The California HealthCare Foundation has awarded 13 grants worth $3.4 million to improve health care programs for the state's elderly.

These awards are the first grants in the $15 million, five-year "Program for Elders in Managed Care" program. The grants will go to improve care for Alzheimer's patients and to fund patient advocates for managed care programs in California's multi-ethnic communities.

The grants will support three, three-year demonstration projects and 10 one-year planning projects around the state.

Foundation leaders hope the grants will improve communication between community service groups and managed care organizations.

The California HealthCare Foundation was established in 1996 as part of the conversion of non-profit Blue Cross of California to the for-profit WellPoint Health Networks. It has assets of $2 billion.

A list of the grants is currently found at:
http://www.chcf.org/press/press09a.cfm