FPEO Foundation for Patient Education Outreach

Clear health guidance should reach everyone.

The Foundation for Patient Education Outreach helps healthcare organizations deliver understandable, accessible patient education on the devices people already use, at the moments it matters most.

  • No app required
  • Accessible formats
  • Designed for reach
A person using a mobile phone to access health information

Our mission

To advance health equity by making trusted patient education easy to access, easy to understand, and available to every community.

We support healthcare providers and community partners with the tools, content, and implementation resources needed to reach people across geography, ability, language, and socioeconomic circumstance.

What we do

We close the gap between receiving instructions and understanding care.

Our programs strengthen the full patient education continuum, from content development through delivery, engagement, and evaluation.

01

Digital access initiatives

We fund and implement mobile-first education delivered by text message and through existing EHR and EMR workflows, reducing the need for new accounts, portals, or apps.

02

Accessible content

We support plain-language written guidance, captioned video, audio narration, strong contrast, keyboard navigation, screen-reader compatibility, and adaptable text presentation.

03

Community reach

We help rural, Tribal, frontier, and medically underserved communities extend reliable education beyond clinic walls and across long travel distances.

04

Capacity building

We equip safety-net providers, community health organizations, and nonprofit partners with reusable education libraries, workflow support, and staff training.

05

Language access

We promote culturally responsive, patient-centered communication and multilingual delivery shaped with community input and appropriate review.

06

Measurement & learning

We help partners define outputs and outcomes, monitor engagement and comprehension, and use findings for continuous quality improvement.

A patient watching digital health education on a mobile phone at home

Meet people where they are

Digital delivery that fits naturally into care.

Education can arrive through familiar text messages or within existing clinical systems. Timely sequences can reinforce preparation, recovery, medication, follow-up, and self-management without requiring patients to learn another platform.

  • Mobile-friendly and low-friction
  • Compatible with established care workflows
  • Available before, between, and after visits
  • Designed for patients and the people who support them

Who we serve

One mission. Practical value across the care continuum.

Our support is designed around the distinct needs of organizations, care teams, and the people who rely on them.

For healthcare systems

Standardize accessible patient education across facilities, service lines, and care transitions while supporting consistent governance, local flexibility, clinical oversight, and measurable outcomes.

  • Consistent content across service lines
  • EHR and EMR workflow alignment
  • Equity-focused outcome measurement

For clinics

Extend clear guidance beyond the visit with practical implementation support that fits existing workflows, reduces repetitive tasks, and requires no additional patient-facing app.

  • Ready-to-adapt education pathways
  • Support for setup and implementation
  • Less repetitive education work

For providers

Reinforce clinical conversations with timely information patients can revisit, helping care teams support comprehension, focus on individual needs, and strengthen follow-through.

  • Pre- and post-visit reinforcement
  • Teach-back and comprehension support
  • More time for individual needs

For patients and caregivers

Receive understandable guidance in accessible formats at useful moments, with simple ways to review information and share it with caregivers and trusted supporters.

  • Text, audio, video, and plain language
  • No new app or portal required
  • Inclusive, low-barrier access

Access by design

Equity is not an add-on. It is the starting point.

A person’s ZIP code, disability, income, insurance status, age, preferred language, or comfort with technology should not determine whether health information is understandable and usable.

Disability inclusion

Multiple formats support people who are blind or have low vision, people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and people with cognitive or mobility disabilities.

Rural reach

Remote delivery helps reinforce care for people who live far from specialty centers or face transportation and workforce shortages.

Economic inclusion

We prioritize low-barrier delivery and partnerships that make education available regardless of income or ability to pay.

Health literacy

Plain language, focused steps, and comprehension checks help people make informed decisions with greater confidence.

A nurse and patient discussing care in an examination room
Education that respects each person’s needs, circumstances, and goals.

A grant-ready framework

Built for accountable, sustainable impact.

We align funding with community-defined needs, practical implementation, measurable results, and responsible stewardship.

1

Listen

Assess needs with patients, caregivers, providers, and community organizations.

2

Co-design

Adapt content and delivery to the audience, setting, and care journey.

3

Implement

Support technology, integration, training, and change management.

4

Evaluate

Track reach, engagement, comprehension, experience, and equity indicators.

Outcomes we seek

  • Greater reach among priority populations
  • Improved understanding and confidence
  • Better preparation and follow-through
  • Reduced avoidable communication barriers
  • Stronger organizational capacity
  • Scalable, replicable education models

FPEO access grants

Bring free digital patient outreach to your community.

FPEO offers grants to healthcare systems, clinics, and providers seeking to make digital patient education available at no cost to the people they serve.

Funding is intended to support accessible content, digital delivery, implementation, training, and responsible outcome measurement.

Eligible applicantsHealthcare systemsClinics and health centersIndividual and group providers
01

Internal champion

Identify a point of contact who will coordinate the project, support internal adoption, and serve as the primary liaison with FPEO.

02

Need and justification

Describe the population you serve, the patient education barriers you aim to address, and why grant support will make a meaningful difference.

03

Implementation timeline

Provide a realistic plan with preparation, launch, staff participation, patient outreach, and key milestones for the proposed grant period.

04

Outcome reporting

Commit to reporting on reach, engagement, implementation progress, lessons learned, and agreed measures of patient education access and experience.

Ready to request an application?

Share a brief introduction to your organization and proposed patient education initiative. We will provide current grant-cycle information and next steps.

Funding availability and award terms vary by grant cycle. Submission does not guarantee an award.
Request a grant application

Who we work with

Partnership makes access possible.

Health systemsCommunity health centersPublic agenciesPatient advocacy groupsRural providersTribal health organizationsAcademic institutionsHealthcare companiesPhilanthropic funders

Patient resources

Find specialized care.

Explore trusted, interactive tools for locating care. Listings and availability should be confirmed directly with each center.

These resources are provided for general informational purposes and do not constitute a referral, endorsement, or medical advice. Center information can change, so please confirm services and availability directly with the organization.

Invest in understanding

Help make clear health education available to everyone.

We welcome conversations with funders, healthcare organizations, community partners, and patient advocates interested in advancing equitable access.