PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Independence Blue Cross Foundation has awarded a $50,000 Blue Safety Net grant to Gwynedd-Mercy College Adult Health Center, which serves 3,000 people from Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, and Philadelphia counties — most of whom are uninsured.
The IBC Foundation's Blue Safety Net grant will be matched by $50,000 from The Maguire Foundation, a private foundation that gives primarily to educational facilities and social service organizations.
Blue Safety Net is an IBC Foundation initiative that supports caring for our region's most vulnerable by working with nonprofit clinics to expand access to quality health care in underserved communities.
By the end of the year, the IBC Foundation, whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves, will have awarded more than $2 million in Blue Safety Net grants to more than 30 nonprofit community health clinics that serve 145,000 people. In total at year end, the foundation will have given 75 grants in the Philadelphia area totaling more than $3.25 million, including $1 million in Nurses for Tomorrow grants to 24 area nursing programs to address the region's nursing shortage.
The $100,000 in funding to the Gwynedd-Mercy College clinic from the IBC and the Maguire Foundations will enable the clinic to:
- Improve technology needed for testing patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma.
- Train nursing students for discussions with patients about improving health behaviors such as diet and smoking cessation.
- Help eligible patients apply for medical assistance or other insurance.
"When we introduced our IBC Foundation in October, we set out to transform healthcare through innovation in our community," said IBC president and CEO Daniel J. Hilferty, who serves on the IBC Foundation board. "We are proud to support Gwynedd-Mercy College's health center, whose progressive, high-impact work epitomizes the quality health care we strive to support, and we're especially pleased that our grant is being matched by The Maguire Foundation as part of its deep community commitment."
Dr. Andrea Hollingsworth, dean of the Gwynedd-Mercy College Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing said, "The support of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation is vital to our Adult Health Center's ability to serve the people of our surrounding community that have the greatest health care needs. Our partnership with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and The Maguire Foundation gives us incredible support and encouragement in our primary care and educational endeavors in the Adult Health Center. We are greatly indebted to both foundations."
"We are honored to partner with The Maguire Foundation to enable the Gwynedd-Mercy College center to add capabilities that will improve the health and wellness of their patients and the overall community," added IBC Foundation President Lorina Marshall-Blake.
Since 2004, IBC has provided $842,000 in support to Gywnedd-Mercy College's Adult Health Center and College of Nursing.
About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Launched in October 2011, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation is an independent, private foundation whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves. The foundation complements and expands upon Independence Blue Cross's 73-year commitment to improving the health and wellness of the people of southeastern Pennsylvania. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:
- Caring for our most vulnerable: Supporting nonprofit health clinics that deliver quality, cost-effective care to uninsured and underinsured people.
- Enhancing health care delivery: Strengthening the nursing workforce through education, career development and research.
- Leading innovative approaches to health care: Supporting new and creative solutions that reduce health care spending, improve quality, and expand access to care.
Visit the foundation website at www.ibxfoundation.org
About Gwynedd-Mercy College
In U.S. News & World Report's 2012 edition of "Best Colleges," Gwynedd-Mercy College ranked in the first tier of its category, which is largely attributed to its high graduation and retention rates. The college prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of allied health professions, arts and sciences, business, education and nursing. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, Gwynedd-Mercy College is a coeducational institution offering more than 40 associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs on a full- and part-time basis. Main campus is situated on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County. The college also offers degree programs for working adults through campuses in Plymouth Meeting, Philadelphia and Bensalem. Learn more at gmc.edu.