Past Grants

The Miller-Dwan Foundation made the following grants in 2009.

From Miller-Dwan Foundation Unrestricted Funds
2009 Grants

• Woodland Hills - $10,000. To support the development of mental health programming for adolescents ages 12-18.
• CHUM - $7,500. To help fund CHUM's nursing program serving the medical needs of Duluth's homeless population.
• Life House - $12,800. To support mental health outreach programming that teaches independent living skills and creates a connection to community health resources and services for high-risk homeless youth.
• SMDC Behavioral Health - $18,640. To initiate new intensive psychotherapy groups for young adults, ages 18-25.
• SMDC - $2,500. To help bring a nationally-known inspirational speaker, author and physician, Dr. Naomi Remen to SMDC and St. Scholastica for a conversation about Our Power to Make a Difference.
• Merritt Creek Academy - $6,483. For programming that teaches self-respect, self-control, cooperation, responsibility and assertiveness in special education classrooms throughout Duluth.
• SMDC - $4,500 - To help fund a new National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators that will allow nurses and nursing leadership to review and evaluate national performance measures relative to patient outcomes.
• $3,000 to ISD 709's ARCH Program to support monthly parent resource meetings that will enhance the growth of families and children who utilize alternative educational settings.
• $15,000 to Lake Superior College to fund a collaborative demonstration project designed to address the issue of high-risk alcohol use in college students and their accompanying mental heath needs.
• $5,760 to Little Treasures Childcare Center to maintain the consulting services of a licensed social worker who can help identify early childhood mental health needs.
• $5,000 to the Union Gospel Mission for operating support that will allow workers to continue to address mental health issues among guests.
• $10,000 to the Mental Health Consumer Survivor Network's Warmlines program, a support network that provides information, empathy and referral services to consumers of mental health services.
• $20,000 to Miller-Dwan Behavioral Health for Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospital furniture, décor and lighting to create a more comfortable, calming and inviting therapeutic environment.
• $500 to the Association of preOperative Registered Nurses, Northern Lights Chapter, for their annual surgical symposium.
• $1,000 to Northland Foundation to bring Dr. Read Sulik to Duluth to discuss early childhood brain development.

Grants from the Van Gorden Fund of the Miller-Dwan Foundation

The Van Gorden Fund provides support to organizations in our region dedicated to providing people with injuries or physical disabilities assistance to reach their highest possible level of function. The following grants were awarded from this fund.

• Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center - $117,250. To fund a cooperative effort between Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center, SMDC Medical Rehabilitation Center and the SMDC facilities team to restack Polinsky's current floor-plan to provide more efficient and convenient patient services.
• $8,175 the Scottish Rite Foundation to update testing materials, integrate augmentive devices and train staff to remain a state-of-the-art communications clinic.
• $600 to Duluth Clinic Therapy Center to provide an 8-hour educational session for the 36 member SMDC rehabilitation team that focuses on assessment and treatment of pulmonary rehabilitation patients.
• $3,695 to Duluth Clinic Therapy Center to replace NuStep physical fitness equipment
• Minnesota Ballet - $3,000. To provide weekly ballet classes to children with physical challenges.
• $7,000 to Courage Center, Duluth to provide a high-quality down-hill skiing experience, complete with certified instructors, to children and adults with physical disabilities.
• $8,000 to SMDC Duluth Children's Hospital to help support a Child Life Specialist. Child Life Specialists are specially trained to support children and their families through difficult or stressful procedures.
• $3,864 to Duluth Clinic Therapy to purchase an Upper Body Ergometer to be used in the West Duluth facility for patients needing shoulder therapy.
• $3,500 SMDC Medical Center, Duluth Clinic Neurology to provide an educational conference for patients and families living with Parkinson's.
• $13,042 to the Duluth Clinic Therapy Center to equip a new physical therapy site in Maple, Wisconsin. This grant will allow the patients of northern Wisconsin to receive high quality therapy services without the need to travel to Duluth.
• $13,600 to Polinsky Children's Rehabilitation to purchase furnishings and equipment associated with the new Polinsky Children's Rehabilitation Therapy site and services.
• Ely-Bloomenson Memorial Hospital - $10,495. To purchase Biodex balance equipment to serve a growing senior population.
• Center for Independent Living - $5,000. To help create an accessible kitchen where cooking skills and kitchen safety can be taught to people with disabilities.
• SMDC Medical Rehabilitation Center - $3,000. To hold the bi-annual spinal cord conference for area professionals the include nurses, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and psychologists.

The Miller-Dwan Foundation made the following grants in 2008.

From Miller-Dwan Foundation Unrestricted Funds
2008 Grants

• Miller-Dwan Medical Center Surgical Department - $29,000 to purchase six surgical lounge stretchers to enhance patient comfort.
• Miller-Dwan Medical Center Surgical Department - $75,000 to help purchase high-level technology operating room equipment that makes it possible for patients to receive the best in world-class care.
• SMDC Organizational Learning and Development - $12,500 to create and distribute a diversity awareness DVD for SMDC and the community.
• College of St. Scholastica - $20,315 to help plan a comprehensive recovery school that will help students succeed both with their recovery from addiction and with academic performance.
• North Shore Horizons - $10,000 to provide supportive services for families who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• Union Gospel Mission - $15,000 to help pay for kitchen replacement and repair.
• Miller-Dwan Medical Center Adult Behavioral Health - $2,000 to purchase new dining room chairs for the patient dining area.
• Udac Inc. - $3,796 for STEPS, a program that supports a specialized training and exercise for low-income individuals with disabilities, chronic diseases and aging issues. 
• The Northland Foundation - $25,000 to help reduce the need for future mental health intervention by supporting reflective practice pilot projects in six childcare centers. 
• Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation - $5,000 to support local future family physicians.
• Miller-Dwan Child/Adolescent Behavioral Health - $3,230 to purchase a self-soothing autism sensory swing. This swing helps treat autistic patients by engulfing them into a self-calming environment. 
• Lake Superior Medical Society Alliance - $3,590 to supplement and enhance the health education curriculum of ISD #709 and private and parochial schools by providing health care education to 2,400 third and fourth grade students in a health fair setting. 

The Van Gorden Fund

The Van Gorden Fund provides support to organizations in our region dedicated to providing people with injuries or physical disabilities assistance to reach their highest possible level of function. The following grants were awarded from this fund.

• Miller-Dwan Rehabilitation Center - $44,230 to purchase state-of-the-art hand/arm re-education equipment for people suffering from stroke and other neurological disorders.
• Minnesota Ballet - $3,000 to allow children with cognitive or physical challenges to experience dance training.
• Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center - $72,000 to help remodel space for a new Dizziness and Balance Program.
• Duluth Clinic Fitness and Therapy Center - $7,388 to purchase cardiopulmonary exercise testing equipment that will benefit both the weight loss candidate and the elite athlete.
• Superior Senior High School - $5,000 to help purchase equipment for a new movement/sensory room for students with autism.
• Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center - $34,030 to purchase a rehabilitation tool that uses electrical stimulation to activate muscles in the lower leg to improve one's ability to walk. 
• St. Mary's of Superior - $7,545 to purchase a weight support system to help patients relearn walking skills and reduce the risk of staff injuries. 
• Miller-Dwan Rehabilitation Center - $8,000 for Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing Education for speech language pathologists. 
• SMDC Physical and Occupational Therapy - $3,170 to provide specialized training for aquatic therapy. 
• St. Mary's Acute Care - $5,000 to purchase a portable patient-lifting devise.