AHN Receives Generous Grant from Jennie K. Scaife Charitable Foundation

Totaling $1.8 million, the funding will support several AHN programs designed to help address some of our region’s most pressing health and wellness issues

PITTSBURGH – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today its Center for Inclusion Health (CIH), part of the AHN Medicine Institute, has again received generous grant funding from the Jennie K. Scaife Charitable Foundation in support of various programs within the Medicine Institute and AHN Women’s Institute. This marks the third annual charitable gift from the Foundation in support of AHN programs which are aimed at improved health equity across Western Pennsylvania.

This year’s gift will support AHN’s Perinatal Hope Program, Humane Health Coalition, Healthy Food Centers, Chronic Care Specialty Team, and the Intimate Partner Violence Program.

• Perinatal Hope Program – A comprehensive care model that supports pregnant and postpartum individuals with opioid use disorder by providing medications for opioid use disorder, drug and alcohol interventions, health and wellness education, social support services, and connection to community as part of their obstetrics care. Offered in collaboration between AHN CIH and the AHN Women’s Institute, the program was launched in 2016 at AHN West Penn Hospital. It has since expanded to AHN’s Jefferson, Forbes and Wexford hospitals in the Pittsburgh region, and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa. 
• Humane Health Coalition (HHC) – A partnership between Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) and AHN CIH, the HHC was launched in 2023. A key component of the coalition is a mobile clinic staffed by caregivers who provide low- to no-cost veterinary care services, as well as health care and support services for pet owners. The clinics are intended for underserved individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh region who face financial hardship and other social challenges, such as housing instability and limited access to care.
• Healthy Food Centers – A first-of-its-kind for the Greater Pittsburgh region, the AHN CIH Healthy Food Center’s six locations across the AHN footprint provide free, nutritious foods and nutrition counseling to patients who are food insecure and often struggle to properly manage health conditions. To date, more than 500,000 meals have been supplied by the Healthy Food Centers to more than 56,000 patients and their families. HFC also operates five community gardens that provided over 1,800 pounds of produce to patients in 2024.
• Chronic Care Specialty Team (CCST) – For those managing symptoms related to chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, COPD, chronic kidney disease and diabetes, the multi-disciplinary CCST takes a team-based approach to helping patients achieve better symptom control and lower their risk of complications. The CCST is based out of the Medicine Institute and provides support to patients across the network.
• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Program – Launched in 2018, the AHN IPV program is anchored by a partnership between AHN CIH caregivers and medical advocates from Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh and Alle Kiski Hope Center – two Pittsburgh-based domestic violence organizations that serve as a counseling and resource center for victims of IPV and their families. The onsite medical advocates at AHN’s Allegheny General, Allegheny Valley, Forbes, Jefferson and Wexford hospitals, and Federal North Medical Building, provide real-time response to patients who disclose domestic violence via a social determinants of health assessment.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Jennie K. Scaife Charitable Foundation for their continued support of these vital programs which address critical health disparities in our community,” said Liz Cuevas, MD, division chief, AHN Center for Inclusion Health. “Their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations is truly inspiring, and we are deeply appreciative of their partnership.”

The Jennie K. Scaife Charitable Foundation was formed in 2020 under the will of Jennie K. Scaife, who is the granddaughter of banker and industrialist Richard B. Mellon, grandniece of Andrew W. Mellon and inheritor of a portion of the family’s fortune.

The Foundation supports programs that strengthen families, address issues surrounding the health and welfare of women and children, promote animal welfare and demonstrate the beneficial interaction between humans and animals.

To learn more, visit www.jkscharitablefoundation.org.

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About Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network, a Highmark Health company, is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 23,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff.

About AHN Center for Inclusion Health

AHN Center for Inclusion Health’s mission is to transform our health care system through the development of innovative clinical care models, advocacy, training & research to better serve all people, including those experiencing social & health exclusion. Founded in 2014, Center for Inclusion Health (CIH) serves populations that are traditionally unable to access quality health care services due to socioeconomic status, geographical location, systemic inequalities, lack of health insurance & discrimination based on race, ethnicity, & sexual preference. CIH envisions a health care system free from health & social inequities, especially for vulnerable & marginalized communities.