BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation Awards 11 Health Priority Grants to South Carolina Organizations

The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation awarded 11 grants in the fall of 2019 to organizations working to improve the health of South Carolina’s economically vulnerable citizens.

Catholic Charities - Provide discounted full or partial dentures to the economically vulnerable through the Save a Smile program in the Pee Dee Region. (1 year).

Charleston Center – Increase access to behavioral health services for incarcerated juveniles at the Charleston County Detention Center by providing each juvenile with a behavioral health assessment and treatment plan (3 years).

City of Spartanburg – Improve early childhood outcomes for young children and their families by establishing a continuum of evidence-based services for all children born in the city of Spartanburg through the Hello Family Pay for Success project (5 years).

Clemson University – Conduct an assessment of food insecurity in seven rural counties, in order to provide localized recommendations and identify trends that can inform how communities across the state address food insecurity (1.5 years).

The Family Effect – Continue providing behavioral health assessments and treatment to incarcerated juveniles in Greenville County by providing each juvenile with a behavioral health assessment and treatment plan (1 year).

Greenville Technical Foundation – Support the growing needs of the dental clinic through the addition of supplies and equipment (1 year).

Medical University of South Carolina Foundation – Increase access to preventive dental care by piloting the co-location of dental hygienists in rural health clinics in the Pee Dee region (2.5 years).

South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control – Building on the statewide FitnessGram data infrastructure, this project will continue statewide data analysis and establish a learning collaborative of school districts to increase time for physical activity during the school day, increase intensity of physical activity opportunities and improve the quality of physical education (3.5 years).

South Carolina Free Clinic Association – Support charitable medical clinics across the state to provide direct health care services to uninsured South Carolinians (4 years).

South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association – Establish a statewide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation network, which will promote social and emotional development in young children, address challenging behaviors and prevent suspension and expulsion from preschools (3 years).

University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health (Core for Applied Research & Evaluation) – To develop a refined and comprehensive statewide approach to addressing social determinants of health in partnership with HealthBegins (6 months).

Headquartered in Columbia, the Foundation's mission is to promote and support healthier South Carolinians, particularly the economically vulnerable, by supporting solutions to address gaps in health care and serving as an agent of change to support innovation and value-added public-private partnerships.