FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Link Health Awarded Funding From The Houston Endowment To Revolutionize To Help Make Houston The Highest Voter Turnout City In The Country

Houston, TX- April 2024 – Link Health, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved communities in the Greater Houston area, today announced it has received a generous two-year grant from the Houston Endowment. The funding will support Link Health’s new civic health initiative aimed at increasing civic participation in tandem with addressing social determinants that impact community health outcomes. Link Health collaborates with health centers to enroll their patients in federal safety net programs to promote health education and advocate for the importance of voting.

This grant is critical when healthcare disparities are exacerbated and access to vital resources, including broadband internet, is pivotal for improving health outcomes. “True community health extends far beyond just access to medical care. This grant allows us to tackle the social and economic factors like education, economic stability, neighborhood environments, and civic voice that profoundly shape well-being. Moreover, we get to tap into the expertise and network of our college students who are emerging leaders leading the charge in civic engagement”

In partnership, Link Health will  roll out a suite of programs over the next two years focused on:

• Grassroots leadership development to empower patients as change agents through increasing voter turnout.  
• Community organizing and outreach around local civic issues and processes
• Partnerships with schools, clinics, and community hubs to integrate civic engagement  

By boosting knowledge, skills, and opportunities for democratic participation, the initiative aims to give underrepresented groups greater influence in shaping the community conditions that impact their lives and health.

The grant period runs through December 2026. To learn more about Link Health and get involved, visit www.link-health.org. 

About Link Health:

Founded by ER physician and Harvard Assistant Professor, Dr. Alister Martin, as a branch of the non-profit incubator A Healthier Democracy, Link Health epitomizes the commitment to fostering health equity and civic participation. Link Health’s groundbreaking contributions have been featured at the Aspen Institute, The Boston Globe, Houston’s KPRC, and the New England Journal of Medicine.