HomeMy WebLinkAboutApplications_SLO NoorDiversity, Equity and Inclusion
2022-2023 GRANT FUNDING FOR HIGH IMPACT DE&I PROJECTS
Pl e ase provi de al l re que ste d i nformati on be f ore submi tti ng your appl i cati on. Please be as spe cific as possible !
I f accommoda on or assistance is n eed ed in co mple ng this A pplica on, or if a paper ve rsion is prefe rre d, ple ase
contact (805) 781-7100 or D EI@slocity.org
Organization Name :*
Y e ar Establishe d:*
Fiscal Age nt, if diffe re nt than abov e :*
Tax ID #:*
Docume nt Ce rtifying Fe de ral Tax-Exe mpt status, if applicable
Name of Exe cutiv e Dire ctor (or highe st le ade rship position)
Approximate Annual Budge t:
M ajor Source s of Funding:
M ission State me nt:
Numbe r of paid staff (full- or part-time ):
Numbe r of v olunte e rs:
Name of Board Pre side nt or Chair:
Organizational Le ade rship Chart *
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:
PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION
SLO Noor Foundation
2010
N/A
271412176
David Parro
869,920
Public grants (29%); private grants (28%); individual donations (43%).
The SLO Noor Foundation’s mission is to provide free medical, dental, and vision care to uninsured adults
in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration
status, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. The SLO Noor Foundation is committed to advancing
diversity and inclusion by helping ensure that all people across the community feel valued and have equal
access to resources, services, and opportunities provided by SLO Noor Health Clinics.
13
87
James Scoolis
2022_organizational_chart.pdf 929.63KB
Organization M ailing Addre ss:*
Phone :*
E-mail:*
Brie fly de scribe your organization’s mission, primary activ itie s, and ope rating structure s.
De scribe the community(ie s) your organization supports.
Rebecca Brogdon
City
San Luis Obispo
State / Province / Region
CA
Postal / Zip Code
93401
Country
US
Street Address
1428 Phillips Lane
Address Line 2
Suite 203
(805) 439-1797
rbrogdon@slonoorfoundation.org
Gaining 501(c)3 status in 2010, the SLO Noor Foundation (SLONF) is a HRSA-recognized free clinic and
safety-net organization with a mission to provide free medical, dental, and vision care to uninsured adults
in San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, or immigration status. The SLONF is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion by
helping ensure that all people across the community feel valued and have equal access to resources,
services, and opportunities provided by SLO Noor Health Clinics.
Beginning as a single part-time medical clinic, the SLONF has evolved into a multidisciplinary, volunteer-
based healthcare organization that operates two clinic sites in San Luis Obispo in addition to managing a
full-time Telehealth Care and Virtual Support Program and the part-time Women and Infants Mobile Health
Unit, which serves women in northern Santa Barbara County through a partnership with the Cal Poly
Health Research Center. In 2021, the SLONF was successful in serving 1,641 patients over 3,852
encounters and 14,597 diagnostics, offering the following health and support services in both English and
Spanish: primary and specialty care, including dermatology, podiatry, cardiology, neurology, womens’
health, and physical rehab services; transdisciplinary screenings and referrals (ie: ophthalmology care for
type-2 diabetics); laboratory and radiology diagnostics; medication prescription and refills; chronic
condition health management; COVID-19 risk and vaccine education; telehealthcare and virtual support;
lifestyle and nutrition consultations; mental health screenings, counseling, and counseling referrals;
preventive and restorative dental care; oral surgery and rehabilitation; comprehensive eye exams and
eyeglass prescription; affordable prescription assistance, and; social support and community referrals.
In response to the late impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SLONF also formed the following new or
expanded programs in 2021: (1) expanded, full-time telehealthcare and virtual support services, including
certain specialty care (ie: nutrition) meant to expand access within rural communities and individuals
without transportation, childcare, workplace accommodations, etc.; (2) mental health screenings,
counseling, and counseling referrals, integrating mental healthcare into a primary care setting to reduce
stigmatization and improve awareness and access to mental health resources; (3) COVID-19 vaccine
health education and single-day vaccine administration clinics, focusing on hard-to-reach populations,
such as Spanish-speaking communities, and; (4) Medi-Cal enrollment support and Medi-Cal provider
referrals, which are offered in order to ensure Medi-Cal-eligible community members can receive coverage
and to help ensure that SLO Noor Health Clinics services are provided to uninsured community members
who are ineligible for Medi-Cal.
Name of DE&I Proje ct *
Est. numbe r of pe ople se rv e d through this proje ct:*
Est. numbe r of SLO CITY RESIDENTS se rv e d through this proje ct *
Total Proje ct Cost:*
AM OUNT OF CITY FUNDING REQUESTED:*
De scribe your propose d proje ct or program.
Please be specif ic in the population and geographic area.
The SLONF primarily operates in San Luis Obispo County with 74.5% of SLONF patients residing in the
County, and 24.5% residing in the City of San Luis Obispo. Since opening in 2010, the SLONF has
prioritized the delivery of health and support services to communities in greatest need, gaining trust and
recognition within underserved and hard-to-reach populations. A majority of SLONF patients are from
BIPOC, non-English-speaking (Hispanic), and low-income communities. Over the last several years, SLO
Noor Health Clinics have served a patient base and target population that is increasingly represented by
these populations. In response, the SLONF has developed services based on clinical findings and
engaging in community partnerships in order to better reach and serve these communities.
Of these developments, the SLONF has formed the following policies meant to improve the accessibility
and inclusivity of its programs: free provision of diagnostics and healthcare to patients regardless of race,
ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender; provision of treatment, health
education, and community referrals with consideration of individual patient cultural and socioeconomic
background; provision of interpretation services; delivery of care in-clinic or virtually via video or phone
and the planned future option to receive care at a mobile health clinic as part of the proposed project;
delivery of social support services, including planned care coordination services, which will directly connect
patients with internal and external social services to meet their Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)
needs, as part of the proposed project.
PART 2: PROJECT INFORMATION
Whole Community Care (WCC) Project
1700
415
158,178
27,350
Specify w hat the requested f unds w ill be used f or, the need for this project, the number of people impacted. Include a project plan, if available.
Over the last several years, the SLONF has focused on determining the medical and social needs of both
its patient base and its target population using clinical data and external research as resources to drive its
development efforts. Based on these findings, the following three (3) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
development areas were determined: (1) healthcare accessibility; (2) patient noncompliance and resource
connectivity, and; (3) equitable clinical practices. In response, the SLONF developed an initiative titled the
Whole Community Care (WCC) project, which will first target healthcare accessibility affecting the low-
income communities and hard-to-reach populations through the purchase and operation of a mobile health
unit (MHU). Through the proposed project, the SLONF will build upon the initial activities introduced in the
WCC project and address the remaining two (2) DEI needs areas (patient noncompliance and equitable
clinical practices) in an effort to form accessible practices that are inclusive to Hispanic, BIPOC, and
LGBTQ communities.
As part of the proposed project, the SLONF intends to introduce the following clinical services in order to
accommodate a greater and more diverse patient base: (1) delivery of multilingual healthcare at the SLO
Noor Free Medical Clinic and the planned SLO Noor Free Mobile Clinic; (2) delivery of care coordination
services that directly connect patients with internal programs and trusted external resources addressing
SDoH; (3) partnership with organizations serving Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities that will
include DEI strategization, referral systems, outreach, and partner networking; (4) workforce training with
an emphasis on cultural competence and implicit bias toward Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities,
and; (5) updates to clinical practices with concerns to equity (ie: updating intake forms and data
collection). To execute this project effectively, the SLONF requests funding in the amount of $27,350 in
order to afford the following necessary expenses: (1) $13,000 toward key staff personnel, including the
De scribe the community the proje ct will support.
order to afford the following necessary expenses: (1) $13,000 toward key staff personnel, including the
SLONF’s 1.0 FTE Medical Clinic Manager, 1.6 FTE Bilingual Medical Assistants, and 0.3 FTE Mobile Clinic
Medical Assistant; (2) $13,050 toward clinical diagnostics and supplies, necessary to adequately support
established patients with or at risk of high-risk chronic conditions and to onboard new patients as a crucial
first step in assessing the health of at-risk populations, and; (3) $1,300 toward indirect expenses, which
include administrative staffing, facility rental, and related expenses necessary to house and operate the
program.
Of requested funding, $14,500 or 50% of funding will be applied toward key personnel who will coordinate
and schedule patients, providers, and volunteers, and also collectively supervise and execute proposed
project activities. Because the proposed project requires the implementation of both updated healthcare
practices and workforce training for 95 staff members and volunteers, the SLONF will apply $7,500 toward
SLONF’s Medical Clinic Manager salary to oversee this implementation. Through the WCC project, the
SLONF will coordinate with community partners such as The Center for Family Strengthening’s Promotores
Collaborative and the Gala Pride & Diversity Center, who will offer consultation and provide training with
regards to DEI in healthcare intake and delivery. These consultations and trainings will inform clinical
practices and data collection protocols, which will be updated and monitored by the SLONF’s Medical Clinic
Manager, who will evaluate the success of these updates over the grant cycle.
By the first half of the grant cycle, the SLONF intends to have these updates in place, which requires the
support of the SLONF’s bilingual Medical Assistants and Mobile Clinic Medical Assistant. Together, the
SLONF’s Medical Assistants will assist new and established patients in the updated intake process in
addition to providing interpretation services, offering volunteer provider support, scheduling patients in-
clinic and offsite (ie: at SLO Noor Free Mobile Clinic sites), processing internal and community referrals,
submitting diagnostics orders, and delivering health education and care coordination services. As
mentioned, the SLONF has identified patient noncompliance as a clinical development area, where clinic
patients and community members in general are often unable to secure resources within the community
due to larger issues regarding accessibility and inclusivity. Oftentimes, patients from Hispanic, BIPOC,
and/or LGBTQ backgrounds experience significant medical and institutional mistrust, specifically within the
trans community (Bazargan et al, 2021; Medina et al, 2021). Likewise, the SLONF will often submit
diagnostics orders and community referrals multiple times before a patient actually receives these
services. The compliance rate is even lower for SDoH referrals. In response to these issues, the SLONF
will introduce limited care coordination services, through which SLONF Medical Assistants at physical and
mobile clinic sites will discuss referral options in order to alleviate mistrust and assist patients in contacting
outside organizations, building referral and outreach systems with key partners to increase accessibility
between the bases of each organization.
As the SLONF builds community partnerships, additional efforts to network through these organizations
are intended to increase representation of Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities within the SLONF’s
patient base. It is the goal of the SLONF to increase representation within these populations, particularly
through the enrollment of new patients. As part of the proposed project, $13,050 or 45% of funding will
afford direct operational expenses necessary to deliver diagnostics and healthcare to new and established
patients from Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities. Of these expenses, the SLONF will afford the
delivery of diagnostics both onsite and outsourced to local diagnostics facilities, with which the SLONF
maintains close partnerships and significant discounts on laboratory and radiology diagnostic services.
Through these discounts, the SLONF can afford these diagnostic services on behalf of its patients,
reducing noncompliance caused by a patient’s inability to afford out-of-pocket costs. The SLONF intends
to support its established patient base while enrolling new patients through the WCC project expansion
and recognizes that it is a crucial first step to provide diagnostic services in assessing health status of new
patients from at-risk backgrounds and assigning appropriate treatment.
Through these project activities, the SLONF intends to better reach and serve community members from
Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ communities. As a result of these activities, the SLONF will achieve the
following outcomes: (1) serve at least 450 SLO City patients from Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ
communities with over 30% being new during the grant cycle; (2) track and increase the representation of
Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ communities within its patient base; (3) track and increase the referral
rate from key partners, including but not limited to the Pride Center and the Promotores Collaborative,
and; (4) assess and increase healthcare intake and delivery practices at SLO Noor Health Clinics.
De scribe the e quity gaps and community ne e ds this proje ct will addre ss.
Specify the population, location of services provided, and any other identif iers your proposed project w ill support.
Based on its internal findings and outside research, the SLONF intends to serve the following communities
with funding requested through the City of San Luis Obispo DEI program: Hispanic or Latinx communities,
which make up 38% of the population in the SLONF’s service area; BIPOC communities making up 49% of
the population, and; LGBTQ communities, making up 5% of the population (Movement Advancement
Project, n.d.; Pew Research Center, 2022; U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Historically, the SLONF has
provided healthcare and support services to underserved and at-risk communities across San Luis Obispo
and northern Santa Barbara Counties, where in 2021, 86% of the SLONF’s patient base was BIPOC, 83%
non-English-speaking, and 91% low-income (at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).
First launched from a medical clinic site in San Luis Obispo, the SLONF now operates from two physical
clinic sites in San Luis Obispo as well as a mobile health unit, which serves the Santa Maria Valley,
operated in partnership with the Cal Poly Health Research Center. As part of the WCC project, a future
expansion planned for early 2023 will be a mobile health unit, solely owned and operated by the SLONF in
order to serve low-income communities and hard-to-reach populations in San Luis Obispo County.
Through the proposed project, the SLONF will operate on three levels in order to reach and support target
populations: (1) public outreach, including offsite scheduling, conducted through key partner networking
and engagements; (2) infrastructure evaluation and updates, including consultations to update healthcare
practices and trainings to inform clinical staff and volunteers, and; (3) healthcare and care coordination
services, including diagnostics, treatment, and community referral assistance delivered at both physical
and mobile clinic sites.
Currently, the SLONF tracks certain demographic (age, race, ethnicity, language) and SDoH (food access,
housing status, and employment) information, and through the proposed project, the SLONF will begin
tracking the following metrics: gender (self-identifying), sexual orientation (self-identifying), and referral
source (to assess project partner engagement). Altogether, these metrics are meant to serve as an
assessment of grant progress as well as a foundation for future program development that will be tracked
during and following the grant cycle.
In the table below briefly list 2-3 methods of evaluation and indicators of success or
measurable outcomes.
M e thods of Ev aluation Indicators of Succe ss / M e asurable Outcome s
In the chart below, identify any partnerships/collaborations that are supporting this
As mentioned, the SLONF has determined the following three (3) DEI development areas based on
internal and external findings: (1) healthcare accessibility; (2) patient noncompliance, and; (3) equitable
clinical practices.
Of these development areas, healthcare accessibility has been determined as one of the leading causes
of healthcare inequity by the County of SLO Department of Public Health, whose 2018-23 Community
Health Assessment report determined that limitations in the locations, availability, and inclusivity of
healthcare practices are creating barriers to care that affect underserved and underrepresented
populations. Because of socioeconomic and cultural differences (e.g., language) as well as time,
technology, and travel obstacles, these communities often forgo care or lack the resources and capacity to
schedule and attend healthcare appointments (San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health,
2018). In response, the SLONF has organized several initiatives to address these inequities in healthcare
accessibility, including care coordination and mobile health initiatives introduced through the WCC project.
Through the WCC project, the SLONF also intends to address the remaining two development areas:
patient noncompliance and equitable clinical practices, which in addition to healthcare access barriers, is
influenced by medical and institutional mistrust. Historically, the SLONF has served a majorly Hispanic and
BIPOC patient population, in part due to the Medicare ineligibility and medical and institutional mistrust
within these communities. Over time, the SLONF has gained the recognition and the reach necessary to
establish connections and determine the needs of these communities, creating a healthcare home for
community members who would otherwise go without care. Due to systemic and intrapersonal racism and
prejudice faced by Hispanic and BIPOC populations, individuals from these communities often experience
higher levels of medical and institutional mistrust, which are associated with lower healthcare access,
health literacy levels, and chronic disease control (Tsai et al, 2018, Armstrong et al, 2006). Although the
SLONF enrolls and retains new patients from underserved populations, SLO Noor Health Clinics
experience low rates of patient compliance to outsourced referrals, such as diagnostics orders and
community referrals addressing SDoH.
Similarly, individuals from the LGBTQ communty experience higher levels of medical mistrust and
healthcare discrimination, resulting in poorer healthcare access and health outcomes (Mirza and Rooney,
2018). Due to these shortcomings in healthcare, the SLONF has formed activities within the WCC project
in order to improve health equity and inclusivity within its internal policies and practices. Of these efforts,
the SLONF will provide implicit bias trainings to clinical staff and volunteers, restructure intake and data
collection processes, offer interpretation services at an expanded capacity, and begin offering limited
referral assistance and care coordination services, with an emphasis in improving accessibility and
establishing trust between patients and outside organizations.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
Unique patient and patient encounters of Hispanic,
BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ patients.
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
At least 30% new Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ
patients.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
Diagnostics for Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ
populations.
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
At least 50% of Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ
patients experience positive health outcomes (ie:
decrease in HbA1c in patients with type-2
diabetes).
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
Referral rate to and from key partners (PRIDE
Center and Promotores Collaborative).
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
At least 10% increase in referrals to and from key
partners.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
Implicit bias trainings for clinical staff and
volunteers.
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
Reported increase in Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or
LGBTQ representation in patient base.
project, and their roles.
Name of Partne r Activ ity/Se rv ice The y Prov ide for This Proje ct
Prov ide the time line for this propose d proje ct.
De scribe your plan for sustainability be yond the City’s one -ye ar award funding, if applicable .
Using the table below, please provide a broadly-itemized budget for your project,
including the source of any matching funds.
Ite m De scription *Total Cost *Amount Prov ide d by
City Funds *
Amount of Othe r
Funds and Source of
Funding *
1
2
3
Example: ABC Business
PRIDE Center
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
Consultation and training.
Example: ABC Business
Promotores Collaborative
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
Outreach and referrals.
During the first half of the grant cycle, the SLONF intends to establish community partnerships and referral
and outreach systems with key partners, which include but are not limited to the Gala Pride & Diversity
Center and The Family for Family Strengthening’s Promotores Collaborative. Through these partnerships,
the SLONF will update intake and data collection protocols to reflect inclusive practices in addition to
organizing DEI workforce training that will be provided to clinical staff and volunteers. By the second half of
the grant cycle, the SLONF will have protocols for care coordination, including systems for enrolling
patients in SDoH programs of trusted organizations and methods for tracking referral sources at SLO Noor
Health Clinics. Over the course of the grant cycle, the SLONF will deliver healthcare and support services
as well as care coordination services to target populations at an increasing rate. By the end of the grant
cycle, the SLONF will evaluate newly established protocols and practices in order to determine future
areas of development with concerns to DEI.
Of the proposed project, the following activities will be funded by one-time expenses requiring limited to no
renewal: community partnership and referral and outreach system development; DEI workforce trainings,
and; DEI healthcare practice assessment and updates. Both the healthcare delivery and care coordination
activities are meant to be offered on an ongoing basis to both new and established patients. Funding for
these activities is contingent upon grant funding and individual donations, and as a result, the SLONF
focuses its development efforts on sustainable and effective programs. Of these programs, the SLONF
most recently planned the SLO Noor Free Mobile Clinic expansion, which due to its high mobility, will be
highly sustainable, able to reach a wide scope of geographical and service focus areas.
By using the City’s one-year award to build upon its clinical practices and data collection policies, the
SLONF intends to apply information gained through the funded program to further its future development.
Combined with the additional mobility of the SLO Noor Free Mobile Clinic, the SLONF intends to determine
the greatest areas of need and deliver healthcare directly within Hispanic, BIPOC, and LGBTQ
communities, which will open the SLONF to funding opportunities previously unavailable due to
geographical and service limitations.
PART 3: PROJECT COST / BUDGET
Personnel (Medical Clinic
Manager, Medical Assistants)
73,216.00$13,000.00$60,216.00$
Outsourced Diagnostics 44,400.00$8,050.00$36,350.00$
Clinical Supplies 33,240.00$5,000.00$28,240.00$
4
*During application review , you may be asked for f urther f inancial information or f or proof of any matching f unds
De scribe the plan for promoting this proje ct within the City of San Luis Obispo.
How will you highlight the City's support of your proje ct?
By signi ng thi s applicaon, I ce rfy that the i nformaon containe d w i thin is true and corre ct to the be st of my
know l e dge . I agre e to comply w i th the re quire me nts of the Ci ty of the San Lui s Obispo.
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:*
Signature *
Title :*
Date :*
Indirect Operating Expenses
(Administrative Support Staff,
Facility Rental,
Utilities/Internet/Phone,
Insurance, etc.)
7,322.00$1,300.00$6,022.00$
PART 4: AWARENESS AND VISIBILITY
As mentioned, a key component of the proposed WCC project is the partnership with organizations serving
Hispanic, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ communities. Due to the higher levels of medical and institutional
mistrust, the SLONF will network with trusted organizations within the City of San Luis Obispo and establish
referral and outreach systems through which the SLONF’s patient base and target populations will have
ready access to SLO Noor Health Clinics and partner organization programs. As a preliminary step, the
SLONF has begun successful discussions with the Gala Pride & Diversity Center and the Promotores
Collaborative in order to build effective and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Furthermore, the SLONF has begun to seek outreach funding through several opportunities, and intends
to incorporate multilingual television/radio advertising, social media campaigning, and print marketing into
the public awareness efforts of the WCC project. If awarded, the SLONF will report on the status of
outreach funding and subsequent activities over the grant cycle.
If awarded, the SLONF will publish the City’s award on social media profiles, including LinkedIn and
Facebook pages. In addition, the SLONF will list the City of SLO as a sponsor on its website and on
publications regarding the WCC project.
PART 5: CERTIFICATION
Rebecca BRogdon
Grants Manager
8/31/2022