Established in 2004, Community TIEs awards are given annually to nonprofit organizations that are excelling in their service to the community.  The awards recognize excellence in the use of Technology, Innovation and Evaluation.

• Technology – rewards exemplary performance and results in using technology to improve effectiveness and efficiency, and to further the mission of the organization in serving their target population (e.g., domestic violence victims, free clinic patients, etc.)
• Innovation – rewards use of creative solutions and programs to serve clients as demonstrated through successful implementation of a truly innovative concept
• Evaluation – rewards organizations that demonstrate commitment to measuring and reporting outcomes; preference is given to organizations that have used evaluation results to improve their programs and services

Along with their designation, recipient organizations in each category also receive a $10,000 unrestricted award to be used to further their mission.

Since 2004, BCBSNC Foundation has annually partnered with a North Carolina member-based organization to present the Community TIEs Awards.

• Previous awards have honored the following affiliates:
• North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2004)
• North Carolina Association of Free Clinics (2005, 2006, 2007)
• North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (2005)
• Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina (2006)
• Student Action with Farmworkers (2007)
• North Carolina Housing Coalition (2008)
• North Carolina Conservation Network (2009)

For 2010, the BCBSNC Foundation partnered with the North Carolina School Community Health Alliance (NCSCHA) - the statewide organization supporting the work of school health centers. The mission of NCSCHA is to support accessible, affordable, quality healthcare in school-based and school-linked health centers. The more than 50 school health centers in 20+ North Carolina counties are considered one of the most effective strategies for delivering preventive care, including mental health services to adolescents – a population long considered difficult to reach. Services are accessible and affordable and target the primary health issues facing our youth.

The following awardees were announced in December 2010:

• Technology Award: Wilmington Health Access for Teens (WHAT) was recognized for its implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) system covering all of its sites in New Hanover County, allowing greater capacity to track results in access to patient care, efficiencies, communication with target populations, and data analysis.
• Innovation Award: School Health Alliance for Forsyth County instituted a successful mental health consultation clinic for ages 10 and older to address the needs of center staff, school social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists and community primary care providers.
• Evaluation Award: FirstHealth of the Carolinas was recognized for its ability to successfully address childhood obesity as well as track outcomes as an outstanding example of creating a measurable program that could be a model for other centers.