Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/31/2022 --Intermountain Healthcare is donating $540,000 and partnering with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (UDVC) to assist Utahns who need help in recovering from the impacts of abuse.
Domestic and sexual violence cases have been on the rise throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Data show that cases of domestic violence rose 8.1 percent in Utah since the pandemic began in early 2020.
The UDVC is a private nonprofit organization recognized nationally for providing advocacy, education, and expertise concerning issues of domestic and sexual violence to member programs, community partners and others in Utah. Their membership includes the nonprofit domestic violence shelters and sexual assault advocacy organization.
The donation from Intermountain will help cover operations costs of UDVC members in their effort to support and stabilize community organizations. These community organizations help provide the appropriate resources that victims need to address healing from trauma such as, but not limited to, the reduction of psychological sufferings and coping mechanisms.
"Access to resources is an essential part of the healing process," shared Mikelle Moore, senior vice president and chief community health officer at Intermountain Healthcare. "The members of the UDVC work together to support domestic violence survivors in a way that makes access easier and the use of funds more efficient. Intermountain is proud to support their efforts ensuring services are available where and when survivors need it."
Intermountain's contribution will be paid in two annual installments of $270,000 beginning in 2022. The contributions will be given to the UDVC, who then distributes them equally ($15,000 each) to 18 local organizations.
"The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition and our member programs are so grateful for the financial support from Intermountain Healthcare in meeting the increased need for services for survivors," said Jennifer Campbell, Executive Director of UDVC. "Having operational funding will help our programs continue to provide their life-saving services and ensure that when someone is in need, they can find help."
Data in Utah shows that one in six women and one in 25 men experience rape or attempted rape during their lifetime and about one in three women will experience some form of sexual violence during their lives. The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition says that in a women's lifetime, one in three women will experience domestic violence in the state of Utah.
To learn more about the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, visit udvc.org.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Located in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, the Intermountain Medical Group with some 2,700 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health plans division called SelectHealth, Homecare, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.