Rubin Community Health Fund

Since 2018, the Hortense and Louis Rubin Community Health Fund has invested more than $2.9 million in health initiatives in our region.

The Hortense and Louis Rubin Community Health Fund was made possible by the proceeds from the operation and sale of the Rubin Dialysis Centers, with the goal of supporting programs for the prevention, management, and treatment of kidney disease and related health issues. The Fund is managed by the Community Foundation staff and advised by an active committee of health care experts.

The Fund envisions healthy individuals, families, and communities with reduced incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease and related risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in the Greater Capital Region via:

  • Healthy Habits and Lifestyles: such as better nutrition, regular physical activity, tobacco cessation, more sleep, less stress.
  • Strengthening Health Equity for the most vulnerable communities, such as Black and Latino/x communities, urban and rural communities via sustainable and functioning food systems, greater access to quality health care that works for all, and secure access to essential community needs (housing, transportation, food, etc.)

In addition, the goal of the Rubin Community Health Fund committee is to meet people where they are. That includes grantmaking to organizations providing services to members of our community who are afflicted with chronic kidney disease.

 

 

Grant Making Priorities

Projects in the Greater Capital Region will be considered for funding with consideration of the three following priorities:

Treatment- Improved Individual Care and Access

    • Maximize Individual Care outside of the dialysis center with technology and other innovative approaches.
    • Expand or Improve Access to Home Dialysis

Primary Prevention- Increase Access to Preventive Services such as:

    • Nutrition/Healthy Food
    • Physical Activities
    • Primary Care and Supportive Services
    • Enhanced training to build capacity of providers other stakeholders to properly screen and refer for CKD and related comorbidities

Secondary Prevention and Management services such as:

    • Increased health literacy
    • Managed avoidance and mitigation of Chronic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, Diabetes, hypertension, and other related co-morbidities
    • Universal access for support services i.e. transportation, daycare, case management, technology aimed at keeping people from needing dialysis
    • Better management of associated conditions

Read about the impact of the fund: 

Quick Facts: CKD Snapshot

  • Kidney diseases are the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.
  • Early CKD has no signs or symptoms.
  • Specific blood and urine tests are needed to check for CKD.
  • CKD tends to get worse over time.
  • CKD can be treated (the earlier treatment starts the better).
  • CKD can progress to kidney failure.

Find out more