News
S.C. BlueCross Foundation Awards More Than $12 Million in Grants in 2008 - 12/11/2008
Columbia, S.C. – The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation awarded grants this year totaling $12,321,109, the largest amount awarded in its five years of operation.
Over the five years, the foundation has granted a total of $22.6 million to address such issues as childhood health, community health, the increasing need for free medical clinics, mental health, nursing, and research – all to organizations in South Carolina that serve South Carolinians.
The foundation decides on its grant awards twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The latest round, decided in November, includes funding for groups located throughout the state. The recipients are:
• Barrier Island Free Medical Clinic, Johns Island - for a portion of three professional staff salaries.
• Beaufort Women’s Clinic serving Beaufort and Jasper counties - for a part-time nurse manager salary, training and additional prenatal care and testing.
• Carolina Youth Development Center, Charleston - for nurse’s salary, hygiene packs and medical supplies.
• Crisis Ministries, Charleston - for medical and dental services for the homeless health clinic located at the Crisis Ministries shelter.
• The Dee Norton Low Country Children’s Center serving Charleston and Berkeley counties - to facilitate the access and provision of comprehensive intervention services.
• East Cooper Community Outreach, Mt. Pleasant - in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina’s School of Dental Medicine, to provide restorative and emergency dental care.
• Free Medical Clinic of Newberry County - for prescription medications, medical supplies, salary for receptionist, and health insurance for full time employees.
• Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic of Laurens County - for part-time staff salary, pharmacy expense, medical supplies and office supplies.
• Helping Hands Free Medical Clinic, Marion County - for salaries, specialized care, supplies and medical equipment.
• The Leadership Institute at Columbia College - to implement a community leadership and health improvement program in the Eau Claire area of Columbia.
• Pregnancy Center & Clinic of the Low Country serving Beaufort and Jasper counties - for direct patient care.
• South Carolina “Eat Smart, Move More” Coalition, statewide - to develop an action plan for a community wide obesity prevention program for children and adolescents.
• South Carolina First Steps/South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control/Nurse Family Partnership - for two First Steps offices, paid over three years, to provide care for children from prenatal to two years old and their mothers who are enrolled in programs in Horry, Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties.
• South Carolina Free Clinic Association - for administrative salary for research in Lee and Sumter counties.
• The Sullivan Center at Clemson University - for mobile healthcare unit salaries, maintenance and data and records system.
Grants awarded in the spring went to Healthy Learners, S.C. Department of Education for statewide Healthy Schools program, Welvista statewide prescription assistance, USC Center for Colon Cancer Research/S.C. Gastroenterology Association, Anderson Free Medical Clinic, Columbia Oral Health Clinic, Community Initiatives for a nurse practitioner in the Greenwood county, Early Learning Partnership of York County, Free Medical Clinic in Columbia, Good Neighbor Free Medical Clinic of Beaufort, Good Samaritan Free Medical Clinic serving Chester County, Greenville Free Medical Clinic, Mercy Medicine Clinic (Lake City Free Medical Clinic), serving Florence and Williamsburg counties, S.C. Free Medical Clinic Association, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic serving Spartanburg county, Volunteers in Medicine for a diabetes clinic in Hilton Head Island, S.C., MIRCI for housing and homeless programs in the Midlands region, S.C. Nurses Foundation for nursing faculty programs, Summit Parkway Middle School’s academy of exercise physiology and sports medicine, and the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Health at the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Clemson University.
Headquartered in Columbia, the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation is a philanthropic affiliate of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. It was created to identify and help solve South Carolinians’ health problems, with special emphasis on access, affordability and quality of health care. The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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