2019-2023 EHDI Grantee Projects

The Eliminating Health Disparity Initiative (EHDI) is a grant program within the Center for Health Equity. EHDI was established during the 2001 legislative session. The program invests about $5 million dollars annually in community initiatives that address health inequities for populations of color and American Indians across eight different priority health areas.

Use the drop-down menus below to learn more about current EHDI grantees and their grant-funded projects.

Priority Health Area Serving Residents
of County
POC/AI

Portico Healthnet

Project name: Increase protective factors for pregnant persons & newborns

Grant Type: Priority

Project Description: Portico Healthnet helps racially and culturally diverse Minnesotans enroll in health insurance, understand how to use the health care system, and access community and county resources that support their wellbeing. In partnership with Minnesota Community Care and Region’s Hospital, Portico helps under-resourced pregnant persons residing in Ramsey County and their newborns to enroll in health insurance. Since 2021, we’ve assisted over 1,000 pregnant persons and 679 newborns to enroll in health insurance. As a result, additional organizations have recognized the value this model has to increase protective factors in communities of color and have expressed the desire to replicate it within their communities. Portico will use EDHI funding to develop a customizable service model, create a leadership development network to continually refine and hone the model, implement the model in partnership with identified communities, and use an evaluator to create metrics and a scalability plan.

EDHI Grant Activity Outcomes: 1) Increase protective factors to help lower infant mortality rate in targeted communities compared to baseline. 2) expand service model to address at least one additional protective factor communities facing health disparities need to decrease infant mortality, and 3) develop a customizable service model designed to increase protective factors for pregnant persons and infants facing health disparities in targeted communities.

Racial/ethnic group(s) to be served:

Priority health area(s):
County(s) Served:

Geography and Population Served: Portico serves clients from throughout the state of Minnesota. The majority of our clients reside in the 12-county Twin Cities metro area

Contact: Molly McCormick

Street address:
1600 University Ave. W. Suite 211
St. Paul , MN 55104
Get Map [Google Maps]

Phone: 651-603-5135
Email: mmccormick@porticohealthnet.org
Website: https://porticohealthnet.org/

Executive Director: Stephanie Radtke
Phone:
E-mail: sradtke@porticohealthnet.org