BCBSNC Foundation Announces $75,000 in Grants To Improve Access to Health Care
Published:
August 22, 2003
Contact:
Kyle Marshall, (919) 765-4378
Michelle Douglas, (919) 765-2825
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $75,000 that will be used to improve access to health care in North Carolina.
The Foundation awarded $50,000 to the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation to support its Community Practitioner Program, a medical education loan repayment assistance program for physicians, physician assistants and family nurse practitioners. In return, these health care providers will offer their services as a primary care provider for an underserved area in North Carolina. The grant will increase the program's ability to work with local communities to improve the state's overall health care infrastructure.
The Foundation also awarded $25,000 to the Medical Foundation of North Carolina to help establish "medical homes" for children with special health care needs. Under the medical home concept, children benefit from coordinated care that is accessible, comprehensive and family-centered.
"The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation believes these two programs will have a positive, measurable impact on meeting health care needs," said Kathy Higgins, vice president of the BCBSNC Foundation and senior director of community relations at BCBSNC. "The Foundation is building a legacy of health and well-being through support of innovative solutions to community health challenges."
The North Carolina Medical Society Foundation's Community Practitioner Program is expected to help approximately 85 providers deliver indigent care valued at an estimated $4.7 million for 2003. The program was established in 1989 to improve manpower shortages in the state's health care system.
"This generous donation will help the Community Practitioner Program reach into areas of North Carolina with limited medical resources," said Elizabeth P. Kanof, M.D., president of the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation. "Placing primary care providers in these underserved communities is vital to improving health care access issues in our state."
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is a separate, independent, nonprofit Foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. The Foundation's focus areas include: Health of Vulnerable Populations - improving health outcomes of populations served by safety net organizations; Healthy Active Communities - increasing physical activity and encouraging healthy eating habits; and Community Impact through Nonprofit Excellence - increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. BCBSNC Foundation invests programs and services in response to grant requests and proactively creates initiatives or partners with organizations to address specific needs. It also coordinates several Signature Programs, among them, the Be Active Kids® and Healthy Community Institute for Nonprofit Excellence. More information is available at www.bcbsncfoundation.org.