Michigan State University is receiving $32.225 million in state funding for eight projects and programming, three of which are College of Human Medicine initiatives.
The announcement follows Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signing the state’s fiscal 2024-25 budget into law Wednesday. See full story on MSUToday.
Rx Kids, $20 million
As part of the state’s approved fiscal year budget, MSU is receiving $20 million that will directly support the expansion of Rx Kids. The nation’s first universal maternal and infant cash prescription program launched in Flint in 2024, and the additional funding will help expand the successful program to several Michigan communities.
A public-private partnership led by MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative at the College of Human Medicine, Rx Kids is a prescription for health, hope and opportunity that has reached almost 100% of newborns in Flint with over $2.2 million in cash prescriptions to over 850 families. When additional match funds are raised through private philanthropy, almost 12,000 babies in several Michigan communities could become part of this historic Rx Kids expansion effort.
“We are grateful to Gov. Whitmer and the state legislature for their steadfast leadership and unequivocal support of our Michigan babies and their promise,” said Mona Hanna, pediatrician, director of Rx Kids and associate dean of public health at the MSU College of Human Medicine. “Investing in our babies is a critical first step in ensuring that we have thriving, vibrant communities that are full of opportunities.”
MIDOCs, $1.15 million
The College of Human Medicine will receive additional funding of $1.15 million as part of the MIDOCS appropriation, which was included in the approved state budget. MIDOCs is a collaborative partnership between four different Michigan medical schools. The program helps recruit, train and retain health care providers with the goal of increasing access to care in rural and urban underserved communities in Michigan. The approved funding will allow MSU College of Human Medicine to increase its number of residents trained from six to eight per year.
Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, $500,000
As part of the state’s approved fiscal year budget, MSU is receiving $500,000 that will sustain the Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program in Genesee County and expand prescription redemption sites to Meijer grocery stores. By increasing the affordability of fresh produce and improving access to high-quality fruits and vegetables, children in the program are better able to meet the nutritional needs of their growing bodies and establish healthy eating patterns that continue through adolescence and into adulthood.
The MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative’s nutrition team, led by Registered Dietitian and MSU Associate Professor Amy Saxe-Custack, works with the Flint community to expand access to fresh fruits and vegetables for children living in Genesee County. To date, more than 145,000 prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables have been distributed in Flint.
July 29, 2024
