BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation Awards New Grants To Improve Access, Strengthen Families and Advance Health Outcomes

The BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation has awarded a new round of grants to support initiatives that will expand access to care, strengthen the health care workforce, and improve outcomes for children and families across South Carolina. These investments focus on strengthening free clinics, improving oral and vision health, supporting early childhood well‑being, addressing mental health needs, and advancing trauma‑informed care in communities across the state.

Elevating Free Clinic Care

The Foundation will support the South Carolina Free Clinic Association (SCFCA) and the University of South Carolina’s Institute for Families in Society to help strengthen the state’s network of free clinics as part of overall safety net care. SCFCA will provide clinics with training, certification support and enhanced data collection using a standardized national reporting model designed to measure health outcomes and improve care delivery. USC will conduct statewide analysis to assess changing needs, evaluate clinic capacity, and determine how health policy shifts affect uninsured South Carolinians.

Together, these efforts will help clinics streamline services, improve quality and demonstrate statewide impact through performance reporting, peer benchmarking and targeted quality‑improvement initiatives that advance equity.

Organizations

South Carolina Free Clinic Association (1 year), University of South Carolina (USC) Institute for Families in Society (2 years)

Oral Health Regional Collaborative Network

The Foundation will fund a new regional oral health collaborative led by South Carolina’s technical colleges and Clemson University to strengthen oral health outcomes for underserved communities. This initiative will expand access to low‑cost dental services while enhancing hands‑on clinical training for technical college dental programs through updated equipment and community‑based learning.

Clemson health extension agents working in the Pee Dee region will focus on facilitating oral health education, connecting residents to dental care, addressing social needs, and improving coordination among oral health safety net providers.

The project is designed to increase awareness of available dental services, reduce preventable dental emergencies, and improve long‑term oral health outcomes for rural and underserved families.

Organizations

Aiken Technical College, Catholic Charities of South Carolina, Clemson University, Florence-Darlington Technical College, Foothills Community Health Care, Greenville Technical College, Helping Hands of Georgetown, Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Midlands Technical College North Charleston Dental Outreach, Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach, Trident Technical College (2 years)

Increasing Accessibility to Vision Services for Children

The Foundation is supporting Sight Savers America in expanding access to early childhood vision screenings across South Carolina. Over three years, the program will provide on-site screenings to approximately 37,000 children in Head Start centers, day cares for those with low incomes, and preschools. Early detection of vision issues will connect children to interventions such as glasses, specialty care and surgery if needed.

The project aims to improve academic performance through early intervention to correct vision issues.

Organization

Sight Savers America (3 years)

Adverse Childhood Experiences Initiative

ACEs Pediatric Learning Collaborative

The Foundation will launch the ACEs Pediatric Learning Collaborative, a pilot initiative designed to improve pediatric outcomes by integrating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) screening and coordinated family support into primary care. The project will embed early childhood development specialists into pediatric practices as part of the evidence‑based HealthySteps model and provide training for providers on the long‑term health effects of ACEs.

Through a collaborative learning environment, participating practices will implement new workflows, assess the impact of screening and referrals, and build a scalable framework for future expansion. The initiative aims to identify risks earlier, strengthen family supports, and reduce the likelihood of chronic disease later in life.

Organizations

AnMed Health, Carolina Pediatrics and Adolescent Care, HopeHealth, South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association, Tandem Health, Unity Health on Main (3 years)

Pathway to Sustainable Community Paramedicine

To strengthen access to care, particularly in rural communities, the Foundation is supporting the development of a statewide community paramedicine model. The project will create a scalable and replicable framework that enables EMS agencies to deliver nonemergent care outside the emergency department, using data‑driven triage and alternative care pathways.

By expanding this model across the state, the initiative will help patients receive care in the most appropriate setting, reduce unnecessary emergency department utilization, improve patient-provider alignment, and lead to more efficient and cost‑effective care delivery.

Organization

South Carolina Emergency Medical Services Association (3 years)

Community-Driven Mental Health Clinic for Underserved Families

The Foundation will fund the establishment of a new community‑based mental health clinic serving residents in the 29203 ZIP code, an area with a documented shortage of mental health providers. The clinic will expand access to low‑cost therapy by employing master’s and Ph.D.‑level counseling students under professional supervision.

The project will strengthen the mental health workforce by preparing future clinicians to serve high‑needs populations while helping reduce the demand for emergency mental health services and easing the burden on existing providers.

Organization

Columbia International University (2 years)

South Carolina Youth-Centered Mental Health Awareness and Education

To improve youth mental health and reduce stigma, the Foundation is supporting NAMI South Carolina’s expansion of evidence‑based mental health education programs across the state. Through initiatives such as Ending the Silence (ETS) and Mental Fitness & Mental Exercise (MFME), the project will equip students to recognize warning signs, seek help earlier and better understand mental health challenges. School staff will also receive training to identify and respond to student concerns. The initiative aims to expand access to mental health supports for more than 180,000 students and reduce attempted and completed suicide among youth.

Organization

National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) South Carolina (3 years)

Expand Trauma-Informed Care

The Foundation will expand trauma‑informed care across schools, after-school programs and community organizations statewide. These projects aim to reduce long‑term mental health complications and create safe, supportive environments for children and adults by integrating trauma‑responsive practices throughout community and educational settings.

Organizations

Boys & Girls Clubs of South Carolina (2 years), Columbia Urban League (3 years), Pathways to Healing (1 year)

The BlueCross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.