CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT WINS GRANT TO TACKLE THE GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE OF DEMENTIA
Published 6:00 am Tuesday, March 4, 2025
- Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation
Funds Will Support Scale-Up of Lewy Body Dementia Education and Caregiver Services
SAN JOSÉ, Calif., March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation announced receipt of funding from Santa Clara Family Health Plan to support its education and outreach programs aimed at Lewy body disease and related dementias (LBD). LBD is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s yet far less well known in clinical settings and less well funded in terms of research.
The Santa Clara Family Health Plan Board-Designated Innovation Fund award of $202,965 will support the Foundation’s implementation of a focused initiative, entitled “Dementia Awareness and Response: A Place-based Model for Positive Impact,” over an 18-month period through May 2026.
“It is an honor to receive this grant award from Santa Clara Family Health Plan,” said Chuck Berghoff, Chairman and co-founder of the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation. “Dementia is a growing public health challenge in the US, with approximately one million new dementia cases expected each year by 2060.1 It is imperative to provide clear and accurate information about LBD and other common types of dementia and their causes, symptoms, treatment options, and resources for families. This includes families facing health and healthcare disparities, who are at higher risk of dementia, and lack access to dementia information and resources.”
“These funds allow us to increase our impact on this public health challenge, providing LBD-focused education programs for healthcare professionals, pre-professionals, and communities; and practical resources for family caregivers.”
“We are proud to support the efforts of the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation to expand outreach and education on Lewy body dementia to equip providers and support caregivers in the care of our members,” said Christine M. Tomcala, CEO of SCFHP. “Through our Innovation Fund, the SCFHP Governing Board addresses gaps in serving our members’ needs, and education and awareness of dementia is a fitting example.”
As part of this commitment, SCFHP and the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation will explore opportunities for collaboration at the SCFHP Blanca Alvarado Community Resource Center in East San José and SCFHP’s future South County Community Resource Center in Gilroy, slated to open late 2025.
About Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation (SCBF)
We provide dementia education to healthcare professionals and pre-professionals, fund medical research, and offer caregiver resources, with a special focus on Lewy body dementia (LBD), the second most common dementia. LBD is associated with two diagnoses: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson’s Disease dementia (PDD). There is no known cure yet for this progressive and fatal condition. Partners include Stanford Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Health, Santa Clara County, the City of Morgan Hill, San Jose State University, CSU San Marcos and other organizations. We are a registered 501c3 public benefit corporation based in Morgan Hill, CA. www.berghoff-foundation.org
About Santa Clara Family Health Plan
Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) is a local, community-based health plan dedicated to creating opportunities for better health and wellness for all. In partnership with providers and community organizations since 1997, we work to ensure everyone in Santa Clara County has access to equitable, high-quality health care. With a strong commitment to integrity, outstanding service, and support for our community, we serve more than 290,000 people through our Medi-Cal and Medicare health care plans. For more information, visit www.scfhp.com.
About the SCFHP Blanca Alvarado Community Resource Center
Established in 2020, the Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) Blanca Alvarado Community Resource Center (CRC) is a convenient and welcoming space committed to advancing the health of SCFHP members and East San José residents. The Center collaborates with safety-net agencies to offer community-responsive and culturally competent health and wellness programs and helps connect residents to resources. The CRC provides in-person service and help Covered California, Medi-Cal, and CalFresh applications along with free health education classes and workshops.
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SOURCE Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation
