MARQUETTE — The Superior Health Foundation has launched its 2019 Proactive Grant Focus process with the release of a request for proposals for projects that can improve medical transportation issues throughout the entire Upper Peninsula.

“As many of us know, the Upper Peninsula is a large, rural area and there exists medical transportation issues in a number of communities,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation. “The Superior Health Foundation recognizes that medical transportation needs are not being met in certain pockets of the region. We strongly believe that we must find innovative approaches that lead to solutions to ensure patients and their families can be afforded transportation to get to medical appointments.”

The foundation recently completed its request for information to gather basic data on as many organizations as possible working on medical transportation issues throughout the Upper Peninsula.

“We held a roundtable discussion in early June in Marquette,” LaJoie said. “More than 50 health care professionals from across the U.P. attended and were actively engaged in a peer-to-peer analysis of needs and opportunities facing the U.P.”

After the responses to the RFP are received, the foundation will announce the awards at its Fall Grants Program, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Holiday Inn in Marquette.

The foundation, along with $50,000 each in matching support from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Michigan, will award more than $440,000 in grant funding in 2019. The SHF is open to renewing matching grant funding for a second year for collaborative projects that demonstrate the need for additional funding.

The SHF is actively seeking support from other funders to leverage grant dollars.

“We’re optimistic other U.P. and state funders will see the value in joining us to help find solutions to address complex medical transportation issues in the Upper Peninsula,” LaJoie said.

To submit an on-line response to the RFP, go to the SHF home page at www.superiorhealthfoundation.org.

The application deadline is Aug. 16.

For more information, call 906-225-6914 or email shf@superiorhealthfoundation.org.