Empire Health Foundation, a Spokane-based private nonprofit health foundation, has won an $858,000 federal grant to help Eastern Washington residents enroll in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act.

In October, the state exchange will begin enrolling state residents for health-care coverage that takes effect Jan. 1, 2014.

As part of its effort, Empire Health is forming a subsidiary nonprofit called Better Health Together to provide in-person support services in 14 Eastern Washington counties for people seeking help enrolling through the state insurance exchange program.

Better Health Together will lead and support at least 13 other community organizations that also will have trained associates to help people apply for enrollment or subsidies, says Kristen West Fisher, Empire Health Foundation vice president of grant programs. The foundation leases about 2,500 square feet of space on the third floor of the Banner Bank Building, at 111 N. Post.

West Fisher says the nonprofit expects it will need about 30 assistants who will be trained by September for the work in Eastern Washington, a majority of whom are currently employed by the community organizations, but that it expects about six new employees will need to be hired.

Of that six, she says she expects Better Health Together will need to hire three to four new employees, while partner groups likely will need to hire the others.

The partners include Community Minded Enterprises, Rural Resources, Community Choice, Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington, the YWCA, Christ Clinic, Community Health Association Spokane, Volunteers of America, Confluence Health, Family Health Centers, Native Project, Adams County Health Department, and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.

The organizations will focus on residents in the community who are uninsured and aren't likely to use a website or call center to get information on health plans and subsidies, West Fisher says.

"Many of them will be new to insurance, and we will have people who are trained and certified to sit down with them and help them complete the paperwork," she adds.

West Fisher adds, "We and all the partner organizations estimate we will enroll about 10,000 people in the first 18 months."

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange will require certification for those providing assistance and will lead the training for the assistants who are working for lead and partner organizations in the state, a press release from the state exchange says.

Washington state received a total of $6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop the in-person assistance program, the release says, which includes the $858,000 in funding awarded to Empire Health Foundation. The press release says the exchange also expects to receive about $1.6 million in in-kind contributions from lead organizations in the form of additional staff and other agency resources.

"Better Health Together also is giving about $90,000 in grants to partner organizations to help start this," West Fisher adds. She says that amount will come from the foundation's grant awards given out annually and is separate from the $858,000.

She says as people are referred or as they contact one of the agencies for assistance, they will be helped at the Empire Health Foundation's current location, or at one of the partner locations.

"We will probably need to move sometime here soon, or add a satellite office to accommodate the expansion," she says.

The foundation's board hasn't yet decided on any future move or additional locations, she says.

Formed in 2008, Empire Health Foundation was created to manage the net proceeds of the sale of Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital & Medical Center when they were converted from nonprofit to for-profit facilities, now owned by Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems Inc.

West Fisher says the foundation is the steward of a $45 million endowment fund held in investment. From interest earned off of that $45 million, she says the nonprofit awards about $2 million in grants a year to Eastern Washington community health initiatives.