Vidant Beaufort Hospital’s Community Benefit Grants program is looking for recipients for a new round of grants.

To that end, the hospital is accepting letters of intent from interested parties seeking grant funding for projects in the program’s health-related emphasis areas of access to care, prevention of chronic disease, management of chronic disease and nutrition/physical activity.

“The Community Benefit Grants program demonstrates the commitment of Vidant Health and Vidant Beaufort Hospital to improve the health of the community beyond the walls of the hospital. The grant program also gives us the opportunity to fund programs that are consistent with our mission of enhancing the quality of life for the people in our community that we touch, serve and support,” said Harvey Case, president of Vidant Beaufort Hospital.

The Beaufort-Pantego Community Center used such a grant to fund its Growing a Fit Community project. The project offers education in the Pantego community about chronic disease management and prevention in the areas of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, heart disease, nutrition and obesity by providing classes in healthful lifestyles and cooking.

Other programs benefitting from the CBG program include, but are limited to, the following:

• Metropolitan Community Health Services/340B Pharmacy Program — The 340B drug discount pharmacy program provides consistent availability of steeply discounted medications to low income and uninsured patients to help them better manage chronic disease.

• Boys and Girls Club of Washington and Belhaven, Triple Play/Healthy Habits — Promotes healthful nutrition and physical activity as tools to reinforce positive behavior, develop interpersonal skills and increase self-esteem for low-income children and youth, ages 6-18, in Washington and Belhaven.

The grants will be awarded as part of the 2014-2015 Community Benefit Grants program; the grant cycle period is July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015. There will be two grant programs available, one focused on the eastern part of Beaufort County and mainland Hyde County and another focused on the Washington, Chocowinity and Aurora areas.

Letters of intent are now being accepted through an electronic process. To access this process, go to www.vidantmedicalcenterfoundation.org/communitybenefit. There will be a description of the program and a link to the letter of intent process. Please ensure to link to the correct hospital’s grants program for which you are applying.

Letters of intent must be submitted by Jan. 20, 2014.