SPOKANE — The Regence Foundation announced today that it has awarded a $20,000 grant to Sacred Heart Children’s Foundation in Spokane to help support programs for children with chronic medical conditions. The grant is part of Asuris’ annual employee-nominated grant program.

"Every year The Regence Foundation invites employees to nominate organizations that are doing transformative health care work in their communities," said Peggy Maguire, Regence Foundation board president. "We selected this employee-nominated organization because helping children, especially teens, manage their long-term medical conditions improves their social, emotional and health outlook."

Sacred Heart Children’s Foundation was nominated by Kimberly Thielman, in the Asuris sales office, because of the importance of educating and supporting children who have life-long medical conditions. "Education and knowledge of the disease will help kids make healthy choices to maintain their condition and minimize the flare-ups, pain and discomfort," Kimberly said.

The Sacred Heart Children’s Foundation supports Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital with everything from books and toys to medical equipment and expansion. The hospital has the largest comprehensive program for children between Seattle and Minneapolis and serves more than 40,000 children a year.

Hospital staff has advised that creating a support group for children battling chronic conditions – and promoting it with physician groups that treat these pediatric patients – reduces the risk in the 9 – 19 age group for depression and other difficulties stemming from their illness, and that intervention improves health outcomes.