St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation awards rural healthcare grants

Ten Eastern Iowa organizations are the recipients of $28,400 in grants as part of St. Luke’s Rural Health Care Endowment Fund, which provides matching funds for not-for-profit projects that work to improve the health and wellness of rural residents.

The recipients are:

  • Belle Plaine Area Ambulance received $5,000 to purchase a heart monitor and defibrillator. 
  • Blairstown Volunteer Ambulance Service received $5,000 for a Have a Heart Program, heart monitor and an Auto Pulse system.
  • The Benton County Volunteer Program was granted $600 to provide medical transportation for elderly residents of Benton County.
  • Clarence Ambulance Service received  $5,000 to purchase a Zoll Auto Pulsy System.
  • Elberon Fire and Rescue was granted $2,000 to purchase a Stryker stair chair and laerdal practice manikin.
  • Monticello Ambulance Service was awarded $5,000 to help with the transport of bariatric patients.
  • RSVP of Jones county was awarded $3,000 to continue helping older adults attend medical appointments with personalized transportation.
  • Ryan Volunteer Fire Department will use the $1,000 grant to purchase EZ water rescue equipment for the residents they serve.
  • Victor First Responders will received $1,000 to purchase a Braun Termo Scan 4000 Thermometer, Ferno Pedi-Pac Child Immobilizer, Ferno Vacuum Splint Kit, Heart Start FR2 AED trainer and an Advance Airway Management Trainer for the community.
  • With the $800 grant, Volunteer Services of Cedar County received $800 to  continue providing personalized transportation to medical appointments for frail adults.


The Rural Health Care Endowment Fund was established in the early 80s, during the farm crisis. This put a strain on the support of small rural community’s emergency medical services. St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation developed the idea of giving small grants to rural ambulance services. A number of corporate gifts originally established the fund and in 1996, St. Luke’s associates started designating money to this fund through annual fundraising.

Since that time, other friends of St. Luke’s have contributed to this fund. Since the first grant was made in 1980, 118 applicants have been granted over $220,000.