SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Health New England of Springfield awarded the Dr. Mark A. Keroack Health Equity Grant to five local non-profit organizations improving healthcare equity. Three Rivers doctor pays $220,000 to settle violation allegations The grant, named for the former CEO and president of Health New England who retired earlier this year, awarded $50,000 to each organization. Dr. Keroack has a passion for prioritizing healthcare for all, and he served on the committee to select the recipients of the grant. The programs selected were as follows: Community Legal Aid’s Pioneer Valley Farmworker Medical-Legal Partnership. This program enlists an attorney from its Central West Justice Center affiliate into the farmworker healthcare team at Baystate Brightwood Health Center, nicknamed “La Cliniquita.” The attorney will work at the center teaching staff about patients’ legal rights, screening for social determinants of health, conducting 'know-your-rights' workshops, and working alongside the care team to address systemic challenges patients face. Wellspring Community Harvest is expanding its Go Fresh Mobile Market's prescription produce program to Brightwood, Mason Square, and High Street Health Centers. The program provides people with diet-related illnesses with healthy foods through healthcare-prescribed fresh produce. The grant will also allow the mobile market to distribute health and nutrition information to its twelve other sites in public housing, senior housing, and community centers across Springfield. The program will involve nutrition classes, screenings, and medical advice to encourage eating fruits and vegetables to reduce health conditions like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts is developing strategies to ensure equitable, respectful, and quality care for undocumented immigrants and refugees looking for sexual and reproductive health services. The organization will use this grant to collect data, improve language accessibility with translated materials, enhance marketing efforts, and hold “know-your-rights” education sessions. Planned Parenthood will also increase the recruitment of multilingual staff. Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield plans to grow its weekly Community Meal and Community Store programs. Every Saturday, the Community Meal provides 550-600 balanced and nutritious meals cooked from scratch and made from fresh ingredients to over 180 households on a pay-what-you-can basis, totaling 31,812 meals in 2023. In The Community Store, open every Saturday, the program provides 80 to 110 households with groceries, produce, and personal care items. The Care Center’s Healthy Homes, Healthy Families program in Holyoke will be providing ten women-led, low-income families with safe, stable housing, behavioral health services, healthcare, and a tuition-free education from November 2024 to October 2025. “I am deeply honored that Health New England has chosen to celebrate my work with these generous grants to advance health equity in western Massachusetts,” said Dr. Keroack. “These organizations are critical to improving the social determinants that can have devastating effects on people’s ability to be well. They are true partners in helping improve the health of our communities in so many ways and I am grateful to see their efforts recognized and supported.” Local News Headlines New England Donor Services seeking more organ donors this holiday season Two men arrested in Holyoke narcotics operation Tips to prevent frozen pipes in extreme cold temps Biden pardons dozens of death row inmates WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.