Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation Presents FLITE Foundation with $30,000 Grant to Support Petersburg Vaccine Awareness and Education Pilot Program

01/12/2024

PETERSBURG, Va., Jan. 11, 2024 – The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Virginia (“Molina”), presented a $30,000 grant to the Freedom Legacy Inspired Team Efforts ("FLITE") Foundation. This grant will fund the creation and implementation of FLITE Foundation’s Petersburg Health Improvement Initiative pilot program, which is designed to ensure children in the Petersburg community receive recommended vaccines

Data from the Virginia Department of Health shows only 5.6% of children in Petersburg, ages 5-17, received a flu vaccination in 2023. Through the pilot program, the FLITE Foundation will collaborate with the Petersburg Health Department, Petersburg Public Schools, and Central Virginia Health Services to improve health literacy and outreach efforts to help keep children healthy.

“Increasing health education is an essential first step in getting children vaccinated,” said Bill Phipps, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Virginia. “We look forward to working with the FLITE Foundation to host educational events and conduct vaccinations at locations across Petersburg.” 

The grant will fund key activities such as community meetings to create awareness and share educational resources on the importance of vaccines, as well as vaccine events for children. The FLITE Foundation will conduct pre- and post-program surveys to measure the program’s effectiveness and develop recommendations for future focus areas.

“The community of Petersburg faces an ongoing resource gap that has placed it among the lowest in health rankings in the state,” said Benjamin O. Scott, Sr., chairman of the FLITE Foundation board of directors. “We are pleased to work with partners like Molina that understand the common goal of educating Virginians on preventable health concerns and making our community a healthier place to live.”

This partnership builds upon Molina’s long-term commitment to create meaningful and lasting change to health outcomes in Petersburg. The grant was funded through The MolinaCares Accord’s Partnership for Petersburg initiative, an initial investment of over $430,000 to improve access to care and community health for the city of Petersburg. 

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About The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation  
The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation was created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities.   

About Molina Healthcare of Virginia  
Molina Healthcare of Virginia has been providing government-funded, quality health care since 2017. The Company serves members through Medicaid and Medicare programs throughout Virginia. Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed healthcare services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Molina Healthcare served approximately 5.2 million members as of September 30, 2023, located across 19 states. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit MolinaHealthcare.com

About the FLITE Foundation
The FLITE (Freedom Legacy Inspired Team Efforts) Foundation was established in 2011 to promote projects that improve education, health and financial stability. Empowering communities by offering programs of quality that meet standards of excellence is paramount. We envision ourselves as a key stakeholder dedicated to being a positive change agent for the present and future. For more information, please visit flitefoundationva.org