AHW's Momentum Grants support initiatives addressing critical health issues in Wisconsin. The grants, each up to $250,000, were awarded through a competitive application process aimed at addressing the state's most urgent health challenges. The rigorous review process for these grant applications involved thorough evaluations by the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Consortium on Public and Community Health, the AHW Research and Education Advisory Committee, and the MCW Board of Trustees.
"In our twentieth year of grant-making, AHW continues to propel the most promising work and ideas to advance the health of all Wisconsinites," said AHW Director, Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH. "These 40 projects totaling nearly $10 million reflect our commitment to investing the funds entrusted to us to improve lives throughout the state."
In total, AHW awarded 22 grants amounting to $5,497,864 to community-based organizations throughout the state. Of these community-focused grants, seven target statewide health issues, ten concentrate on urban centers, and five are rooted in rural communities.
This funding round includes projects in 11 urban counties and 16 rural counties, reflecting a broad geographic spread. The community projects aim to build and sustain the state's health workforce, improve access to healthy food, combat substance use disorders, address mental health challenges, and provide integrated care to vulnerable populations.
In addition to the community grants, AHW is funding 18 research projects with grants totaling $4,391,041. These MCW faculty-led initiatives focus on diverse health concerns, including opioid addiction, HIV and syphilis screening rates, CPR training, and improving care for cancer and brain injury patients.
The selected projects, listed below, are set to be completed within a 24-month period beginning in July 2024. Use the links below to visit each project’s summary page and learn more.
Adapting an Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Program for Black LGBTQ+ Youth
Principal Investigator: Katherine Quinn, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Principal Investigator: Chandler Cortina, MD, MS, FSSO, FACS, Surgery
Developing a Culturally Tailored Bystander CPR Education Intervention for Milwaukee Hmong Community
Principal Investigator: Jamie Jasti, MD, MS, Emergency Medicine
Effects of Peripheral Injury and Surgery on Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes
Principal Investigator: Christopher Roberts, MD, PhD, Anesthesiology
Brain-to-Text Computer Interfaces as a Precursor for Artificial Speech Restoration in Aphasia
Principal Investigator: Andrew Anderson, PhD, Neurology
Community-Based and Genomics-Informed Precision Medicine Pilot Project
Principal Investigator: Michael Zimmerman, PhD, Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Supporting Families in Complex Care: Developing a Measure to Assess Impact
Principal Investigator: Jessica Schnell, MD, Pediatrics
Photo-Triggered Trojan-Horse Drug Delivery for MPNST Tumor Cell Death and Macrophage Reprogramming
Principal Investigator: Amit Joshi, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
Optimizing HIV and Syphilis Screening Rates in Youth
Principal Investigator: Claudia Vicetti Miguel, MD, Pediatrics
Principal Investigator: Adam Greenberg, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
Exploring the Microbiome Mechanism Underlying Neurological Symptoms in Long COVID
Principal Investigator: Yang Wang, MD, PhD, Radiology
Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative: Enhancing Outreach for Disparately Impacted Communities
Principal Investigator: Constance Kostelac, PhD, MS, Institute for Health and Equity
Development of HOPE (Helping Optimize Prehospital Equity) Research Collaborative
Principal Investigator: Benjamin Weston, MD, MPH, Emergency Medicine
Safer Medication Treatment during Pregnancy Using Fetal MCG and Pharmacological Modelling
Principal Investigator: Janette Strasburger, MD, Pediatrics
Collaboration to Engage Black Americans in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Milwaukee
Principal Investigator: Laura Glasman, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Increasing Capacity for Froedtert Primary Care to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
Principal Investigator: Julia Dickson-Gomez, PhD, Institute for Health and Equity
Creating an Addiction Medicine Fellowship in Milwaukee's Highest Risk Community
Principal Investigator: John Hayes, DO, Family Medicine
Establishing a Fellowship Training Program at the Nexus of Implementation Science and Health Equity
Principal Investigator: Steven John, PhD, MPH, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
High School to Health Care - Medical Assistant (H2H-MA)
Primary Community Organization: Center for Healthcare Careers of Southeast Wisconsin Inc.
Primary Academic Partner: Linda Meurer, MD, Family Medicine
A Proactive Approach to Wellness for First Responders
Primary Community Organization: Center for Suicide Awareness
Primary Academic Partner: Matthew Chinn, MD, Emergency Medicine
Strengthening Minoritized CHW Capacity to Combat Secondary Trauma using Natural Approaches
Primary Community Organization: Lawrence University
Primary Academic Partner: Corina Norrbom, MD, Medical School Regional Campuses
An Innovative Approach to Address Social and Structural Determinants of Health Through Housing
Primary Community Organization: Jackson County Public Health
Primary Academic Partner: Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family Medicine
Healing Connections: Addressing the Impact of Racial Trauma
Primary Community Organization: Wellpoint Care Network
Primary Academic Partner: Terri deRoon-Cassini, PhD, MS, Surgery
Accelerated Healthcare Licensure and Employment for Medically Trained Veterans
Primary Community Organization: Heroes for Healthcare
Primary Academic Partner: Christine Everett, PhD, PAC, Medicine
Implementation of a Spanish Community Health Worker Training Program
Primary Community Organization: Milwaukee Area Health Education Center
Primary Academic Partner: Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family Medicine
Family Resource Centers: A Universal Primary Prevention Strategy to Promote Health Equity
Primary Community Organization: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board
Primary Academic Partner: Elizabeth Cleek, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, Pediatrics
Reducing Dental Access Barriers for State-Insured Wisconsin Youth
Primary Community Organization: Community Smiles Dental
Primary Academic Partner: Rebecca Shira Bernstein, MD, Family Medicine
Building Community Recovery Capital: A Recovery Ecosystem Approach
Primary Community Organization: WASH Community Inc
Primary Academic Partner: Katinka Hooyer, PhD, Family Medicine
Primary Community Organization: Community Water Services
Primary Academic Partner: Ronald Anguzu, MD, PhD, MPH, Institute for Health and Equity
Development of a Sustainable Public Awareness Campaign to Prevent Veteran Suicides
Primary Community Organization: Milwaukee County War Memorial Center Inc
Primary Academic Partner: Bertrand Berger, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Nurturing Social Connection to Promote Health through Culturally Connected Arts-Based Programming
Primary Community Organization: Bembé Drum & Dance
Primary Academic Partner: Courtney Barry, PsyD, MS, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Activating Community Health Workers to Build Power Reduce Health Inequities in Black Populations
Primary Community Organization: Wello
Primary Academic Partner: Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family Medicine
CAtCH Enhanced: Reaching Youth, Aging, and Disability Populations
Primary Community Organization: NorthLakes Community Clinic
Primary Academic Partner: Michelle Broaddus, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Advancing Access to Behavioral Health Care in Rural Jefferson and Dodge County
Primary Community Organization: Rock River Community Clinic
Primary Academic Partner: David Songco, PsyD, Family Medicine
Community Health Care Workers from the Carceral Landscape
Primary Community Organization: The Community
Primary Academic Partner: Laura Hawks, MD, MPH, Medicine
Faith Food Action Network: Improving Mental Health through Mutual Aid
Primary Community Organization: Wisconsin Council of Churches
Primary Academic Partner: Katherine Quinn, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Building Resilience in our Communities
Primary Community Organization: Great Rivers United Way
Primary Academic Partner: Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family Medicine
Strengthening Fox Cities: A Data-Driven Approach to Sustainable and Equitable Suicide Prevention
Primary Community Organization: NEW Mental Health Connection
Primary Academic Partner: Sara Kohlbeck, PhD, MPH, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Advancing Health Equity Using and Integrated Medical-Dental-Behavioral Health Care Model
Primary Community Organization: Kenosha Community Health Center
Primary Academic Partner: Joni Williams, MD, MPH, Medicine
Project iSERVE: Investigating Service Effectiveness, Reliability & Validity for Equity
Primary Community Organization: Children's Wisconsin
Primary Academic Partner: Cheryl Brosig, PhD, Pediatrics