Bloomington Hospital Foundation announces name change

Feb. 07--The Bloomington Hospital Foundation has been renamed the Bloomington Health Foundation.

The new name is in response to the changing local health-care landscape, according to a news release.

The foundation was founded in 1967 as the philanthropic arm of what is now the Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital, operating as a nonprofit separate from the hospital with an independent board. The foundation has an investment portfolio of $32 million, half of which is dedicated to specific programs and services through the hospital, such as Meals on Wheels, Hospice House and Volunteers in Medicine. The other half is unrestricted for funding additional community health-care initiatives.

The organization will now continue its partnership with the hospital as the hospital plans a move to the city's east side in 2020, but the foundation will also broaden the scope of its mission. It will invest and partner with "the people and and organizations of this community to implement innovative and evidence based solutions to our community's most pressing health needs," according to the release.

Bloomington Health Foundation continues to be headed by president and CEO Jonathan Barada.

"The Bloomington Health Foundation is committed to helping the people of Bloomington and surrounding communities lead healthier lives. There is no greater investment made than one made in the health and well-being of a community," Barada said in the release. "It impacts everyone: Healthy kids do better in school, a healthy workforce provides economic strength, a community that supports the health of its seniors improves their quality of life, increased access to rural health services relieves health-care disparities -- and the list goes on. There is no greater cause."

In December, the foundation turned down an offer from IU Health to dissolve as a nonprofit and join a statewide philanthropy.

For more information, visit www.bloomingtonhealthfoundation.org.

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