Funds used for equipment to help establish a community fitness center

FARGO – Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) is pleased to announce Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center in Elgin was awarded a $2,600 BCBSND Rural Health Grant. The grant, in partnership with Elgin/New Leipzig Public School, was used to purchase equipment to help establish a community fitness center.

According to the grant application, Mayor Ron Bartz stated, "This community is deeply interested in developing a community fitness center and is committed to partnerships being developed throughout the community to make it happen. This is an important step toward the well-being of our community."

The BCBSND Rural Health Grant Program is a collaborative with the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND). The purpose is to support local health care providers and their communities by offering funding for projects that champion increased physical activity and promote the health and well-being of rural North Dakotans.

"Our commitment to North Dakota extends well beyond the products and services that deliver peace of mind to our members. It extends to supporting the very communities that we serve and where our members live and work," said Tim Huckle, BCBSND president and CEO.  "We are so impressed by the local collaborations that are formed in support of these quality projects."

Through an agreement with BCBSND to help develop and administer the program, CRH facilitates the application process and review, notifies the grantees of their award determinations, and monitors each program's progress through the year and releases the grant funds. CRH has administered the program since its inception. A complete listing of the recipients from each cycle of the program is available on the CRH website, http://www.ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/bcbs-grant-program.