FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine Mulvin
513-458-6621

Cincinnati— September 2, 2005—In the wake of the devastation along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati has made a special Board of Directors grant of $100,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts.

“Several of our staff and Board members have been looking for ways to help the victims. The need for medical services and health resources to people in the Gulf Coast area will be overwhelming in the coming weeks and months, and we felt that this grant was one small way to help,” said Don Hoffman, President of The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

Although the Health Foundation limits its funding to a 20-county region surrounding Cincinnati, the public health needs of the hurricane victims took precedence over the geographic funding limits.

“We remain dedicated to the people of Greater Cincinnati,” said John Kron, Chairman of the Health Foundation’s Board of Directors. “However, in this time of great need, it is important for us to also respond to the health crisis being faced by the people in the Gulf Coast region.”

The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati is an independent foundation dedicated to improving community health and access to health care for vulnerable populations. The Foundation awards grants to non-profit and governmental organizations for selected health programs and activities in Cincinnati and 20 surrounding counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. In 2004, the Health Foundation invested $10.5 million to support local health care programs that address the objectives of the Foundation's four focus areas and general community health.