FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3, 2024

WestCare Named Winner of 2024-2025 Amazon Web Services IMAGINE Grant for Nonprofits

WestCare Foundation Will Work with AWS to Integrate Cutting-Edge AI and DevOps

Technologies to Improve Its Data Systems and Advance Behavioral Health Services

Media Contact: Dwayne Stevens

Chief Information Officer, WestCare

Phone: 865-221-8150 Ext. 51203

Email: dwayne.stevens@westcare.com

(Henderson, NV) WestCare Foundation today announced it has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant, a public grant opportunity open to registered charities in the United Kingdom and Ireland and registered 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States who are using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. The grant will support WestCare’s efforts to implement its Strategic Project for Integrating Resilient and Intelligent Technologies (SPIRIT) initiative, a transformative project to enhance care for individuals affected by substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

Now in its seventh year, the AWS IMAGINE Grant provides vital resources to nonprofit organizations looking to deploy cloud technology as a central tool to achieve mission goals. As part of the program, AWS seeks proposals for big ideas on how to leverage cloud technology in new and innovative ways to accelerate impact in local and global communities.

WestCare was named a winner in the Go Further, Faster category which recognizes highly innovative projects using advanced cloud services. WestCare will receive a combination of unrestricted funding, cloud computing credits, and engagement with AWS technical specialists. Proposals were judged on several factors including the innovative and unique nature of the project, impact on mission-critical goals, and clearly defined outcomes and milestones.

Through its SPIRIT project, WestCare will integrate cutting-edge AI and DevOps technologies from Amazon Web Services (AWS) into its Clinical Data System (CDS). This integration will streamline operations, reduce administrative burdens, and improve health outcomes for tens of thousands of individuals in the U.S. and abroad. The initiative will initially focus on automating clinical documentation, freeing up valuable time for healthcare providers to focus on direct patient care.

“With AWS’s generous support, we are poised to revolutionize our approach to behavioral health services,” said Ken Ortbals, WestCare CEO. “This grant empowers us to leverage innovative technologies to reduce provider burnout, increase efficiency, and ultimately expand access to essential care for the individuals and families we serve.”

WestCare’s SPIRIT initiative aligns with its long-standing motto of “Uplifting the Human Spirit” by addressing the critical challenges facing the behavioral health industry. By adopting AI-driven solutions, WestCare aims to enhance patient care and improve service delivery in a sector that has been overwhelmed by the opioid crisis, rising mental health needs, and a shortage of healthcare workers.

“At AWS, we’re inspired by the nonprofit sector’s unwavering commitment to preserving the dignity and health of people and our planet,” said Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of nonprofit and nonprofit health at AWS. “Our Imagine Grant winners are pioneering groundbreaking, technology-driven approaches that will amplify their mission impact and build a more equitable and compassionate world. We are thrilled to work alongside these organizations, helping them leverage the transformative capabilities of the AWS Cloud to bring these projects to life.”

Since the launch of the IMAGINE Grant program in 2018, AWS has awarded over $14M in unrestricted funds, AWS Promotional Credits, and expert technical guidance to over 130 nonprofit organizations in support of their technology-driven goals. Previous winners are currently using AWS services to tackle critical challenges such as eliminating barriers to food security, improving maternal health outcomes, helping millions access clean and safe drinking water globally, tackling rare disease research, and more.

Over 85,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide use AWS to increase their impact and advance mission goals. Through multiple programs tailored specifically to the nonprofit community, AWS enables nonprofits of all sizes to overcome barriers to technology adoption, while enhancing the scale, performance, and capabilities of mission operations.

For more information on the AWS IMAGINE Grant, visit

https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/nonprofits/aws-imagine-grant-program

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About WestCare: WestCare is an international network of nonprofits dedicated to empowering individuals through healing, growth, and change. Guided by the maxim, “Uplifting the Human Spirit,” they continuously enhance their services to build a better future for those they serve. Since their founding as a single substance abuse program in 1973, WestCare has grown into a multifaceted organization offering outpatient and residential programs for substance use, mental health disorders, shelters for victims of HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, homelessness, and criminal justice system programs. They also provide emergency support, housing, education, prevention, veteran services, and primary care integration. WestCare is committed to person-centered, science-based, and trauma-informed care. Each program addresses immediate needs while also tackling other factors that may affect an individual’s life. Recognized for clinical excellence and collaborative innovation, they operate in 17 U.S. states as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Palau, the Dominican Republic, and the Northern Mariana Islands.