health inequities in vulnerable neighborhoods in 2024. Strengthening the Health Professions. Over $192,000 in scholarships was awarded to nursing and behavioral health students with lived experience and a desire to serve Palm Beach County’s diverse communities, especially those with health disparities. The report also shines a light on the meaningful connections made between donors and beneficiaries. With Palm Health Foundation's donor-advised funds, families can build their philanthropic legacy while supporting the change leaders in our community. “Our donors help us fulfill our mission and our aspiration for all residents to have opportunities to thrive and reach their full health potential,” said David Wisehaupt, immediate past chair of the foundation. “We always come to better solutions together than any of us would come to alone.” About Palm Health Foundation Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors, and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes, and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $93 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.
See All Stories of Impact
2021 Report to the Community

Palm Health Foundation’s Report to the Community

2023

In our 2023 Report to the Community, we highlight our commitment to leading change for better health with dignity for those we serve, by centering our grantmaking and initiatives on the human experience and listening to the voices of our neighbors. 

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