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Health Insurance Providers Actions Concerning SDOH

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Published Mar 21, 2023 • by AHIP

  • and Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, have announced a partnership to continue diversifying the national blood stem cell donor registry. The agreement is part of Aflac's overall campaign commemorating National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, both of which occur in September. Since 1995, Aflac has contributed more than $160 million to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the largest sickle cell care provider in the United States. Aflac and Be The Match are conducting an ongoing digital registration drive aimed at adding hundreds of Aflac employees and sales agents to the national registry of volunteer blood stem cell and marrow donors. Together, the 2 companies will work alongside NBA player Marcus Smart, who lost his brother and mother to blood cancer, to shine a light on health care inequities that exist, particularly as it relates to the diversity of blood stem cell and marrow registries. Their efforts include a webinar hosted by U.S. News and World Report on September 28.
  • AmeriHealth Caritas has announced the creation of a new company, Social Determinants of Life, Inc. An early pioneer in addressing the health outcomes of people who are challenged by poverty and disability, AmeriHealth Caritas is now pursuing a longer-term focus on resilience and life outcomes. The Social Determinants of Life category encompasses all of the social and environmental factors that engender or inhibit wellness and opportunity. As an initial move to accelerate promising work in social determinants and life outcomes, the company has made a substantial Series B investment of $29 million in Wider Circle, a California-based startup that builds tech-enabled, hyper-local health programs and peer-to-peer social networks. Through Social Determinants of Life, Inc., AmeriHealth Caritas is now the single largest shareholder in Wider Circle and will have a seat on the company’s board of directors.
  • , which serves 7 counties across the state, recently delivered school supplies to more than 2,000 families during 5 special back-to-school events. The supplies included pencil cases filled with essentials such as pencils, pens, Post-it Notes, and rulers. In addition, AmeriHealth Caritas Florida also donated 300 more pencil cases to Bethel Evangelical Church in Miami-Dade County and another 200 to Children’s Outreach Inc. in Palm Beach County.
  • has donated $50,000 to United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Ida Relief Fund. The donation will provide ongoing assistance to hurricane victims, especially those impacted by food instability and loss of other critical supplies due to prolonged power outages and structural damage. United Way of Southeast Louisiana has been a local partner of AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana for many years, and will expedite the funds to local organizations providing daily boots on the ground support. In addition to the monetary donation, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana staff filled a truck with supplies in Houston, Texas and drove it to Louisiana to distribute to hurricane victims in the New Orleans area. Similar efforts to fulfill additional urgent needs with hands-on resources continue alongside United Way and other community-based organizations throughout impacted Louisiana communities.
  • AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina announced it has made $7,500 in donations to support community agencies across the state in addressing the needs of families impacted by the current economic downturn. Donations were made in May to the following agencies: Welfare Reform Liaison Project (Guilford County); Central Piedmont Community Action (Chatham, Orange, Durham, Randolph counties); Wayne Action Group for Economic Solvency (WAGES) Inc. (Wayne County); Better Health of Fayetteville (Cumberland County); and Men and Women United for Youth and Families (Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus Counties).
  • iHeartIMPACT and are continuing their multi-year partnership to combat food insecurity and improve health in marginalized communities by partnering with non-profit Common Threads to provide hands-on culinary programming focused on food as medicine in under-resourced schools in Los Angeles. To support their ongoing commitment to the Los Angeles community, iHeartMedia, Anthem Blue Cross, and Common Threads will launch culturally responsive hands-on food as medicine programs in three LAUSD schools including Manual Arts High School, Baldwin Hills Elementary, and Coliseum Street Elementary to ensure students and families not only have access to nutritious food but also build the skills to prepare healthy meals that can help combat obesity and food-related chronic conditions or diseases.
  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine partnered with the Maine Education Association (MEA) Benefits Trust to provide free vision screenings, eye exams, and eyewear to more than 5,000 students in Lewiston. The Anthem Blue View Vision business unit covered the cost of the clinic and all services that were provided to students free of charge.
  • Western Kentucky University (WKU) and have announced an endowed scholarship to expand the number of frontline workers in the western region of the state, increase access to care, and improve health equity in Kentucky’s rural areas. The Anthem Medicaid Rural Medicine Scholarship will support up to 4 students at WKU through a $100,000 gift from Anthem Medicaid that will serve students for years to come.
  • has partnered with Henderson Christian Community Outreach to feed more families in the community. Through Anthem Medicaid’s “Fresh Fridge” program, Henderson Christian Community Outreach was named the recipient of a new refrigeration unit to disperse a wider variety of nutritious food. The “Fresh Fridge” program is part of Anthem Medicaid’s ongoing effort to address the social determinants of health and continued commitment to improving health outcomes of its members and at-risk Kentuckians. Since the start of the pandemic, Anthem Medicaid has donated over $2.2 million to reduce food insecurity throughout the state.
  • in Georgia is partnering with Everyone Eats Foundation to serve communities in need across metro-Atlanta. Anthem recently provided Everyone Eats with a $150,000 grant to help the organization secure a fixed facility that will be located on the west side of Atlanta. This space will include an Anthem-branded food pantry, community garden and a restaurant/soup kitchen.
  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri announced $450,000 support of Southeast Missouri Food Bank and Aging Ahead that will help acquire more food and organize more distribution events for the many families in southeast Missouri and the St. Louis area facing hunger. Nearly 1 in 6 Missouri residents lacks reliable access to healthy food – according to data available at “Close to Home,” a social driver of health information tool available through Anthem, Inc., the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.By addressing both social isolation and food insecurity through their partnership with Aging Ahead, Anthem will help ensure individuals and their caregivers in St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin counties are not forgotten. The 3-year agreement will provide over 7,500 meals annually to homebound older adults, virtual and in-person programming, newsletter distribution, and social media outreach to thousands.
    • Anthem, Inc. has invested $87.9 million in affordable housing funds across the state of Indiana as part of its continuing efforts to improve lives and communities. The funds support the whole health needs of local individuals, families and communities providing 1,139 affordable housing apartment units, townhomes and single-family homes in Avon, Bloomington, Columbia City, Culver, Fort Wayne, Gary, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, New Castle, Spencer, and Vincennes. Anthem has committed over $410 million to affordable housing in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The multi-year effort will address and create a more stable housing environment for many vulnerable individuals, families and even those who are living with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Anthem will continue to be part of these developments and communities providing on-site health and support services to help residents monitor and promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
  • hosted a free self-defense class for River Valley residents. The class was taught by a certified instructor from Krav Maga of Fort Smith. Health experts say knowing a few simple self-defense techniques can boost your self-confidence, improve your balance, increase your physical fitness, and give you peace of mind.
  • has made a $500,000 donation to GENYOUth’s End Student Hunger Fund, which supported the delivery and distribution of nutritious school meals to many high-need schools and students during National Nutrition Month in March.
  • has made a $37 million contribution to Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to end domestic violence and help California become the healthiest state. The nonprofit health plan has contributed more than $192 million to its Foundation during the past 5 years.
  • has made $150,000 in community investments in the San Joaquin Valley to promote health equity and help build healthy families. Six community-based organizations throughout the region will each receive $25,000 to help support initiatives that provide fresh groceries, hands-on job training, and housing services.
  • A new series of five guides about youth mental health were introduced today by Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky program through a collaboration with the Child Mind Institute. Published on the BlueSky website, the collection covers a wide range of youth mental health issues, including trauma, racism, depression, LGBTQ+ issues, and anxiety. The guides provide tips on how to identify mental health challenges, as well as resources for taking action to address concerns and access professional help.
    • has made a $40-million contribution to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to end domestic violence and to make California the healthiest state. The nonprofit health plan has contributed more than $150 million to its foundation over the past four years.
    • Blue Shield of California Through their jointly-operated Community Resource Centers, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and L.A. Care Health Plan are rolling out a series of the drive-thru and walk-up food pantry events across Los Angeles County in response to the growing food insecurity burdening nearly every community. The food distribution events, which will start February 20, 2021, and run throughout the year, are free and open to everyone. All safety guidelines recommended by public health officials will be followed. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank reports an estimated 1 in 4 people in Los Angeles County lives with food insecurity – the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hunger problem that already existed. Before the pandemic, 1 in 5 people struggled with access to food.
  • Blue Cross of Idaho has announced a $2 million donation to the Treasure Valley YMCA to build a second THRIVE center as part of the new Downtown Boise YMCA project. The THRIVE Center (Together Helping Realize Inclusive Victories Everyday) is a safe space for those who are on the autism spectrum or have physical or cognitive disabilities. In September 2019, Blue Cross of Idaho donated $1 million to the Treasure Valley YMCA to build a THRIVE Center at the South Meridian YMCA, which opened in February 2020.
  • has awarded nearly $2 million to 39 nonprofit organizations committed to improving the health and wellness of Illinois residents. The Community Recovery and Rebuild Fund was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is funded through BCBSIL’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® program, which distributes grants to organizations that work to address health and wellness issues at a grassroots level. The grant process for this fiscal year addresses social determinants of health, with a specific focus on five areas that can have a measurable, positive impact on the health and wellness of the population:
    • Health care access and quality
    • Education access and quality
    • Economic stability
    • Social and community context
    • Neighborhood and built environment
  • is awarding 15 community-based organizations a total of $1 million in funding to promote expanded access to preventive health care resources, including wellness visits, screenings, vaccinations, and health education. These organizations will use the funding to host local events, share educational resources and spread the word about how residents can access care in their communities. Services provided as a result of the grants will include COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, routine pediatric and adult vaccinations, access to dental, behavioral, infant and maternal health care, and wellness screenings. These grants are part of BCBSIL’s Wellness Can’t Wait campaign, which focuses on empowering people to take a proactive approach to their health aimed at impacting their long-term wellness.
  • (BCBSIL) is hosting a series of fresh farmers markets, vaccine clinics, and Community Care Fairs throughout the state to continue driving equitable access to health and wellness resources. BCBSIL is supporting members and residents by joining forces with community groups and hosting events to offer free resources ranging from vaccine clinics to fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh farmers markets and vaccine clinics will be hosted at BCBSIL’s Blue Door Neighborhood Centers and feature free produce giveaways and immunizations for the flu (ages 6 months and up), COVID-19 (ages 12 and up), and pneumonia (ages 65 and up). Community Care Fairs will offer free health screenings, flu shots, fresh produce, haircuts, winter coat giveaways and more. With twelve events scheduled to date through 2021, Community Care Fairs are also planned for Oct. 23 in Springfield, Nov. 13 in Joliet, and Nov. 20 in Chicago.
  • (BCBSIL) announced a $20,000 grant sponsorship to the Herrin House of Hope, a community network committed to fighting area poverty. Consisting of local churches, businesses, and volunteers, the Herrin House of Hope supports residents who are unable to meet their basic needs. Grant funds will support operations as the Herrin House of Hope continues to offer free care for those who need it most — including daily hot lunches, GED classes, an auxiliary food pantry, thrift store, emergency housing, utility assistance, skills development training, spiritual support, and more. Through partnerships with community-based organizations across the state, BCBSIL is connecting those in need in Illinois communities with local support and resources as part of its Wellness Can’t Wait initiative. For this grant, all proceeds go toward supporting the ministry, which has seen increased demand throughout the pandemic.
    • announced that an expanded pool of 175 non-profit organizations will each be receiving $20,000 in grants to address crucial needs for people across the state as a result of COVID-19. Last month, BCBSIL opened applications for this second round of quick-release funding as part of its COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund. The grant program is aimed at supporting community-based organizations doing work in five focus areas – access to care, hunger, shelter and behavioral health care, and COVID-19 health education and vaccine access. Originally announced in February as a $1.5M grant opportunity, BCBSIL more than doubled the amount of available funds by reinvesting payments from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for providing quality care to Medicaid members.
    • is providing new resources to help improve the health outcomes of pregnant women and their infants in underserved communities across Illinois.BCBSIL is announcing more than $350,000 in grant funding to six community-based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes on Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
    • has opened an additional round of quick-release funding to support community-based organizations supporting five focus areas – access to care, hunger, shelter and behavioral health, and COVID-19 health education and vaccine access. This grant cycle will again offer 75 grants of $20,000 and is open to prior recipients of BCBSIL’s COVID-19 Community Collaboration funding. However prior grantees are not guaranteed a second award. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois awarded $1.5 million to 75 organizations during the first round of the COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund in May 2020.
    • (BCBSIL) is committed to working to help improve health outcomes by increasing access to nutritious food in communities across Illinois. According to Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, more than 1.2 million people in Illinois — or one out of eight residents — was facing hunger in 2020, and they project 10.9% of the state’s population will face food insecurity in 2021. BCBSIL has joined forces with Feeding America to award more than $150,000 in funding to four organizations committed to combatting food insecurity across Illinois:
      • Central Illinois Food Bank
      • Eastern Illinois Food Bank
      • Greater Chicago Food Depository
      • Northern Illinois Food Bank

    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) announced that the Blue Door Neighborhood CenterSM (BDNC) locations in Pullman, Morgan Park, and South Lawndale are now open for in-person wellness classes and services. Blue Door Neighborhood Centers offer no-cost programming focused on physical, mental and social health, and are open to everyone — both BCBSIL members and non-members alike. Overall, Blue Door Neighborhood Centers provided more than 700 virtual and outdoor opportunities since the start of the pandemic –continuing to engage community members on-line and through socially-distant, outdoor events, such as our recent vaccination events, produce-box giveaways, pop-up fitness classes and Earth Week plant distributions.
  • Four Washtenaw County-based organizations were awarded grant funding designed to support the health and well-being for older adults by enhancing facilities, accessibility, and services within their local communities, including intergenerational programming. A collective $670,000 was awarded throughout a 3-year program named Creating Community Connections and Spaces. Funding partners include , the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation.
  • and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation has announced over $270,000 in grant awards to 7 organizations through the Advancing Maternal Health Equity grant program. Funds will support Michigan community-based organizations implementing sustainable initiatives that advance health equity and reduce a birthing person’s risk of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The Advancing Maternal Health Equity grant program was targeted toward community-based organizations located within the 5 Regional Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaboratives regions of the state identified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as having the highest feto infant mortality and maternal mortality rates with a goal of advancing maternal health equity by addressing disparities-related factors in maternal health.
  • , Blue Cross Complete of Michigan, and United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) have announced $243,500 in grant funding awarded to 110 food pantries as part of the Food Pantry Grant Program, to improve access to nutrient-rich foods including dairy, fruit, and vegetables. The food pantries, located in 42 counties, serve more than 56,000 Michigan residents monthly. Out of the 110 awarded organizations, 73 (66%) specifically identified seniors as a population that their food pantry serves, just one of several population groups facing higher rates of hunger and food insecurity.
  • The , along with the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation and The Children’s Foundation, have awarded $200,000 in grants to organizations focused on addressing community health issues. The ‘Building Health Care Bridges to Stable Health’ grant programs will directly address the social determinants of health tied to a higher prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases and mental illness in at-risk individuals.
  • Students at 6 Michigan school districts will see new salad bars in their school cafeterias when they return from winter break, thanks to a partnership between and United Fresh Start Foundation. The salad bars will be installed in 20 schools and are part of the national Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which provides equipment and resources to empower children to make healthier food choices, including trying new items and incorporating a greater variety of fruits and vegetables into daily meals. Since 2015, over 100 salad bars have been placed in Michigan schools with support from Blue Cross, benefitting more than 50,000 students. Food service staff will receive a commercial grade sectionizer-slicer to easily and quickly prepare a variety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables for stocking the salad bar.
  • , the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation have announced $650,000 in grant funding to 14 organizations for evidence-based, sustainable initiatives that address food and nutrition insecurity to improve health equity through Michigan’s local food systems. The collaboration invited proposals from Michigan-based local food policy councils and nonprofit organizations seeking funding for strategies tailored to the local needs and culture within their communities. Initiatives funded included serving Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) individuals and families, seniors, mothers and children, and Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities. Innovative initiatives tailored to the community that included collaboration among multiple stakeholders, addressed health equity and with strong sustainability plans were prioritized.
  • More than 200 schools statewide were awarded the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) program, a public-private school-based initiative that supports children’s health by providing teachers, administrators, and students the resources, curriculum, equipment, and professional development to create healthier school environments, prevent childhood obesity, reduce chronic disease, improve academic achievement, and address mental health and well-being. Launched in 2009, BHC is supported by multiple statewide organizations, including , Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Michigan Fitness Foundation, Michigan State University Extension, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University Center for Health and Community Impact. Of the 212 participating schools, 78% are in low-income, under-resourced communities in areas of great need across the state. Providing resources in areas of greatest need increases both the opportunity to address disparities and positively impact marginalized groups. It is expected that the BHC program this school year will serve more than 91,000 students in Michigan., the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation have established a collaboration to improve health equity through Michigan’s local food systems. This collaboration invites proposals from Michigan-based local food policy councils and nonprofit organizations seeking funding for evidence-based, sustainable initiatives addressing food and nutrition insecurity. Food policy councils and nonprofit organizations in collaboration with or with the support of a local food policy council in the Lower Peninsula may apply for a grant to develop and implement a project that addresses food insecurity and limited access to healthy food, along with resulting inequitable and negative health impacts in effective, sustainable ways. Nonprofit organizations in Lower Peninsula areas without an established local food policy council may apply for funding.
    • – Michigan K-12 schools are invited to apply for Building Healthy Communities, a public-private initiative supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and designed to address mental health and well-being and prevent childhood obesity through school-based wellness programming along with raising attention to issues that have emerged due to the pandemic. Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is an evidence-based, comprehensive, school-wide initiative that supports children’s health by providing students, teachers and administrators with tools and resources to improve the health of students and staff while creating a healthier school environment.
    • and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation donated $300,000 to six community-based nonprofits to support permanent house initiatives that can help improve racial and economic health equity. Supportive housing has been linked with intensive case management and voluntary life-improving services such as health care and child welfare.
  • and Blue Plus (Blue Plus) announced a new program with Second Harvest Heartland and Project Well to study the impact of comprehensive dietary support on maternal and infant health outcomes.The research project will recruit pregnant Black and Indigenous Blue Plus members with indicators linked to high-risk pregnancy to participate and receive up to seven months of nutrition benefits and services. The program will also take into consideration the nutritional needs of the whole household, including other children. and Blue Plus donated $400,000 to six organizations to help with housing stability initiatives. Inadequate housing can contribute to health inequities and has been linked health problems such as chronic disease that can impact childhood development.
  • (BCBSMT) has awarded Alliance for Youth a $50,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant. The funding will support efforts to improve well-being, reduce depression and prevent suicide; prevent substance abuse among youth and support parents and guardians struggling with substance abuse; and strengthen families, encourage nurturing parenting and reduce child abuse and neglect. The project will serve Montanans in Cascade, Pondera and Teton counties with a focus on Great Falls and the surrounding rural communities, according to Alliance for Youth. It will place emphasis on serving urban Native American populations from the Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Chippewa Cree, Gros Ventre and Little Shell tribes; homeless youth and children in foster care; parents; community members with mental health and substance abuse issues and concerns, and veterans.
    • awarded Missoula’s Friends of the Children a $50,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® grant to strengthen the organization’s ability to impact long-term outcomes for children facing challenges such as intergenerational poverty, trauma, and risk of entry into the foster care system. The HKHF initiative is an ongoing commitment by BCBSMT to invest in and partner with like-minded nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in the five following focus areas: nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, substance abuse prevention, and suicide prevention.
    • In an effort to combat hunger, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is joining forces with MontanaFair to support Family Service through the Million Can Crusade. Montana Fair runs from August 13-21 at the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds in Billings, and fairgoers are encouraged to bring 1-4 cans of food (per person/per day) to the fair for discounted admission. Collection canisters will be placed in First Interstate Arena and the goal of the partnership is to capture 1 million cans of food, which will be donated to Family Service. Family Service will collect, process, and distribute the food. As part of its annual commitment of more than $500,000 to like-minded nonprofits throughout Montana, food security is among BCBSMT’s chief focus areas.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico has received a $15,000 grant from Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Mentoring Outdoors program, which enhances Big Brothers Big Sisters’ evidence-based one-to-one mentoring model by providing outdoor physical activities and adventure opportunities to children who might not ordinarily have the chance to participate in activities outdoors and in nature.
  • (BCBSNM) donated $20,000 worth of food to communities in the Navajo Nation that reside in food deserts where the closest grocery store can be over a 30-minute drive. The 3-month initiative served 1,000 families and delivered over 15,000 pounds of food to residents during food drops at Whitehorse Lake, Torreon, Ojo Encino and Pueblo Pintado in October, November and December.
  • Fraction Farms, located in Corrales, has received a $14,250 grant from (BCBSNM) Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support Fraction Farm’s 2023 growing season and harvest, which is projected to produce over 9,000 pounds of healthy produce for organizations serving people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness statewide.
  • Rebuilding Together Sandoval County (RTSC) has received a $25,000 grant from (BCBSNM) Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support RTSC’s Safe and Healthy Homes program, which provides essential home repairs at no-cost for low-income families. Funds will be used to correct significant housing deficiencies, eliminate safety hazards, and create a healthier environment in the home. With the awarded funding, RTSC expects to serve at least 10 families, focusing on families with children. These families will be better positioned to find employment, achieve economic mobility, and maintain improved health.
  • Pegasus Legal Services has received a $20,000 grant from (BCBSNM) Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support Pegasus’ array of free, bilingual legal services to low-income households. Funding from BCBSNM will help ensure Pegasus services remain free for clients. Services are available to low-income households with incomes 300% or less as a percent of federal poverty guidelines. Clients are children and youth ages 0-25. Pegasus’ mission is to provide safe and stable homes, quality education and health care and a voice in decisions about their client’s lives.
  • (BCBSNM) employees raised over $8,000 for 8 schools through the Operation Back to School campaign. Operation Back to School is an employee-driven campaign designed to provide the tools students need to succeed. When students have the right tools, they perform better in the classroom. BCBSNM employees delivered notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, and other needed supplies to schools.
  • National Dance Institute (NDI) of New Mexico announced it received a $20,000 grant from Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support NDI New Mexico’s Dancing to Health Outreach Program, a 6-month initiative for nearly 500 children attending kindergarten and grades 3-8 in 7 public schools located in the Pojoaque Valley and Española Public School District. NDI New Mexico’s program will utilize dance to help instill healthy, positive behaviors. Students will attend weekly classes taught by Teaching Excellence®-trained NDI New Mexico instructors, accompanied by professionally trained pianists.
  • Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque received a $20,000 grant from ’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative. The grant will support Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque’s LIFE program, which delivers nutritious, medically-tailored meals to seniors and other community members who have low incomes. The LIFE program serves people who are homebound, experiencing food insecurity, and whose incomes are between 0% and 150% of the federal poverty level. This grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico will provide 2,777 meals for people in this community.
  • awarded more than $380,000 in Healthy Kids, Healthy Families grants to 17 nonprofits statewide addressing social determinants of health, including access to physical and mental health care, advocacy and support, healthy food, and safe and stable housing. The 2022 HKHF grant recipients were chosen through a competitive grant application process.
  • (BCBSNM) made holiday donations to community groups and organizations across the state, including deliveries to seniors, families, tribal communities, and veterans. In Albuquerque, BCBSNM employees participated in an employee-driven fundraising campaign to collect donations for veterans. Employees delivered the items to the group of veterans in the northeast heights, and donations included furniture, towels, clothing, gifts, and other household and personal items that they requested through a wish list. In Rio Rancho, BCBSNM donated holiday food to the Broadmoor Senior Center for seniors to participate in a special cooking class and learn to prepare a holiday meal of honey baked ham, Hawaiian potato salad and hot cocoa. More than 80 seniors enjoyed the holiday lunch.
  • In 2021, provided a $50,000 grant to EVERFI, a leading education technology innovator, to provide a mental health education program to middle and high school students across the state. The grant provides New Mexico schools with a no-cost digital Mental Wellness Basics course that walks students through an introduction to mental health, healthy coping strategies, and how to get help for themselves and their peers. BCBSNM has funded this program since 2019. As of Sept. 2021, more than 1,668 students at 28 schools have received the education, representing over 1,100 hours of learning on Mental Wellness Basics. BCBSNM also funded an additional $30,000 this year to EVERFI for a Mental Wellness Education program that will provide New Mexico educators with access to a digital platform featuring resources and education on how to support their mental well-being. This program, called Elevate for Educators, supports the mental health of teachers, who continue to face unique challenges in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
  • has awarded nearly $350,000 in Healthy Kids, Healthy Families (HKHF) grants to 15 community-based organizations statewide for 2021. The organizations were chosen through a competitive grant application process. The HKHF grant program is designed to encourage health education, promote physical activity, prevent and manage disease, and support safe environments. The program works through investments and partnerships with nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs that improve the lives of New Mexicans.
    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico is accepting applications from 501(c)(3) organizations for its COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund from June 7 through June 21. BCBSNM created the COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund to address the immediate needs of New Mexicans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund will release 10 rapid-response grants of $10,000 each to 501(c)(3) organizations focused on access to health care, behavioral health, housing and shelter, child and senior care, and COVID-19 health literacy and vaccine outreach. The application is brief and intended to distribute funds quickly to organizations throughout the state responding to the COVID-19 health crisis.
  • (Blue Cross NC) is supporting Triangle families this winter by launching a meal delivery program. In collaboration with more than a dozen community organizations, Blue Cross NC will leverage its on-site cafeteria to supply hundreds of meals to individuals in need on weekdays through March. Blue Cross NC will distribute meals cooked fresh on campus by cafeteria partner Compass Group to organizations in Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, and Wake counties.
  • (Blue Cross NC) has awarded the Crosby Scholars Community Partnership $500,000 to pilot a 5-year Foster Care Youth Initiative to increase the number of Forsyth County foster care youth who enroll in 4-year and 2-year colleges or other post-secondary educational opportunities. Students in the Foster Care Youth Initiative will benefit from Crosby Scholars programming, one-on-one advising, and Last Dollar Grants helping them to prepare for college, as well as enroll and afford college. The Crosby Scholars Program will also offer workshops for foster parents to help them understand how to support their foster children in pursuing their post-secondary plans. Additionally, once a student in foster care joins the Crosby Scholars Program, the student will be eligible for program resources even if they move outside of Forsyth County.
  • has committed a gift of $10,000 to support Southwestern Community College’s Student Emergency Fund and Student Success Scholarship. The Student Emergency Fund helps students when they encounter unexpected expenses, such as automobile repairs, that might otherwise make it impossible for them to remain in school. Likewise, the Student Success Scholarship brings a college education within reach for multiple students every year through the SCC Foundation.
  • The Durham Bulls and are partnering to present “Wool E. Wellness”, a free educational program showcasing how to live a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. This program is available for all elementary schools in Durham, Wake and Orange Counties and consists of a school visit from Wool E. Bull, the Durham Bulls mascot, highlighting proper wellness practices, giveaways from the Bulls and Blue Cross NC, and opportunities for unique experiences at Durham Bulls Athletic Park during the 2023 season.
  • Forsyth Technical Community College, , and Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina are launching an insurance career pathway partnership with scholarship opportunities for diverse students. The first cohort of the Forsyth Tech Pre-licensing Insurance Program will run from November 1 through December 9, offering pre-licensing education required by the North Carolina Department of Insurance to become an insurance licensee. Blue Cross NC is offering scholarships to selected students in each cohort to cover the cost of courses, exams, and North Carolina Department of Insurance fees. This collaboration with Forsyth Tech builds on the insurer’s long-term diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, which includes a strong focus on advancing the workforce through education and professional development to increase representation within diverse populations across the state.
  • The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has announced a 2-year partnership extension with . Throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, the NCHSAA and Blue Cross NC will honor a Women’s Team of the Month. One team will be selected and recognized monthly for their accomplishments on the field and for their positive impact on their local community. The NCHSAA and Blue Cross NC will also sponsor a new spotlight series honoring women that have made a significant impact on the NCHSAA and the growth of high school women’s athletics in North Carolina. Blue Cross NC will also have an integrated presence at NCHSAA Women’s Championships.
  • and Charlotte Motor Speedway are teaming up through the “Drive Out Hunger” initiative to provide meals for area families in need. This collaboration builds on Blue Cross NC’s ongoing effort to address critical non-medical drivers of health, specifically food security. For each kid ticket purchased throughout 2022, Blue Cross NC will make a $1 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities. At the end of the year, proceeds from the “Drive Out Hunger” campaign will be distributed through the charity to local nonprofit organizations working to fight food insecurity across the greater Charlotte region.
  • has given Central Piedmont Community College $211,485 to provide scholarships to develop a more diverse and inclusive talent pool of trained and licensed individuals for the insurance production and sales industry. The goal of the partnership is to increase access to underserved populations and communities by diversifying the pool of licensed insurance agents.
  • Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR), (Blue Cross NC) and KABOOM! are working together to increase access to play with the creation of a new playspace at Burton Park. The new playground will provide hundreds of kids access to a safe, high-quality place to play. Blue Cross NC has provided support for the new playground through its partnership with KABOOM!, furthering its commitment to improving health inequities by providing more safe, healthy environments for the community. Since 2009, Blue Cross has partnered with KABOOM! to build 15 play spaces across North Carolina.
  • SaySo, in collaboration with Healthy Blue, B’s (Blue Cross NC) Medicaid managed care plan, is launching a housing Flex Fund to support youth transitioning out of foster care across the state. The fund will address barriers to obtaining housing by helping youth in need with deposits, short-term or partial rental assistance, rental, and utility arrears, and acquiring essential furniture. The Flex Fund will be administered by the SaySo Young Adult Leadership Council who will develop an application for youth in need of housing support.
  • (Blue Cross NC) has announced the first round of recipients of its $4 million commitment to address and eliminate racial, health, and geographical disparities in North Carolina. Seventeen organizations across the state are being awarded grants, totaling $3 million, for the company’s “Addressing Maternal and Infant Health Disparities” and “Strengthen NC” programs. Additional funding is now available for nonprofit organizations and public health entities improving access to behavioral health care in rural and underserved communities.
  • The American Heart Association and Blue Cross and (Blue Cross NC) are pleased to announce 17 community health mini-grant awardees, totaling nearly $100,000. These community organizations and companies will be working to improve heart health among North Carolinians who are most at risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Mini-grant projects include focusing on access to food, access to care, hypertension screenings and management, diabetes screenings, and social determinants of health. The mini-grants will benefit underserved youth, women, families, patients, and faith-based and Hispanic/Latino communities.
  • (Blue Cross NC) and North Carolina FC Youth (NCFC Youth) have announced a new strategic partnership to foster youth leadership and strengthen local communities through athletics in the Triangle area. Along with improved social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, research in young students found that those who participated in vigorous physical activity did approximately 10% better in math, science, English, and social studies. By partnering with the largest soccer club in the state, Blue Cross NC is expanding healthy play opportunities for the next generation of future leaders.
  • (Blue Cross NC) has joined forces with Open Table, a nonprofit organization that helps transform communities by creating access to social capital for people with complex needs, to implement a model program in North Carolina that will allow youth in foster care to make a more successful transition to independent adulthood. Through its Healthy Blue Medicaid plan, Blue Cross NC has made an initial investment of $112,000 to help Open Table launch its Core Table and Network Table models in North Carolina, building on its efforts to improve child and family wellbeing statewide. The 3-year commitment will begin in Raleigh and Winston-Salem and have a statewide impact by year 3.
  • (Blue Cross NC) has dedicated $3.2 million for a new, large clinical study to address food insecurity among its at-risk members who also have hypertension. The study will measure how to best help people who are food insecure achieve better health through nutrition. UNC-Chapel Hill researchers are leading the study, in conjunction with the UNC Health Alliance, UNC Health’s statewide, clinically integrated physician network and population health services organization. Blue Cross NC, utilizing support of its data scientists and analysts, is collaborating as a co-principal investigator of the study. Based on screening questions around access to nutritious, sufficient food, each participant in the study will receive an intervention. One group of individuals will receive a $40 grocery store voucher each month to use towards fresh, frozen or shelf stable produce. A second group will receive a box of healthful, affordable foods delivered to them twice a month, with foods such as seasonal vegetables from North Carolina farms, grains, healthful oils, nuts, etc.
    • The North Carolina Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC) and (Blue Cross NC) have awarded nearly $230,000 in grants to five clinics to support initiatives that will reduce health disparities by addressing drivers of health, such as access to healthy foods, safe housing and transportation, and cultural and language barriers. The grants are part of NCAFCC’s broader focus on the needs of historically marginalized populations that are disproportionately impacted by chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension that put them at greater risk to contract infectious diseases. The grants also support Blue Cross NC’s priority to ensure every North Carolinian has greater access to quality health care, including those living in underserved and rural communities.
  • Charlotte Motor Speedway and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, along with Speedway Children’s Charities, are teaming up to address childhood hunger in the Charlotte area with its “Drive Out Hunger” initiative. Through a series of events, the organizations will work together to drive out childhood hunger by encouraging both monetary and non-perishable food donations.A “Drive Out Hunger” campaign branded Pace Car will make its debut during the Coca Cola 600 race weekend and remain at the speedway for races and events throughout the year. This visual representation of the campaign aims to bring awareness to the initiative and encourage fans to donate to help “drive out hunger.”This collaboration builds on Blue Cross NC’s ongoing commitment to address critical non-medical drivers of health, specifically food security.
  • is working with Benefits Data Trust, Manna Food Bank, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to increase enrollment in Food and Nutrition Services and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The collaboration is designed to raise awareness of the program, destigmatize participation, reduce barriers to enrollment, and provide support through the enrollment process. A separate prescription-based food purchasing program, Eat Well, which is led by Durham-based Reinvestment Partners, provides eligible members with a monthly benefit stipend, which can be used to purchase fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables without added sugar or salt.
    • is teaming up with the athletic departments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke University to deliver over 2,000 meals to those in need in the Triangle area. This collaboration is an extension of Blue Cross NC’s meal delivery efforts to address food security throughout North Carolina. With help from its partners, Blue Cross NC has delivered over 16,000 meals to the people who need them the most.
  • BlueCross BlueShield of North Dakota Caring Foundation will provide a limited number of one-year grants annually of up to $50,000 to North Dakota communities and organizations undertaking efforts to support health and community-based wellness and prevention. With the addition of these CaringforCommunities SPARK (Strengthening People, Access, Resources, and Knowledge) Grants, the goal is to enhance collaborative efforts and community involvement that results in long-lasting change. As evidence continues to grow showing that where we live and what services and supports are available have a significant impact on our health, the Caring Foundation will be investing additional resources at the community level in 2021 to strengthen opportunities to build collaboratives that invest locally to enhance healthy lifestyles, address service gaps and promote health equities.
  • (BCBSOK) has announced a new major grant program, Blue Impact℠, as part of a refreshed community investment strategy focused on the social determinants of health. Blue Impact and other BCBSOK community investments will directly target social and economic factors that play a role in health and wellness. Moving forward, all BCBSOK’s community support will align under five strategic areas of focus to better support our umbrella mission of expanding access to care.
    The new focus areas are:
    • Economic Opportunity and Stability: Addressing issues such as poverty, removing barriers to employment, providing good jobs and upskilling.
    • Nutrition: Supporting efforts to decrease hunger and increase access to nutritious food.
    • Neighborhood and Build Environment: Focusing on affordable healthy housing, access to transportation and access to physical activity.
    • Locally Defined Health Solutions: Addressing hyperlocal health and human service needs.
    • Optimal Health Outcomes: Helping close gaps in care, specifically around 6 priority areas: immunizations, diabetes care, cardiovascular care, behavioral health, early detection cancer screening and maternal and infant health.
  • has partnered with Feeding America®, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, to address food insecurity facing communities across Oklahoma. Through the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® program, BCBSOK awarded grants to Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in Tulsa and Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Both food banks will have the option to use grant funds to purchase nutritious and culturally appropriate foods for the communities they serve, while developing nutrition policies that address food insecurity and health inequities.
  • has directed the focus of its BlueAngel Community Health Grant program toward improving access to safe and affordable housing. Building on an initial grant of $500,000 in 2020, BCBSRI has now awarded an additional $500,000 in a second round of funding to nine local organizations aimed at closing the gap for Rhode Islanders whose health outcomes are directly tied to housing quality.
  • The National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter will accept applications for the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship, funded by the through Feb. 12. Established in 2013, the scholarship program aims to build a more inclusive health care workforce in Tennessee, ultimately addressing the historic lack of opportunity and health disparities that minority populations face.
  • The has announced the first 3 sites selected for 2022 BlueCross Healthy Place projects. Established in 2018, the BlueCross Healthy Place program provides communities across the state with spaces for connection and healthy activity. All BlueCross Healthy Places are free and open to the public. The new projects stretch across Middle and West Tennessee. Collectively, they represent a $3.1 million investment from the foundation. In addition to construction dollars, each project also has a maintenance fund to assist with ongoing care and upkeep of the space.
  • The BlueCross Healthy Place at Highland Park has opened as a result of a $5 million investment from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation. The investment included $4.2 million to build out the space and $840,000 for a maintenance fund. It is the first BlueCross Healthy Place project in the Chattanooga area and the first to be completed on privately owned land, although it will be open to the public.Features in the new space include:
    • Accessible play areas for children ages 2-5 and 5-12 with ramp access, ground-level play, and a soft rubber safety surface
    • Challenge course with obstacles and a precision timing system
    • Fitness station with equipment for aerobic fitness, core fitness, and balance
    • Sports field with amphitheater seating for school soccer games and local community games
    • Tennis and basketball courts
    • Walking track
    • Pavilion with picnic tables for school and community gatherings
    • A $750,000 investment from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has resulted in the opening of a BlueCross Healthy Place at Woodlawn Park. The new space includes a community pavilion, play areas for children, and fitness station. In addition to these projects, BlueCross Healthy Places are also underway in Nashville and Knoxville. Five are open in Chattanooga, Memphis, Huntland, Kingsport and at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tenn. With the addition of the 10 new projects for 2021, the BlueCross Foundation has invested $31.7 million in community spaces across the state.
  • (BCBSTX) has partnered with the Dallas Independent School District and nonprofit Innovations for Learning since the 2013-14 school year. Volunteer mentors are matched with struggling students who connect via the online literacy platform TutorMate to practice reading techniques. Since the partnership started, 42 BCBSTX volunteers have spent more than 144 hours with children in 6 classrooms. During the 2021-22 school year, 9 BCBSTX employees volunteered more than 18 hours with children at J.N. Irvin Elementary School in Dallas. The partnership is among the community-based organizations and programs focusing on youth development, mentoring, and tutoring that BCBSTX supports through grants, sponsorships, and employee volunteerism. So far this year, 115 employees in Texas have volunteered more than 3,000 hours teaching, tutoring, coaching, and mentoring with organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and local Girl Scouts groups.
  • announced $2.1 million in Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® grants to 54 community-based organizations statewide that focus on health and wellness and target impacts of socio-economic and social determinants of health. The funding also includes $200,000 earmarked for economic opportunity. While the primary focus of the HKHF program remains predicated on four key pillars – disease prevention and management, nutrition, physical activity, and safe environments – this year also includes economic opportunity grants aimed at removing barriers and supporting pathways to employment.
  • (BCBSTX) and the National Fitness Campaign are increasing access to fitness sites and reducing barriers to physical and mental health by collaborating to bring free, outdoor fitness centers to communities across Texas. BCBSTX is contributing $475,000 in grants to help fund 20 new Fitness Courts® across the state. The sites will begin construction as early as summer 2022 with the goal of being available for use in fall 2022.
  • has joined forces with Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to address the food insecurity crisis magnified across the nation and Texas by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® program, BCBSTX awarded $507,000 in nutrition grants to 16-member food banks that serve approximately 151 counties in Texas. The food banks will have the option to use funds for the purchase of nutritious and culturally appropriate foods for the communities they serve, as well as develop nutrition policies that address food insecurity, intercultural competence in nutrition, and structural health inequities.
    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has launched its 2022 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant cycle and is seeking partnerships with nonprofit organizations engaged in health and wellness initiatives as well as social determinants of health. Last year, nearly $1.9 million in HKHF grants were awarded to community-based organizations statewide. While the key focus of the HKHF program has not changed, the ongoing effects of the pandemic as well as social justice initiatives in the United States, remain a top priority for BCBSTX’s health equity initiatives.
  • has awarded $29.9 million in grants to 29 organizations, including its first-ever funds for permanent supportive housing. Eight community partners will receive a total of $21 million for the acquisition, construction, and upgrades of more than 400 total housing units.
  • is collaborating with community partners to organize mobile back-to-school vaccination and resource fair events in recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance in August that promotes the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. The effort began with a series of successful events in partnership with the Anaheim Union High School District and Northgate Gonzalez Market. CalOptima’s goal is to vaccinate children ages 0 to 18 as they return to school as well as address social determinants of health by connecting families with community resources. Offering preventive care and wellness services, a mobile health and dental clinic, operated by Families Together staff, will be available at the Westminster Family Resource Center and Boys and Girls Club. Free backpacks and school supplies will be offered at the CalOptima and Boys and Girls Club events.
  • Cambia – Through a grant from the Cambia Health Foundation, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare funded an innovative “reverse-integration” pilot program at their Prescott Terrace supportive housing program that provides housing and other support to individuals who have spent decades on the streets and suffer from significant physical and behavioral health challenges.
  • (CDPHP) has partnered with local not-for-profit organization Grassroot Givers to bring two ‘book bikes’ to events in the City of Albany this summer. With the support of CDPHP, Grassroot Givers has launched these mobile libraries as an earth-friendly opportunity to pedal to local neighborhoods and events to share books and promote literacy and book ownership throughout the summer. The goal of the program is to ensure kids continue reading over the summer and avoid the so-called summer reading slump. The book bikes will also be equipped with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and educational information on oral health, courtesy of Delta Dental.
  • Papa, a curated platform of companionship and support for older adults, families, and other vulnerable populations, and Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan are collaborating to address the social needs of its members. The joint effort offers a new approach to combating loneliness and isolation and its significant impact on health. As of January 1, 2022, Papa’s companionship and care services are available to all 48,000 CDPHP Individual and Group Medicare Advantage members. CDPHP and Papa are both committed to supporting the distinct health needs of adults over 65 who want to live independently at home. CDPHP aims to provide its Medicare Advantage members with non-medical assistance to support both physical and mental wellbeing by addressing social isolation, loneliness, transportation barriers, and gaps in care.
  • has made a grant investment of up to $2.2 million to 16 small businesses and diverse nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia collectively serving over 30,000 people. These grants will provide resources and guidance to address obstacles that negatively impact company growth, scalability, and long-term sustainability. The investments build on CareFirst’s commitment to addressing economic inclusion needs to improve social support, minimize barriers to accessing care and social services and address essential environmental conditions that shape the health of its communities.
  • has announced a grant investment of up to $2.2 million to 16 small businesses and diverse nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia that collectively serve over 30,000 people. These grants will provide resources and guidance to address obstacles that negatively impact company growth, scalability, and long-term sustainability. Special consideration was given to organizations led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), returning citizens, disconnected youth, seniors, individuals with greater health risks, persons experiencing homelessness, populations with limited English language proficiency, structurally disinvested communities, developmentally disabled, justice-involved individuals, LGBTQ+, physically disabled, veterans, etc.
  • has made a grant investment of $1.76 million to combat the diabetes epidemic. The funds were distributed across 27 local health improvement coalitions, health councils, and collaboratives working to address the upstream social determinants of health impacting the severity or likelihood of developing diabetes. During this first round of funding, CareFirst prioritized grassroots organizations and local health coalitions promoting economic inclusion, educational opportunity, behavioral health, chronic conditions, and accessible, affordable, high-quality care, to address root causes of health disparities and diabetes in historically marginalized communities. These financial investments will strengthen organizational capacity, partnerships between communities and health systems, and support innovative interventions to address the existing work being done by local community health partners.
  • Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. (GHMSI) — a (CareFirst) affiliate, and DC Appleseed have created a $95 million fund to address healthcare disparities for historically underserved District residents. Mayor Bowser and GHMSI will appoint a seven-member Health Equity Committee to oversee the Fund. The Committee will establish healthcare improvement metrics, review and approve proposals, and monitor grant recipients to ensure compliance with grant agreements. The Health Equity Committee will consider applicants that address the following:
    • Health and health equity of residents in the District
    • Social and environmental issues that have an impact on healthcare of District residents
    • Social determinants of health including education, employment, income, housing, transportation, food, environment, medical care, outdoor environment and community safety issues that have a positive impact on healthcare outcomes
  • has awarded $245,568 in community giving grants to 13 nonprofit organizations across the Portland metropolitan region. These organizations fill critical gaps in housing, food access and other social supports, offering important services such as year-round shelter, rapid rehousing, warm and nutritious meals and much more.
  • is making major investments in the Rockwood community, including supporting New Avenues for Youth with a $50,000 grant to hire an additional After-hours Crisis Services Coordinator in Rockwood. This staff person will provide immediate crisis intervention and stabilization for youth ages 9-17 who are accessing emergency housing and shelter services, among other resources.
  • , in partnership with Multnomah County’s Healthy Birth Initiative, launched a Postpartum Meal Delivery pilot program to address food insecurity and improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Black/African American families. The program provides prepared, nutritious meals to pregnant members and their families for six weeks around the birth of a child—alleviating a key stressor for new parents. The pilot program provides families with 7 meals per week delivered to their home for a duration of 6 weeks. The meal service begins 2 weeks before birth and continues for 4 weeks postpartum.
  • has partnered with Adelante Mujeres to support food access for Latinx families in Washington County. The program offers each member in the household $24 per month to spend on produce. For a family of 4, for example, $96 is deposited in their Fresh Connect debit card. Not only does this program provide access to nutritious foods for the Latinx community, but it also allows families and individuals to support foods grown by local Latinx famers and vendors.
  • is investing $2.5 million in Portland Fire & Rescue new community health program to address the health and social needs of community members calling 911 for non-emergent issues. The Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) program is designed to be a proactive intervention, reaching community members in their time of need with 1-on-1 support from a medical professional. CHAT will leverage the strengths of PF&R—the city’s largest licensed pre-hospital care workforce—to:
    • Provide individuals who call 9-1-1 for non-emergent health issues the care they need in the moment and connect them to the right resources to get them on the path to health improvement (e.g. connected to a Primary Care Physician, enrolled on Oregon Health Plan, etc.).
    • Provide education to community members regarding how to access appropriate healthcare in the future—so they use 9-1-1 as a last resort, instead of their first option.
    • Help reduce the number of individuals going to the emergency department for non-emergent issues.
  • CareOregon, Columbia Pacific CCO, a part of the CareOregon, has made a $400,000 investment to support the Iron Tribe Network. The funding will help fill housing gaps in the Columbia County region. Specifically, this funding will go towards the purchase of property in Columbia County that will provide space for up to 11 families. The Iron Tribe Network offers peer support, housing, and family reunification services to individuals and families overcoming pressures and barriers while in transition to leading a life that reflects their values.
  • today announced a grant of $45,000 to Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation that will be split between 2 prescriptive food pantries located in Clarksville and Jeffersonville, Indiana. This award will support the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation in expanding their offerings to stock baby supplies, car seats, safe sleep sacks, Pack ‘N Plays, bike helmets, gun locks and healthy food options for patients.
  • has invested $100,000 in the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in Atlanta. Through this first-of-its-kind program, community legal health workers will connect CareSource members to legal support through home visits, mobile unit visits for members experiencing intimate partner abuse, and courthouse visits. The partnership will document and combine data and outcomes collected from AVLF attorneys, clinical teams, and CareSource to address social determinants of health through collaboration and provide a comprehensive plan for improving member health. AVLF serves more than 5,000 low-income Atlantans every year.
  • has announced a donation of $10,000 from the CareSource Foundation to the Georgia Council for Recovery (GC4R). GC4R’s Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialists (CARES) engage with expecting mothers at Northeast Georgia Medical Center hospitals who need peer support before giving birth. CARES also develop an appropriate, reliable, and safe support system for parents and families who have an infant in the NICU. Funds provided by CareSource will be used to provide items to ensure successful outcomes for mothers and infants, including books, toys, car seats, cribs and transportation and sober living vouchers.
  • has announced a $50,000 investment to Grady Health System’s Food as Medicine Program, which gives members of the Grady community, including patients, families, employees, and visitors access to nutritious food. This investment will ensure that patients who come to Grady Hospital will be screened for food insecurity and connected to the necessary resources. The program also seeks to increase access to healthy, affordable food for patients, employees, and the community. An on-site food pharmacy is available to patients who have been screened positive for food insecurity. Patients with food prescriptions can pick fresh produce and a full set of meals to accommodate their dietary needs based on their condition and medications. In addition, the program provides cooking classes so patients can learn how to prepare nutritious meals for themselves.
  • has donated $10,000 from the CareSource Foundation to the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC). MAAC is a collaborative effort focused on helping youth who have experienced foster care in the state of Georgia and overcome their unique challenges to find success. CareSource Foundation’s donation will be used to support young people in MAAC’s older youth programs, such as Teen Parent Connection, MAAC Education and Training and Empowerment.
  • is dedicating $200,000 to expand the Healthy Beginnings at Home pilot program to Dayton and Montgomery County. Healthy Beginnings at Home provides housing assistance and stabilization services to pregnant women experiencing housing insecurity while also gathering scientific data on the correlation between stable housing and improved birth outcomes.
  • has announced a $1 million investment to advance affordable housing in rural Southern Georgia at the American Rural Prosperity Summit in Athens, Georgia. This investment follows CareSource’s $2.5 million investment in metro Atlanta last month, making the overall investment towards affordable housing initiatives total $3.5 million. CareSource will partner with Volunteers of America, the largest nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and other services to low-income families in Georgia and throughout the United States. CareSource’s investment will be used for new construction housing, multifamily housing and a senior housing complex.
  • has launched the CareSource Iowa Opportunity Investment Fund through a partnership with ISA Ventures, who will manage the fund. CareSource will initially invest $2 million in the fund, with individual investments of as much as $500,000. This new fund will provide capital for Iowa-based startups that seek to improve health care outcomes, promote health equity, and generate positive social impact, especially for underserved populations and those with complex care needs. ISA Ventures will source and vet companies for consideration, complete due diligence and recommend investments to a committee composed of representatives from CareSource. Investment decisions will be made by CareSource.
  • The Atlanta Hawks and have announced a multi-year agreement that includes initiatives focused on the health and wellness of the Atlanta community and underserved families. Throughout this integrated partnership, CareSource and the Hawks will work together to make a meaningful impact in Atlanta. As part of the agreement, CareSource will be designated as proud partner of the Atlanta Hawks and College Park Skyhawks and their branding will be featured throughout the award-winning State Farm Arena.
  • A collaboration between and UnitedHealthcare, two Ohio Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, will support the SE Ohio Foodbank as demand for food assistance rises. The $100,000 donation will provide emergency food support through direct distributions in Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, and Washington counties. Record low inventory forced the foodbank to pause direct distributions earlier this summer. The funds will also support the foodbank’s pantry network in their 10 county service area.
  • will partner with the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis on a 5-year, $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to launch a housing equity initiative to reduce Indianapolis’ infant mortality rate. Fairbanks faculty will partner with CareSource to evaluate the program’s impact on birth outcomes and health care costs. CareSource was a key partner in the Ohio-based pilot of Healthy Beginnings at Home, which demonstrated success in reducing adverse birth outcomes in a recent, randomized control trial in Columbus, Ohio, where the intervention group saw no infant deaths and more full term, healthy births. It also resulted in substantially shorter NICU stays and reduced need for emergency health care and shelter services.
  • has made a $2.5 million investment to advance affordable housing in Atlanta. The investment supports the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership’s (ANDP) acquisition and rehabilitation of 75 single-family homes that will provide affordable rentals across the Metro Atlanta region. With the help of CareSource investments, ANDP’s single-family rental portfolio has grown from 20 to nearly 200 homes in 2022, expanding affordable housing opportunities and meeting the needs of more low-income families in the Metro-Atlanta area.
  • has made a $1 million investment in 120Water, a digital water solution that helps utilities and state and local agencies manage critical water programs that protect public health. CareSource’s investment, which is part of a $3 million round that included participation from Elevate Ventures, Allos Ventures and other existing investors, was made through the CareSource Diversity & Social Impact Fund.
  • has made a $100,000 donation to Girls Health Period to increase access to menstrual cycle education and period positivity. One in 5 menstruating Ohioans experience period poverty, which means they experience a lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation, and education.
  • The has awarded Overdose Lifeline, Inc. a more than $178,000 grant to improve the prevention of and response to opioid overdoses in Indiana schools. These funds will provide school partners with the emergency, life-saving medication naloxone, develop a custom training course for school staff, and connect schools to evidence-based prevention programs.
  • The has awarded $10,000 to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for a lead pilot program. The grant will fund the outreach and analysis of a pilot project at a new Far Eastside Orchard Green Space under development in Indianapolis. The goals of this program are to measure the lead content in the soil of a previously abandoned lot and transform that lot into green space. Over time, measurements will be taken to track the decrease in lead levels within the soil, thus reducing neighborhood lead risk exposure for the community.
  • has made a gift of $1 million to CompDrug’s Youth to Youth International program to build the resiliency and leadership of Ohio’s youth. CareSource’s support of the Youth to Youth program is part of the $3 million commitment to youth empowered prevention programs for behavioral health.
  • announced a new initiative with the Expanding Visions Foundation to provide job readiness skills for youth in 5 Ohio counties: Hamilton, Montgomery, Lucas, Franklin and Cuyahoga. CareSource members ages 15-24 are invited to join this 5-week class beginning in April. Expanding Visions provides career development and leadership services to youth and adults in the community. These programs are designed to prepare young people for future careers and provide working adults the tools needed to advance their careers.
  • has completed the last round of 2021 funding in Indiana for a total of $672,900 to organizations focused on improving health outcomes for Hoosiers. The CareSource Foundation awarded a total of $3.9 million to 106 nonprofit organizations across the country. The CareSource Foundation partners with community organizations on innovative approaches to reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes across Indiana. Notable projects included a Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Doula Scholarship Program that will increase the capacity of women of color in maternal and infant care and a school district-wide Growth in Academics through Innovation and Neuroeducation (GAIN) program to improve the mental health of educators and students affected by trauma.
  • announced a grant of $15,000 to The Little Timmy Project (TLTP) in support of their Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Doula Scholarship Program. The program supports the training and recruitment of Black and Brown birth workers in Indiana. ​ TLTP is a local nonprofit organization that provides support, collaborative efforts, and advocacy for birthing persons in our community. Their goal is to promote positive pregnancy outcomes while addressing the maternal and infant health crisis in Indiana. In the United States, Black birthing parents are three to four times more likely to die from childbirth than other demographics and, 60% of these deaths are preventable.
  • has announced the winning Kansas organizations of its inaugural CareSource Foundation Grant Challenge. Greensburg-based Youth Core Ministries received the top award of $50,000 to support their efforts to prevent children from entering the foster care and juvenile justice systems and stabilizing families to reintegrate children back into their biological homes to prevent the generational cycle of foster care and poverty. The CareSource Foundation also awarded four additional organizations with second and third place awards, which collectively garnered 75% of the public votes that determined the winning organizations. Nearly 15,000 voted during the grant challenge’s 2-week voting phase. The CareSource Foundation launched the grant challenge in August as a new initiative allowing Kansas community members to nominate nonprofits based on their community impact aligned with a specific focus area and vote on the winning organizations. Over 50 nonprofits were nominated from across the state with 10 moving on to the voting phase.
  • has invested $2.5 million toward a new partnership as part of its $7 million commitment in investments to affordable housing projects in Indiana. This commitment is part of the $50 million financial investment CareSource is making to housing projects across the U.S., focusing on historically marginalized communities. The organization is investing with Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership® (INHP), the leading homeownership resource in Marion County whose mission is to increase affordable and sustainable housing opportunities for individuals and families and serve as a catalyst for the development and revitalization of neighborhoods. INHP helps individuals on their homeownership journey with homebuyer and financial education, one-on-one homeownership advising, affordable mortgages and home repair loans.
  • has announced a foundation grant award to the Growth in Academics through Innovation and Neuroeducation (GAIN) program that is currently being implemented within Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC), a K-12 public school district located in Southwest Indiana. The GAIN program, which prioritizes corporation wide education on social and emotional learning (SEL), self-regulation, mental wellness, and mind-body medicine (MBM) practices, aims to equip students with the cognitive and emotional capacities to be successful and healthy beyond their K-12 experience. The CareSource Foundation will provide the EVSC with a total of $296,900 over the course of a two-year period, which began in September 2021.
    • , United Way of Greater Cleveland, The Rose Centers for Aging Well, and ten additional hospital and health insurance providers have funded an innovative new initiative, the Collaborative Investments + Health program, designed to improve the lives of Clevelanders. The pilot of the Collaborative Investments + Health program delivers medically tailored meals to the homes of approximately 300 participants and provides volunteer outreach to reduce social isolation and improve the health of older adults suffering from chronic health conditions and lacking access to healthy food options. High-risk individuals who qualify to participate in the pilot program are identified by local investor hospitals and insurers. They are then enrolled in the voluntary six-month Nutrition Solution program overseen by The Rose Centers for Aging Well, a subsidiary of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (BRIA), at no cost to them. The Collaborative’s goal is to expand access to more participants once an evaluation of results is completed in early 2022.
    • has launched a new program in partnership with Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health that will provide mothers of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies with free baby scales in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The scales will be available for all CareSource Medicaid members across the state of Indiana.The COVID-19 pandemic caused new mothers and parents to face barriers to care. Weekly visits to a doctor’s office for a simple weigh-in became difficult and posed a threat to the health and safety of new parents and NICU babies of being exposed to COVID-19 in the doctor’s office. In response, CareSource has partnered with J&B Medical to provide these scales, typically not covered by health insurance.The scale will be the members to keep, eliminating the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the case of a rental. The scales are consumer grade, allowing for easy use for all families. J&B Medical has also committed to performing troubleshooting with customers if needed to ensure the ease of the launch of this program. It is then the provider’s responsibility to reinforce instructions for proper use.
    • has created a $5 million affordable housing investment fund, the CareSource Fund for Appalachia with the Ohio Capital Finance Corporation (OCFC). Additionally, CareSource is donating $1 million to the Ohio Capital Impact Corporation (OCIC) to promote digital equity in southeast Ohio’s Appalachian counties. The $1 million donation will be used to improve Appalachia residents’ access to digital resources, including the installation of building-wide internet service, individual unit Wi-Fi hotspots, dedicated space for telehealth services, and other supportive opportunities.Through CareSource Fund for Appalachia, the Ohio Capital Finance Corporation will leverage resources to assist Ohio’s Appalachian residents with access to the internet with goals of improving health and education outcomes. By providing low-cost bridge financing, the fund will generate additional equity and cost savings to support real estate improvements.
    • has announced $750,000 of funding to jump-start permanent supportive housing programming in Franklin County to address the risks of COVID-19 spread in congregate settings including the local jail and homeless shelter system. The support will fund the FreshStart project to identify, engage and house up to 30 CareSource members with elevated mortality risk for COVID-19 due to chronic behavioral and physical health needs who have had multiple interactions with jails and are experiencing housing instability. The program seeks to reduce reentry into congregate settings that place individuals and communities at risk for contraction and spread of COVID-19.
    • is providing the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio with $1 million to help support shelter and housing services this winter. Housing insecurity is one of the primary factors that increases an individual’s risk of contracting COVID-19.
    • Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative, in partnership with Ohio Capital Finance Corporation, the City of Columbus, the Center for Community Investment, and Partners For Kids, today announces the creation of the Linden Healthy Homes Fund, a $4.2 million effort to build and rehabilitate affordable, high-quality rental housing for the people of South Linden. The fund furthers the goals of the 614 For Linden collaborative, which launched in 2019 to have a positive impact on housing, business development, health care access and other challenges facing the neighborhood. Nationwide Children’s is a founding member of the collaborative, and the Linden Healthy Homes Fund brings in new investments and new partners to benefit Linden. The fund will focus on building 17 new affordable rental housing units and rehabilitating three others. All units will be located near the Linden Fresh Market located on Cleveland Avenue in South Linden that will open this summer. Rents will range from $725 for a 2-bedroom to $850 for a 3-bedroom home. Healthy Homes, the affordable housing arm of Nationwide Children’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families, will manage the new housing effort.
    • has invested $1 million towards a new partnership as part of its $6 million commitment in investments to affordable housing projects in Indiana. This commitment is part of the $50 million financial investment CareSource is making to housing projects across the U.S., focusing on underserved communities with high rates of poverty. The organization is investing with Finance Fund Capital Corporation (FCAP), a 501(c)(3), certified nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides access to capital to promote development in low-and-moderate-income communities, and Terebinth Group, Indiana’s leading intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) housing provider, to create affordable, supportive housing solutions in Indiana. The investment will help support Terebinth’s growing portfolio of 99 housing units that serve over 300 individuals with disabilities throughout the state of Indiana.
    • The CareSource Foundation announced a grant of $30,000 to the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) for a six-part training series on childhood immunizations and lead testing for providers and members. Goals of the training include how to refer families to healthcare providers for lead testing and counseling families in high-risk communities on health, food emergencies, active lifestyles and targeted areas of focus such as picky eating, breastfeeding, play and hunger cues. Additionally, guidance on addressing child, adolescent and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy during encounters; with a focus on high risk, diverse and underserved counties.
  • The sponsored National No One Eats Alone® Day on Feb. 17. In total, 14 local Centene health plans partnered with 220 schools across the country to host events that end social isolation and build a culture of belonging. The Centene Charitable Foundation has partnered with Beyond Differences to sponsor the annual day since 2017, bringing No One Eats Alone programming to educators and student leaders across the country. In those 7 years, Centene health plans have also partnered with hundreds of schools and thousands of children to host No One Eats Alone Day activities and events.
  • The and Western Sky Community Care have committed $3 million to the One Albuquerque Fund for "The Gateway" project. The Gateway focuses on key service gaps for homeless populations, including providing a new center for emergency overnight beds with wrap-around services such as case management, a 24/7 receiving area for first responders, medical sobering, and medical respite.
  • , the Centene Charitable Foundation, and its Texas health plan, Superior HealthPlan, have invested $7.9 million in a new, multipurpose community center in Uvalde, Texas. In partnership with Community Health Development, Inc., a federally qualified health center, the community center will serve as a whole health resource for the entire Uvalde community and its surrounding region. Once complete, the new community center will house space for primary medical care, behavioral health services, youth development resources, college/job preparation training for students, retail space for local businesses, and a tranquility garden to honor victims of the tragedy that occurred on May 24, 2022.
  • and Charlotte FC announced today a multi-year agreement, designating the company as the Official Health Insurance partner for the Club, which will kick off its inaugural campaign in 2022. Through the partnership, Centene will also support the Club’s investment in community programs including Greater Goals, Meals on the Move, and Pitches for Progress:
    • Greater Goals
      Through Greater Goals, Centene and Charlotte FC will enable hundreds of students at 22 local Title I elementary schools to have access to free afterschool soccer and literacy programming throughout the school year.
    • Meals on the Move
      Centene is also making a significant commitment to address food insecurity in the greater Charlotte area through support of Charlotte FC’s Meals on the Move program, which will provide family-style meals to neighborhoods in need throughout the duration of the partnership.
    • Pitches for Progress
      For the Pitches for Progress platform, Centene will build multiple mini pitches in the Carolinas and in some of Charlotte’s most at-risk neighborhoods. The first pitch is currently under construction and will be announced next month.
  • has teamed up with AT&T, Connected Nation, Dell Technologies, and Intel to donate more than 1,000 laptops and 2,200 hotspots to foster care agencies in Florida and Missouri. With this initiative, Centene, AT&T, Connected Nation, Dell Technologies, and Intel have deployed the Dell Chromebooks and Wi-Fi-enabled hotspots to foster care agencies. The foster care agencies will then identify youth who have the greatest need to receive the devices. The computers include access to online productivity applications and communications tools, allowing the youth to use them for school and also telehealth visits if needed.
    • Centene is working with Samsung Electronics America to expand access to telehealth for individuals living in rural and underserved communities. The initiative will supply providers with Samsung Galaxy A10e smartphones to disseminate to patients who would not otherwise have the ability to receive their health care virtually. Additionally, some providers will receive Samsung Galaxy tablets to use to conduct telehealth visits. With this initiative, Centene and Samsung will deploy 13,000 Galaxy A10e smartphones, with 90 days of free wireless service, to approximately 200 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), other providers, and community support organizations throughout Centene’s markets, with a particular focus on rural and underserved areas. The providers and organizations will then determine which of their patients need the devices and distribute them accordingly. Centene previously announced the creation of a Medicaid Telehealth Partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to help FQHCs quickly ramp-up their capacity to provide telehealth solutions to meet the needs created by the COVID-19 crisis.
  • is providing its Medicare Advantage customers rides to community cooling centers to safely find relief from the heat. Any Medicare Advantage customer with a transportation benefit can now use this service throughout the summer at no extra cost. Cigna Medicare Advantage customers can now use their same-day transportation benefits for rides to a community cooling center or other public locations with air conditionin
  • such as a library or senior center, in addition to doctor's appointments, the pharmacy, or to receive COVID-19 vaccines or boosters.
  • is teaming up with nonprofits across the country to ensure underserved students and families have access to healthy food and mental health support in schools. As this school year begins, the Foundation has earmarked $2.2 million of these funds to 16 schools with large populations of low-income students to address the unique needs of their students. The programs, in partnership with local nonprofits and community organizations, aim to:
    • Eliminate food insecurity by stocking in-school food pantries or offering weekend food kits.
    • Encourage mindfulness and support emotional well-being by equipping educators with guidance on how to integrate mindfulness into their classrooms.
    • Empower youth with programs to teach resiliency through gardening or creative arts and funding trauma-informed therapists and teen suicide prevention education.
    • Reduce loneliness and depression by better preparing K-8 educators to increase inclusion and sense of community, and promote student social-emotional learning.
    • CignaThe Cigna Foundation will begin accepting applications for its new Education and Workforce Development grant program later this month. This grant cycle is part of an ongoing focus to address social determinants of health and eliminate health disparities to achieve greater health outcomes overall.Education and workforce development grants will support students enrolled in Pre-K, grades K-8 and high school, as well as post-secondary and adult education. The Cigna Foundation will also provide support to nonprofits that provide programming to increase the cultural competency of health care professionals by helping them better understand and address health disparities among vulnerable populations.Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants starting May 24. The grant application period will close June 18. Additional opportunities to apply for this grant program will be available in 2022.The Cigna Foundation has announced an open call for applications for its new Health and Well-Being grant program, part of an ongoing initiative to improve access to care and eliminate health disparities. In 2021, the Cigna Foundation plans to award over $3 million in grants to support non-profits and community organizations focused on addressing these challenges. Non-profit organizations are invited to apply for grants beginning March 22. The grant cycle will close on April 23. Additional opportunities to apply for this grant program will be available throughout the year. Grants will be awarded this July. Qualified non-profits must specifically address health and well-being with programs that focus on health navigation to improve overall access to care, treatment, and medications.
  • has announced a total of $50,000 in philanthropic donations to organizations that aim to improve the mental and physical health of Californians: the Emergency Food Bank; Institute on Aging Friendship Line; Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council (SASCC); and Second Harvest of the Greater Valley.
  • Community Legal Aid and have announced a new partnership to assist low-income and elderly individuals and families in the greater Springfield area. The Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) between Community Legal Aid, a non-profit organization that provides free civil (non-criminal) legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts, and CCA is an innovative collaboration between the medical and legal communities that aims to address health-harming legal problems that impact social determinants of health. In the MLP model, medical providers are trained to spot situations where a patient’s medical needs may be improved by legal advocacy, and then work with the MLP attorney to help resolve them. Examples of health-harming legal problems include poor housing conditions or risk of eviction and homelessness; lack of access to public benefits resulting in food insecurity or financial instability; or the need for orders of protection for someone threatened by physical violence at home.
  • Community Legal Aid and have announced a new partnership to assist low-income and elderly individuals and families in the greater Springfield area. The Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) between Community Legal Aid, a non-profit organization that provides free civil (non-criminal) legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts, and CCA is an innovative collaboration between the medical and legal communities that aims to address health-harming legal problems that impact social determinants of health.
  • is continuing its efforts to address food insecurity in Rhode Island by officially joining the Nourish Rhode Island coalition. Since entering the Rhode Island market last year, CCA has donated more than $80,000 to nonprofit organizations working to combat hunger in vulnerable communities across the state. CCA provided funding to help Rhode Island Public Health Institute launch a new Food on the Move mobile produce market in Central Falls, and also financially supports Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island and the Elisha Project.
  • ® (CCA) recently joined the Rhode Island Public Health Institute and a group of local elected leaders to celebrate the official launch of the Food on the Move program’s newest mobile produce market, located at the Forand Manor Senior Housing facility in Central Falls. The Forand Manor location is Food on the Move’s fourth mobile produce market location in Rhode Island. Its launch was funded in part through a $25,000 donation made by CCA earlier this year. This donation was part of a nearly $60,000 commitment CCA made to support organizations addressing food insecurity in Rhode Island. With the launch of this market, Food on the Move, a program of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute (RIPHI), will bring fresh produce directly to the residents of Forand Manor and the broader community every Wednesday from 9:30–11:30 am. All customers will receive a SNAP Incentive in the form of a 50% discount on purchases paid for with SNAP benefits.
  • Commonwealth Care Alliance is committing nearly $60,000 in an effort to address food insecurity in Rhode Island. CCA’s donations will support 3 local organizations whose missions are to help homebound senior citizens and other Rhode Islanders in need access healthy, nutritious meals on a year-round basis. The organizations CCA is supporting include: * Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, a statewide organization that last year delivered more than 336,000 meals to more than 2,700 homebound senior citizens across the state. CCA’s support will fund a full day of deliveries for every individual Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island serves in the state. * Food on the Move, a program created by the Rhode Island Public Health Institute (RIPHI), which brings mobile produce markets that help make healthy food accessible and affordable to vulnerable neighborhoods across Rhode Island. CCA’s donation will allow RIPHI to open a new mobile produce market in Rhode Island to respond to unmet needs for fresh produce. Additional information about the location of this market will be available soon. * The Elisha Project, based in East Providence, which helps provide meals to more than 62,000 families across the state. CCA’s financial support will help fund The Elisha Project’s daily meal deliveries to homebound senior citizens in Rhode Island.
  • Coordinated Care awarded over 80 organizations throughout Washington with more than $2 million in grants in 2021. The 80+ projects included funding food banks that are redesigning their spaces to provide clients more choice and dignity with a grocery store look and feel; scholarships for community college students working toward healthcare careers who may need financial aid for books, childcare, transportation, etc.; and a text line for Community Minded Enterprises in Spokane to serve their members/clients.
  • is investing $10 million to build a new 48-unit multi-family supportive housing community in Indianapolis called St. Lucas Lofts. The project is part of the company’s commitment to addressing social determinants of health at the local level. St. Lucas Lofts will welcome families earning 30%, 50% and 60% of Area Median Income, with 10 units reserved for youth transitioning from homelessness thanks to a $2 million investment from the City of Indianapolis.
  • has announced a new initiative to address barriers to care in underserved communities across the country. The CVS Health Community Equity Alliance is being established to expand the community health worker workforce, enhance connections between health care institutions and communities, and address disparities in heart health and mental health outcomes. The Alliance is part of the Company's commitment to advancing health equity. The first institutions joining the initiative are Meharry Medical College, Sinai Chicago and Wayne State University. CVS Health is providing funding to each institution for locally tailored initiatives and will bring Alliance members together to share best practices and work to integrate lessons learned into the Company's health equity strategy.
  • will invest $16.7 million with Hunt Capital Partners and Texas Inter-Faith Housing to build 82 new affordable housing units in Houston, Texas as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level. CVS Health is also investing $16 million with Urban Atlantic, North Carolina’s INLIVIAN (formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority), and Red Stone Equity Partners to bring a new, housing concept to North Carolina. The investment will provide 106 new affordable housing units in Charlotte as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level.
  • has made a $14.3 million investment with Chief Seattle Club and Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments to build 120 affordable housing units in Seattle, Washington as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level. Through CVS Health’s investment, Chief Seattle Club will build 120 new studio units, 88 of which will serve as Permanent Supportive Housing for households experiencing homelessness.
  • will invest $6.2 million with Homestead Affordable Housing, Inc. and WNC to build 36 new affordable housing units in Bel Aire, Kansas as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level. Through CVS Health’s investment, Homestead Affordable Housing, Inc. will build new units with central air conditioning, patios and 24 units will include an attached garage. Each unit will also include a washer and dryer room, which also is a protective shelter in the event of a national disaster. The community will also include a garden, fitness center, dog park and on-site management.
  • will invest $10.5 million to build 50 supportive housing units for young adults in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level. CVS Health will also offer its Project Health mobile events, the company's free, community-based health screening program to the Cleveland community through December. The company hosts these events at CVS Pharmacy locations and community organizations, offering free biometric screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose level and body mass index to detect early risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
  • , a CVS Health company, has provided Sharia’s Closet with a $25,000 donation to help operate the emergency clothing center at the soon to be opened One Safe Place, the North County Family Justice Center in San Marcos, California. Sharia’s Closet is a non-profit organization that provides clothing and hygiene products to individuals and families in need, including those affected by such experiences as human trafficking and domestic violence. They serve all populations, including refugees and those who are unemployed, injured, disabled or homeless.
  • , a CVS Health company, has provided grants totaling $250,000 to 2 community partners in New Orleans. The grants will enable the purchase of a mobile hygiene unit for New Orleans communities and increase access to in-home support for pregnant women. Since 2019, Aetna Better Health of Louisiana has invested more than $775,000 in various community-based organizations across the state as part of a continued commitment to supporting the overall health of Medicaid members and their communities by filling identified social care needs. Additionally, in 2021, CVS Health committed more than $27 million to build 435 affordable housing units for families and seniors in Louisiana, including recently announced investments in New Orleans and Opelousas.
  • , a CVS Health company, announced that it provided $50,000 to The Walls Project to target food insecurity in underserved areas of the community. The funding will support Baton Roots, a program that creates an opportunity for Baton Rouge communities to learn best practices in sustainable agriculture on an urban farm.
  • , a CVS Health company, has donated $125,000 to 5 community health partners throughout the state. The donations will support health care providers and help the community meet health and social care needs, such as those related to mental health, developmental disabilities, and housing.
  • Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., a CVS Health® company, is provided $225,000 to 6 community health partners throughout the state. The investments will support local organizations and health care providers who are committed to helping underserved Iowans meet social care needs, including those related to child care, food insecurity, and access to preventive care in rural areas.
  • has announced an $18.9 million investment to build and rehab 150 affordable housing units in Columbus, Ohio as part of the company’s commitment to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health at the local level. The development will offer health services for residents and will include a childcare facility operated by local nonprofit Columbus Early Learning Center, that will provide year-round childcare services for children of low- and moderate-income parents.
  • and Fresno Housing have collaborated to build new affordable housing in Fresno, California. Through Red Stone Equity Partners, CVS Health will invest an estimated $18.4 million into the Arthur @ Blackstone, a new Fresno Housing development planning to break ground this spring. Twenty of the units at the Arthur @ Blackstone will be reserved for special needs tenants, specifically transition age youth considered to be chronically homeless, homeless, or at-risk of becoming chronically homeless. This includes youth who are aging out of the foster care system, transitioning from institutions, and youth with a history of involvement in the justice system. The remaining units will target low-income families.
  • will invest more than $15.3 million with Pedcor Investments and WNC to build 312 new affordable housing units in the uptown area of San Antonio. The investment is part of CVS Health's commitment to address social determinants of health in underserved communities. As part of CVS Health's overall commitment to advance health equity in America, it invested $185 million in affordable housing nationwide in 2021 and $1.3 billion over the past 20 years, including $93 million dollars in Texas. Through these investments, CVS Health has been able to provide underserved communities with quality housing, economic support, and educational training opportunities based on the unique needs of the population.
  • will invest $12.7 million with R4 Capital to build 204 new affordable housing units for individuals and families in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood in Nashville. The investment is part of CVS Health's commitment to address racial inequity and social determinants of health in underserved communities. The housing development, which is named 101 Factory, will support individuals and families earning up to 30% to 70% of Area Median Income and provide them with the resources they need to live healthier and reach their full potential.
  • is investing $9.2 million with WNC & Associates, Inc. to provide 41 units of affordable housing for families and individuals in Washington, D.C. This investment is part of CVS Health’s commitment to address racial inequity and social determinants of health in underserved communities. The new development, which is called 17 Mississippi Apartments, will offer a mix of studios, 1 bedroom, and 3-bedroom apartments to families and individuals with demonstrated need. Nine of the 41 units will provide permanent supportive housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or are in need of mental health support. Another 9 units will have preference for income-qualified artists. Planned amenities include on site management, a community room, artist studio and bicycle storage. All units are reserved for residents who earn at or below 50% of Area Median Income.
  • will invest $7.7 million with Raymond James Tax Credits Funds to build a 61-unit multifamily apartment home development called Uptown Sky for families in Tampa. This investment is part of the company’s commitment to address racial inequity and social determinants of health in underserved communities. CVS Health is working with co-developers Blue Sky Communities and University Area Community Development Corporation, a Tampa-area nonprofit, to develop Uptown Sky and provide comprehensive support to residents.
  • announced it will invest $25 million with R4 Capital to build 224 affordable housing units for families and seniors in Louisiana. This investment is part of the company’s commitment to address racial inequity and social determinants of health in underserved communities. CVS Health is working with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) and its partner Alembic Community Development to build a 192-unit affordable housing development located at 1300 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and 1801 Thalia Street in New Orleans. GCHP is a regional real estate development company based in New Orleans that focuses on producing affordable and mixed-income communities and developing complementary commercial and community space. The new development in Central City New Orleans will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom housing units at a reduced rent to families and seniors with demonstrated need. All residents will have access to onsite supportive services, including a Federally Qualified Health Center to help increase access to primary care and behavioral health.
  • has surpassed $200 million in affordable housing investments in California as part of an ongoing commitment to address housing insecurity throughout the country. Over the past years, the company and its subsidiaries have invested in over 130 affordable housing communities across California, facilitating the construction or rehabilitation of more than 12,500 affordable homes. This milestone was achieved with CVS Health’s recent closing of a $12.1 million investment to help finance LINC Housing’s new development in Los Angeles County’s Avocado Heights. Equal (named for LINC Housing’s dedication to equality, as well as the neighborhood’s equestrian history) will provide 80 homes for families with low incomes and individuals who have experienced homelessness. LINC Housing will provide a wide range of social and supportive services to help residents maintain housing stability.
    • is investing $12.4 million to build 60 new units of affordable housing in south Phoenix, as well as to expand the company’s no-cost preventive health screening program in the greater Phoenix area. As the company works to address social determinants of health in the Phoenix area, it will also expand its national workforce initiatives program in Phoenix to help break the cycle of poverty by providing meaningful employment services and training to the community. This work will include expanding the company’s registered apprenticeship program and experience program to provide community members and job seekers with the tools they need to succeed in meaningful careers.
    • CVS Health has opened its newest Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in Pittsburgh at Ebenezer Baptist Church. This location is part of the company’s commitment to build on its highly successful faith-based and community partnerships to provide employment services and training to underserved populations, including individuals with disabilities, mature workers, youth and veterans. The center will offer training for individuals seeking employment as pharmacy technicians, customer service associates, call center associates and retail associates. It will include a simulated retail store that offers hands-on job training and will also have a fully functional restaurant, where participants can get on-site job training in restaurant services. Individuals who complete the program qualify to apply for a position at CVS Health.
  • is undertaking a new campaign, Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce, to help increase the number of oral health professionals from historically underrepresented groups. Delta Dental has established the first national Oral Health Diversity Fund, which will make targeted investments of up to $1 million in 2023 in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health. Delta Dental will also continue its investment in the future of the oral health workforce through the funding of scholarships and infrastructure at minority serving institutions. Since 2018, Delta Dental has invested nearly $50 million in college and university programs.
  • invested $106 million in communities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2021, positively impacting 21.3 million lives, according to its 2021 Community Impact Report. The investments focused on expanding access to care, advancing health equity, building resilient communities, and innovating for a healthier tomorrow.
  • published a white paper examining the state of health literacy in America and its impact on oral and overall health outcomes. The white paper documents that while most Americans recognize the connection between oral health and overall health, a discrepancy in outcomes remains, due in part to low levels of health literacy and inadequate consideration of social determinants of health. The paper details how low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and lower-than-average use of health care services. Conversely, high levels of oral health literacy facilitate effective dentist-patient communication, which has a direct positive impact on preventive, diagnostic, and restorative oral health services.

  • , through its Foundation, has selected 29 non-profit organizations across the state as recipients of grants and dental supplies to improve the oral health of Arizonans. These funds, totaling $752,423, were awarded to support projects and services promoting good oral health practices and increasing access to dental care among underserved children, pregnant women, and seniors throughout 2022.
  • Foundation has provided “smile bags” for Drive-Thru Dental Days in Phoenix, Mesa, and Yuma. The bags contain basic dental care necessities, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. The events, created by the Arizona Dental Foundation and the Arizona Mission of Mercy, are intended to help underserved communities by distributing oral hygiene kits and providing car side oral hygiene instruction.
  • The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation made a $500,000 grant to Meals on Wheels San Francisco to improve the oral health of the Bay Area’s most vulnerable seniors. Meals on Wheels already provides special diets for clients with challenges chewing or swallowing, making them a natural partner to work on issues related to vulnerable older adults and oral health. The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation aims to find ways to understand the oral care challenges older adults face and works with partners on solutions to address and remove those barriers.Proper nutrition is essential to oral and overall health, and there are specific relationships between oral health and food insecurity that make this partnership especially relevant. Food insecurity is linked to an increased risk of dental caries, which causes tooth decay.
    • has made $1.5 million in grants to food banks that touch every county in California. According to Feeding America, California is projected to have the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the country in 2021 with more than 4.7 million households affected.
    • launched its 2022 Open Funding Opportunity for organizations to improve oral health and influence long-term change in communities across Colorado. The grants will fund programs concentrated on workforce development within the dental industry, prevention of tooth decay among children under 6 and pregnant people, and increasing access to care, specifically in the San Luis Valley and East Denver Metro regions.

      Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation's renewed focus is targeting root-cause solutions through key initiatives that will help meet the needs of Coloradans, including 1) increased diversity in the oral health care workforce by creating a pathway for opportunities in the dental profession for minoritized communities, 2) oral health prevention in early childhood, and 3) place-based access plus investment in oral health infrastructure focused on lowering barriers around access and utilization in two Colorado communities that experience high rates of poverty and limited access to quality oral health care: the San Luis Valley and East Denver Metro regions.

      has distributed 45,000 toothbrushes to 20 food shelves across the state, reaching organizations doing important work for the communities most in need of oral health supplies. The donations reach the Twin Cities region as well as greater Minnesota, including Bemidji where Delta Dental of Minnesota has its technology and call center, as well as North Dakota and Nebraska. The food shelf partners provide support to the most vulnerable communities.
  • Linn County Public Health has received a $40,000 Community Change Grant from . The grant is intended to further the work of My Care Community, an integrated community care coordination system of more than 35 cross-sector agencies and organizations. Delta Dental’s Community Change Grants fund innovative projects with a goal of addressing key community health issues. Improving the health of communities requires intentional partnerships and cooperation to support all sectors and systems such as health care, public health, education, housing, social services, and more. Social determinants of health can impact an individual’s overall health and well-being.
  • The has committed $22.8 million in grants for programs that leverage food as medicine. With an overall goal of helping individuals and families reach optimal health through good nutrition, each of these grants will focus on the following: using food interventions to help prevent or manage chronic conditions, improving access to and distributing food while providing long-term solutions for food security, and providing nutrition and health education. These grants are part of up to $30 million the Foundation plans to invest over the next 3 years to encourage food as medicine.
  • Neighborhood Care offers nutrition classes, diabetes education, and more to help with a healthy diet and lifestyle. All classes are free to EmblemHealth members and non-members alike. This program is expanding into areas that are considered food deserts, where access to affordable, healthy food is limited. The Health Hub in East New York offers free wellness programs and social support services to the community, as well as primary and specialty care.EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care partners with local farmers markets at its locations to provide community members with fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables
  • EmblemHealth the opening of its newest EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care center, located at 41-61 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11355. The Flushing Neighborhood Care center is free and open to the entire community, with staff who speak multiple languages and are trained in delivering culturally competent services and support. Anyone who needs insurance can also get help onsite from team members who can guide them through the process of signing up for affordable coverage. The new site is part of EmblemHealth’s ongoing community investment strategy to address social determinants of health, the social and economic conditions that disproportionately affect health risks and outcomes in diverse and underserved communities. EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Flushing is co-located with Advantage Care Physicians (ACPNY)—part of EmblemHealth’s family of companies—where community members can also access medical and specialty services at the recently expanded ACPNY medical office. With the opening of Neighborhood Care Flushing center, residents now have access to a one-stop shop for health care and community resources, where they can find doctors, free wellness classes, Customer Care Navigators who can answer questions about health benefits, and more. The new location is in the heart of Flushing, Queens to accommodate and meet community members where they are. With multiple Customer Care Navigators who live in Flushing, the location is fully equipped to provide culturally competent services and digital literacy support. EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care’s professionals offer support in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Neighborhood Care’s locations in other boroughs offer support in additional languages, including Spanish. EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Flushing center is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm. With 13 locations across New York City and Long Island, EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care is open to the entire community and provides in-person and virtual customer service, offers health and wellness resources like yoga and meditation, and helps people access additional community resources to address barriers to their health like food insecurity, transportation and more.
  • , in partnership with its company’s philanthropic arm, the Empire BlueCross Foundation, is on a mission to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable, and to improve access to food for local communities. In light of this commitment and Hunger Action Month this September, Empire BlueCross is hosting several Volunteer Day activities in the Capital Region focused on addressing hunger. Activities will take place at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham, the Homeless and Travelers Aid Society in Albany, and Bethesda House in Schenectady. In addition to the Volunteer Day activities, Empire BlueCross is providing more than 50,000 meals to students in need across the region. These meals are made possible by a $25,000 donation to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to support the organization’s Backpack Program through August 2022.
  • Fallon Health has announced that applications for its Community Impact Grant program are being accepted. Fallon will award $100,000 in grants in 2021 to help fund innovative community-based programs that support areas or populations that are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 crisis or that provide services to seniors that overcome or mitigate social isolation. The application period will close at 5 p.m., April 30, 2021, with grants announced and awarded in September 2021.
  • partnered with a variety of providers and agencies in 2022 to support local communities through grassroots programs and events, education, and action. Fidelis Care worked with over 1,700 organizations and coordinated more than 3,500 events. Recognizing the impact of social determinants of health, for example, Fidelis Care expanded support and took action to empower and uplift communities through health and wellness initiatives addressing critical areas such as access to vaccines, early childhood literacy, Black maternal health, transportation, healthy nutrition, and more.
  • recently joined with community partners to host a summer block party called Unity in Buffalo. The free event was open to the public and featured music, fun activities for kids, refreshments, giveaways, and more. Information on local support and resources from community partners was also available.
  • and the Brooklyn Cyclones announced a new partnership making Fidelis Care the presenting sponsor for the team’s annual Help the Hungry community event and a separate canned food drive to help alleviate food insecurity. The partnership is part of Fidelis Care's commitment to address social determinants of health in local communities with the greatest need.
  • and the Police Athletic League (PAL) have announced an extension of their existing partnership. As the official 2022 health plan partner supporting PAL New York City programs, Fidelis Care will continue to support recreational, educational, cultural, and social activities throughout the year. The partnership aims to impact more than 18,000 kids across the 5 boroughs participating in programs such as PAL PLAYSTREETS, PAL Street Games, and PAL Early/Head Start Programs.
  • The has awarded $3.73 million in food insecurity grants to 10 community-based programs. The latest funding brings the total investment in food security programs from Florida Blue and its Foundation to more than $16 million over the last 4 years. The 10 nonprofit organizations receiving the latest $3.73 million in funding from the Florida Blue Foundation will use the grants for community-based food security initiatives that not only provide access to nutritional food but address obstacles to food security in their communities.
  • For the third straight season, the Orlando Magic and are partnering up for their “Block Out Hunger” program. For every block the Magic record, Florida Blue will donate 10 meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Last season, the Magic blocked 367 shots, resulting in 3,670 meals being donated. Magic fans also had a chance to donate to the cause at Florida Blue's presenting night this past season by rounding up their retail and concessions purchases at that game. Another 1,600 meals, meanwhile, were distributed on Saturday, Sept. 17 during the Magic and Florida Blue’s “Block Out Hunger” outdoor festival at Iglesia Generación de Fe, which also featured live music, carnival games, and basketball instruction for kids.
  • The has made a $3.8 million investment focused on advancing food security in innovative ways across the state for Florida's children, families, and seniors. Twelve nonprofit organizations share in the investment, which will support community-based programs that directly improve access to healthy food, nutritional education, and support services.
  • The has announced the 7 winners of its annual Sapphire Awards, which go to organizations and people that focus on innovative ideas and programs to improve health equity in their communities. One awardee offers affordable housing to people who need a second chance and a program that provides financial assistance to low-income families so they can visit with their newborn babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while another organization provides safe housing and support services to men and women in Central Florida. The awardees split $500,000 between themselves.
  • UF Health Jacksonville’s Urban Health Alliance, or UHA, has been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the that will allow the organization to establish a statewide Center for Health Equity and Social Justice. The $3.7 million grant provides a boost to the UHA’s goal of improving health equity and social justice to ensure that families, individuals, and communities of need have both the access and opportunity to achieve positive health outcomes. The UHA was created two years ago to serve as a comprehensive resource center and community health innovation hub that focuses on improving health by collaborating with health care, government, and community organizations.
  • , Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan, announced its investment of more than $2 million into organizations doing work in Jacksonville’s 32206 ZIP code as part of the company’s initiative to address generational poverty.
    Last year, Florida Blue launched its Growing Resilient Communities initiative, a philanthropic effort funded by the insurer and the Florida Blue Foundation focused on breaking the cycle of generational poverty in 5 select ZIP codes across the state. The initiative partners with residents and organizers in each community on specific needs, including access to quality education, financial security, safe and healthy living conditions, improved health status, and focused support from organizations and services.
  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation announced the 2-year impact of its Healthy Food Fund grant program. Based on an independent evaluation, the amount of healthy, local produce distributed free to low-income families in the region in 2020 increased 123% over 2019, with more than 7.5 million pounds of fresh produce distributed in 2 years, as a result of Harvard Pilgrim Foundation’s Healthy Food Fund contributions. That is the equivalent of nearly 30 million servings of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables reaching households in Conn., Maine, Mass., and N.H. over the past 2 years. Other important results include:
    • With increased rates of food insecurity due to the pandemic, there was a 40% increase in purchases made with SNAP and Healthy Incentive Program subsidies
    • A 76% increase from 2019 to 2020 in fresh local food sold via mobile farmers’ markets
    • A 61% increase in the number of communities reached from 2019 to 2020, with 568 produce distribution sites across 244 New England communities, with most in the highest rate of increased food insecurity.
    • A total of 27,280 adults had 5 servings of fruit/vegetables every day from June 1 through October 31, 2020
    • An additional investment of more than $7 million to address COVID-19 response and relief efforts across the region, including an extra $350,000 to Healthy Food Fund local programs.

    The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation is awarding $120,000 through its “Healthy Youth, Healthy Community” racial equity grants program. Six organizations supporting and working with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth in Connecticut, Mass., Maine, and New Hampshire will each receive $20,000. These grants will help BIPOC youth improve the overall health and racial equity of their community.

  • (HCSC) is realigning its community investments in 2023 into 5 newly redesigned strategic pillars to better support its umbrella mission of expanding access to care. HCSC recognizes the importance social and economic factors have on health and wellness, and the 2023 community support pillars more directly target these social determinants of health (SDOH). The 5 pillars include economic opportunity and stability, nutrition, neighborhood and built environment, locally defined health solutions, and optimal health outcomes.

  • donated $100,000 to Henry’s Groceries for Health to provide food and promote nutrition. Henry’s Groceries, a collaboration between Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) and Gleaners Community Food Bank, is designed to mitigate food insecurity and improve health outcomes for vulnerable patients.
  • Lyft, operator of Citi Bike, in partnership with its official wellness partner, , will provide more than 1,200 free Citi Bike memberships to participants in the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which will connect youth from the across the city with career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences. As the official wellness sponsor of Citi Bike, Healthfirst helps more than 1.7 million New Yorkers gain greater access to this healthy exercise option and discounted transportation alternative.
  • , one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health insurers, and GalaxE.Solutions, a transformational technology services company, are collaborating to create new local tech job opportunities through GalaxE’s “Outsource to New York City™” program. The effort will focus locally on the creation of full-time salaried technology jobs and engage in broad outreach to recruit and train a culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse and inclusive workforce. The O2NYC program is positioned to bring hundreds of technology jobs to the city.Outsource to New York City™ will present new tech opportunities across all Healthfirst technology departments, combining experienced technology professionals and trainees with a significant number of positions earmarked for underrepresented populations, including Black, Latinx and Women. Eleven trainees, with no prior technology experience, have already been brought on board from these communities, in alignment with the Outsource to America® D&I model.
  • is keeping its members connected to healthcare services and providers by participating with Assurance Wireless in the federal Lifeline Program which provides free Android™ smartphones and no-cost cell phone service to those that are eligible. Enrollment is available to individuals who qualify based on federal or state-specific eligibility criteria. You may qualify if you are on certain public assistance programs, like Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Members can determine eligibility and apply for a free Android smartphone and no-cost cell phone service by visiting .
  • Healthfirst members enrolled in the Life Improvement Plan (LIP) and CompleteCare (CC) plan can use their over-the-counter/Healthy Foods and Produce dollars to purchase items at farmers markets in the GrowNYC network. LIP and CC members can spend $145 and $155 per month, respectively, of their OTC/Healthy Foods and Produce allowance at any GrowNYC Greenmarket, Farmstand, and Fresh Food Box location.
  • A $120,000 grant from has empowered Vouchers 4 Veggies (V4V) to expand into 3 rural California counties, providing more families with access to fresh, healthy food. This grant is part of Health Net's ongoing commitment to improving community health by addressing chronic food insecurity in California communities.
  • has been recognized by the Institute for Medicaid Innovation for their various initiatives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to address social determinants of health and to reduce inequities. Health Net initiatives expanded telehealth to California's most vulnerable residents, extended physical and mental health care to those without shelter, promoted healthy child development, and improved food access and education.
  • has awarded more than $350,000 to community-based organizations in California's Central Valley that are dedicated to improving food access and health equity. The grants are part of Health Net's ongoing commitment to improve community health by addressing chronic food insecurity.
  • has awarded Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego a $125,000 grant to fund individualized care to help children with asthma. The grant establishes a new program that identifies and tackles social and environmental factors such as food insecurity and smoking exposure that contribute to childhood asthma.
  • awarded a $150,000 grant to the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative and Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies. The organizations will use the funds to build a statewide coalition to advance Black birth justice. Health Net has invested $100 million since 2017 in nearly 500 community initiatives to bridge the divide in access, equity, and quality of healthcare. Previous efforts include:
    • A doula program, which resulted in a 50% decrease in c-section rates for Black mothers in South Los Angeles.
    • A Cultural Broker Program, which alongside the Sierra Health Foundation and Black Child Legacy Campaign, provided culturally relevant healthcare to mothers and infants in Sacramento.
    • A collaborative partnership with Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies to reduce inequities, inform hospital quality improvement strategies, and ensure Black women have a seat at the table.
    • Expanding the doula program by partnering with HealthConnect One and investing in infrastructure and capacity building in Sacramento and Kern counties.
  • Health Net has announced a $26 million investment to improve the collection and reporting of patient encounter data — furthering its commitment and partnership with the state to reduce disparities and improve quality of care for vulnerable populations in California. With more than 13 million, or nearly one in three Californians, currently enrolled in Medi-Cal, this initiative is a key to understanding how underserved communities are navigating and accessing care statewide. Health Net has committed a total of $50 million to fund a multi-year, multi-phased Encounter Data Improvement Program. Envisioned and developed in collaboration with the Department of Managed Health Care, the program is designed to identify and overcome barriers to the timely submission of complete and accurate patient health data across business lines — with an initial focus on the state’s Medi-Cal providers.
  • has announced a $15 million investment to reduce and prevent homelessness across the community. Through this investment, HPSJ will partner to help fund the construction of shelters and permanent supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness in cities that include Stockton, Tracy, and Modesto. Additionally, HPSJ’s investment will support innovative street medicine programs that position health care providers to directly deliver care outdoors to individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
  • made a $750,000 grant to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation to expand engagement in hockey programs. The grant supports the Foundation’s Hunt Armory Ice Hockey rink, where it offers community programming that promotes mentorship, teaching and access for various groups and individuals throughout the region.
  • Eight West Virginia-based non-profit organizations will receive funding from the to support programs that combat substance use disorders (SUD). The grants, which were submitted in response to the Charitable Fund’s SUD Request For Proposals (RFP) earlier this year, total more than $600,000. The RFP was available to health, community and social service organizations that specifically address SUD programs and initiatives.
  • subsidiaries are awarding $575,000 in grants to students across Pennsylvania through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs. The Highmark subsidiaries funding the grants are HM Insurance Group and United Concordia Dental. The $575,000 in funding supports a variety of scholarships, including $275,000 for pre-K scholarships and $150,000 for scholarships to provide alternate educational opportunities for children who live in areas with low-achieving schools.
  • The 19th annual Walk for a Healthy Community, held virtually this year officially concluded its 2021 online fundraising campaign this month raising just over $813,000 for 249 local nonprofits in Pittsburgh, Laurel Highlands (Johnstown/Altoona), Erie, Harrisburg, Leigh Valley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Wilmington, Delaware. Highmark announced in February that the annual walk would again be held virtually and would offer online fundraising instead of holding events throughout Pennsylvania and Delaware due to COVID-19.
  • Every West Virginia-based United Way agency will receive grant funding totaling $100,000 from Charitable Fund for Health. Announced by Highmark West Virginia officials earlier today, these grants, ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 will support programs dedicated to the health and well-being of West Virginia residents. As the majority of Highmark West Virginia’s employees live and work throughout Charleston, Wheeling and Parkersburg, the United Way agencies that serve those areas will receive $25,000 each. The remaining 10 agencies throughout West Virginia will each receive $2,500.
  • Twenty West Virginia-based non-profit organizations will receive funding from the newly created Charitable Fund for Health to support programs that will address social determinants of health and oral care in West Virginia. The grants, from the program’s inaugural grant cycle, total nearly $1 million. Additionally, Lily’s Place, the state’s only Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) facility located in Huntington, W.Va. has been awarded funds to assist with care coordination under family health. Announced this past spring, the West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health is a new funding extension of the Highmark Foundation, and was established to specifically address and improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who live in West Virginia.
  • has announced an $18 million investment to launch the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health. The newly formed Fund is an extension of the health plan’s Foundation, supporting its mission to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in West Virginia. The Highmark WV Charitable Fund will award major grants to organizations and initiatives throughout the region that target and improve health outcomes in priority health areas, including community health; family health; access to care; service delivery systems; chronic disease and oral health. To support its overall strategy to address the social determinants of health, the Highmark WV Charitable Fund is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFPs) to organizations focused on health and social services or oral and dental health. The deadline for organizations to apply for funding is June 30, 2021, with funding decisions announced in Summer 2021.
  • has announced its second quarter BluePrints for the Community grant awardees, which will collectively receive more than $959,000 in funding. BluePrints for the Community has already committed more than $2.2 million in 2021 through its standard and small grants programs. Grant recipients include:
    • Community Education Building, which was awarded a grant to support its Equitable Health Expansion program to provide health services, including an onsite behavioral health counselor.
    • Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing which was awarded a grant to support its Housing and Health for the Homeless program to improve health and help individuals find stable housing.
    • Friendship House, which was awarded a grant for Project Hope at the New Castle County Hope Center, which provides wraparound services to those seeking support at the Hope Center.
    • Philadelphia Arms Townhomes, which was awarded a grant to support programming for their mental health and substance use disorder residential center in Sussex County.
    • Year Up Wilmington, which was awarded a grant to continue providing its students health and wellness services as they seek gainful employment placement.
    • Exceptional Care for Children, which was awarded a grant for its future young adult center to provide specialized care for youth aging out of pediatric care.
    • University of Delaware, which was awarded a grant to launch a diversity in nursing scholarship program empowering underrepresented students to pursue nursing careers.
    • Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, which was awarded a grant to support its Healthy Homes program that provides home repairs for low-income homeowners.
    • YWCA Delaware, which was awarded a grant to hire a care coordinator as part of their care team pilot program to better address client needs and make referrals.
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware has contributed $1 million to help build Villa Maria, The Ministry of Caring’s newest senior housing project in Wilmington’s historic Brandywine Village neighborhood. Once completed, Villa Maria will provide 72 affordable one-bedroom apartments for qualifying low- and moderate-income seniors over the age of 62.Highmark Delaware has made this leadership gift to Villa Maria as part of a bold strategy to invest in community initiatives that reduce health inequities while dramatically improving the health of residents in the markets it serves.Knowing that health is impacted by a broad range of social determinants, including housing, Highmark Delaware has made a commitment to driving major positive change through these kinds of community investments.
    • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia announced today that as part of its 7th annual Ks for Kids program, the company will donate $5 to The Step by Step after-school program for every strikeout thrown by a West Virginia Power pitcher at Appalachian Power Park this season.The Step by Step after-school program offers children a safe environment where they can have fun, receive homework help, participate in activities such as art, music, games, physical activity and STEM experiments. Step by Step operates 13 sites in Logan, Lincoln and Kanawha Counties and offers children programs are not only interesting, but also provide constructive activities that channel youthful energy. This is the seventh year that Highmark West Virginia has partnered with the West Virginia Power as part of the Ks for Kids program. Since 2014, over $16,000 has been awarded through Ks for Kids to deserving local organizations.
  • contributed more than $1 million to non-profit organizations throughout the state of Louisiana over the past year. The organizations are helping parents, families and individuals in need, including new mothers and children, by assisting with housing security, health and wellness, education, workforce development, food security and more.
  • has announced a new strategy to advance health equity by eliminating unjust and unnecessary barriers in health and healthcare. The Foundation will invest in community-centered partners and evidence-based programs that support seniors, veterans and school-aged children in living connected, healthy lives. In particular, efforts will focus on creating healthy emotional connections, as a vital part of a holistic approach to care and shaping a healthier approach to nutrition in order to support lifelong health and wellbeing. Furthering its commitment to help both seniors and youth to live connected, healthy lives, the Humana Foundation is building on its $5.5 million investment in regional mental health services in October with new grants totaling over $8 million toward regional nutrition programs.
  • has announced that 3 local community-based organizations will receive grants totaling $120,000 from Humana Inc. to improve maternal health outcomes for Black moms in Louisville. This support will help remove existing barriers and improve access to quality prenatal care in Kentucky for Black moms.
    Grants supporting maternal health of Black women in the Louisville community include direct support of:
    • Melanated Healthcare ($70,000) – Maternal telehealth initiative will connect Humana members with health professionals who share the same racial or cultural background as well as provide patient support through supplemental virtual visits.
    • Granny’s Birth Initiative ($30,000) - Doula Dash maternal transportation initiative will provide rides for Humana members who otherwise would be unable to access obstetrical or pediatric medical care. Funding will also support training of doula drivers, who are also certified car seat technicians, sibling support and program marketing.
    • Healthy Babies Louisville ($20,000) - Doula co-operative will allow community doulas - shown to provide support to birthing persons for improved health - a place to access continuing education, new certifications and trainings, support for billing insurance companies and networking opportunities.
  • is helping to address food insecurity with a $625,000 grant to Feeding America, supporting mobile food pantries in 9 states. As part of ܳԲ’s 23-year partnership with Feeding America, these mobile deliveries will help provide food and groceries to communities in need, including seniors, in Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin throughout 2023. The mobile food pantries will usually visit areas where there aren't grocery stores or other food pantries, so they can provide healthy foods to a much larger population in the surrounding area who may otherwise have difficulty with access to standard facilities.
  • has announced the first grants reflecting its elevated focus on advancing health equity and improving minority health so that vulnerable seniors, veterans and youth can live connected, healthy lives. The $13 million investment includes the launch of a $7.5 million Health Equity Innovation Fund, which will identify and scale new solutions to eliminate health disparities in the Foundation’s two priority areas: Creating healthy emotional connections by increasing equity and access in mental health services, and shaping a healthier approach to nutrition by improving food education and security. Applications to the Fund are open and accessible to organizations everywhere that are innovating in these areas.
  • is donating $500,000 towards relief and recovery efforts for those impacted by torrential rains and flooding in Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The donation is a part of The Foundation’s commitment to reinforcing communities facing crisis. To support the crisis, the Humana Foundation’s $500,000 donation will help with basic needs like shelter, food and medical care while addressing the overall recovery efforts.
  • and the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) annual Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign has raised 1,018,832 meals since the 2021 VFW convention – more than double the goal of 500,000 meals. Additionally, Humana has presented the VFW with a $50,000 donation dedicated to two VFW programs. The VFW Unmet Needs program received $25,000 toward its work providing financial aid to help with basic needs such as paying rent. The VFW National Veterans Service received $25,000 to support the program that helps Veterans get their earned Veterans Affairs benefits and compensation.
  • has invested $4.6 million to support community organizations in Ohio that share the company’s passion for overcoming public health challenges and improving the health and well-being of Ohioans. The investments are going to community partners helping parents, families, and individuals in need, including new mothers and children, and assisting with housing security, health and wellness, education, work force development, food security, and more.
  • will donate an office building in Downtown Louisville to the University of Louisville (UofL) in support of the activities of UofL’s Health Equity Innovation Hub. The 8-story building was recently vacated by Humana and contains approximately 130,000 square feet of furnished and equipped office space that will help centralize the Hub’s academic, business and research areas. The Health Equity Innovation Hub is an integrated, multi-disciplinary collaboration among The Humana Foundation, Humana and UofL that is focused on groundbreaking research, talent development, entrepreneurship and innovation, with a deliberate emphasis on health equity, social determinants of health, and digital health and analytics. The Hub seeks to develop solutions for health inequities in Louisville and globally.
  • has continued its $5.5 million investment in 6 communities across the United States to improve greater health equity outcomes for marginalized populations. This ongoing investment supports the Foundation’s commitment to addressing the specific needs of communities while promoting more healthy days and focusing on asset and financial security, food security and social connections. The Foundation, through a network of strong local partnerships and community champions, extends collective progress in the areas of food systems change, financial wellness, and bringing best practices to scale. These local partners continue to foster meaningful outcomes and are acquiring additional funds to maximize the success and significant results the organizations are driving.
  •  and The Humana Foundation have committed more than $750,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank for the Makin’ Groceries Mobile Market, which deploys to 4 locations around the Greater Lafayette, Louisiana, area every week.  The market sells nutritious food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, at very affordable prices in at-risk communities. 
  • , The Humana Foundation, and the University of Louisville have announced a new cooperative agreement and additional financial investment in the university’s Health Equity Innovation Hub to advance health equity and improve health outcomes for marginalized populations in Louisville and communities around the world. The Hub is funded by a potential total investment of $25 million, including $10 million from UofL, $1.5 million from Humana and up to $13.5 million from The Humana Foundation. The investment by The Humana Foundation represents one of the largest single donations in UofL’s history and is contingent upon progress against the collaboration’s objectives and achievement of established milestones.
  • Winners of 2021 Go365 National Step Challenge, a health and wellness competition that focuses on improving the fitness of employees from companies across the country, had 1 million meals donated in their name to local Feeding America member food banks. The competition, which started in 2018, has helped provide a total equivalent of 4 million meals to Feeding America over a 4-year period.
  • As part of its national commitment to improve housing stability for vulnerable members and communities, announced an additional $25 million investment in three syndicated funds to increase the supply of affordable housing across the country, including in the states of Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. The latest round of funding follows ܳԲ’s initial $25 million last year and doubles the company’s total financial commitment to affordable housing.
  • , ܳԲ’s Kentucky Medicaid Plan, announced a $207,000 investment that will upgrade infrastructure in Lyon County, KY in order to increase the availability of internet services and improve digital access to health care. Through a collaboration with Lyon County Judge Executive Wade White and internet service provider Fastnet, Humana Healthy Horizons in Kentucky will help provide needed capabilities in Lyon County, including:
    • Internet infrastructure to connect approximately 180 residents in two target areas with fiber optic cable and free broadband for 1 year.
    • Three internet community access points strategically placed throughout the county.
    • A telehealth hub for community residents to conduct private telehealth visits with local, regional and statewide hospital systems. The hub will help close care gaps by connecting patients to primary, urgent and preventive care, as well as internal medicine, cardiology and behavioral health services.
    • Educational resources to help strengthen residents’ knowledge of internet benefits, safety and affordability.

    Humana Healthy Horizons’ $207,000 investment will be used to fund the installation of an underground fiber network in the target areas, purchase wireless routers and provide one-year of free internet service for participating residential homes, create three hotspot access points in the community, construct a telehealth hub, and develop educational materials.

  • is donating $200,000 to the recovery and relocation efforts for those impacted by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. The donation, along with a previous contribution, is part of The Foundation’s commitment to supporting communities in crisis through Disaster Philanthropy. The Humana Foundation’s $200,000 donation will fund urgent recovery efforts and reach those on the ground who need relief.
  • The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of , is awarding $1.8 million to several nonprofit organizations in Louisville as part of its ongoing Community Partners Program. The program started in 2018 and the $1.8 million award brings the total amount awarded to community-based organizations to more than $10 million. The investments support The Foundation’s focus on addressing social determinants of health and driving greater health equity for all who live in the Louisville area. The recipients represent smaller nonprofits that join a group of 30 organizations receiving funding in this year’s program. The awards will support key initiatives that drive sustainable change while addressing disparities in education, community engagement, access-to-care, and financial asset security, to name a few.
  • has announced a $25 million investment to increase the supply of affordable housing in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Humana considers housing stability to be a key social determinant of health and one of the issues the company is addressing through its Bold Goal social health initiative. ܳԲ’s $25 million investment will be deployed through three syndicated funds that have been established to increase affordable housing capacity through the use of low income housing tax credits (LIHTC). The three syndicators, CREA LLC, PNC Real Estate and Raymond James work with developers to identify potential affordable housing properties for either rehabilitation or new construction in numerous cities across the country.
    • Humana Healthy Horizons has announced a new partnership with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Providing a $1.75 million investment, Humana Healthy Horizons will work with No Kid Hungry to sustain healthier communities through grants to schools and community organizations, along with food education and resources needed to address childhood hunger.Through this new “Family is More” initiative, Humana Healthy Horizons and No Kid Hungry will work with school districts to provide meals to kids and equip multi-generational families with food and nutrition education to support healthy eating and wellbeing. The Humana Foundation is investing $5.4 million in 8 communities across the southeastern United States to address social determinants of health on a local level, helping more people achieve health equity as part of its ongoing Strategic Community Investment Program.Through partnerships with local organizations and community members, The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investment Program creates measurable results in some of the most common social determinants of health, including post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, social connectedness, financial asset security, and food security.Humana Healthy Horizons announced a with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Providing a $1.75 million investment, Humana Healthy Horizons will work with No Kid Hungry to sustain healthier communities through grants to schools and community organizations, along with food education and resources needed to address childhood hunger.Through this new “Family is More” initiative, Humana Healthy Horizons, and No Kid Hungry will work with school districts to provide meals to kids and equip multi-generational families with food and nutrition education to support healthy eating and wellbeing.
    • Healthy Horizons, the Medicaid business of Humana, is partnering with GoNoodle®, an interactive mindfulness, and physical activity platform, to help more than two million K-6th grade kids, their parents, and teachers. The partnership will impact families across seven states along with thousands of participating schools and teachers. Those states include Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia. Humana and GoNoodle will engage users with custom, downloadable activities that align with ܳԲ’s goal of improving the health of the communities it serves. The whole person health and wellness has always been a focus of both Humana and GoNoodle – and the circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought it to the forefront for more educators and parents. As the world has been focused on critical physical health needs, educators and parents have also been struggling to keep the kids in their lives moving and active during heavily sedentary, online learning.
    • has committed $1.5 million in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address social determinants that can substantially impact the health of the nation’s youth, including food insecurity and access to healthy lifestyle information. ܳԲ’s investment will also promote equity and inclusiveness to empower youth to reach their full potential. Humana will provide nationwide support to activate Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Healthy Habits curriculum across their 4,700 Club footprint and will co-sponsor 10 community gardens to be designed, built, and maintained by Club members with support from the local community as well as ܳԲ’s members and employees.
    • The Humana Foundation is awarding $1.7 million to nonprofit organizations in Louisville as part of its ongoing Community Partners Program. The initiative began in 2018 and has since awarded more than $8 million to local nonprofits addressing social determinants of health and creating greater health equity in ܳԲ’s corporate hometown. Initiatives funded by the 2021 Community Partners Program advance health equity by addressing social determinants of health in Louisville, focused on food security, shelter, education and lifelong learning, natural and built environment, family and community connections, access to care, cultural vitality and arts.
  • The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, powered by , has launched the 2023 Well City Challenge: “Community Solutions for Mind and Heart Health” by issuing an official Call for Ideas to community leaders and innovators. Individuals are encouraged to submit their proposals to overcome community-identified barriers to health equity. The 18-month social impact challenge invites the community to identify existing barriers to equitable care and to develop innovative ideas to overcome them.
  • recently celebrated more than 2 decades of supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities® of the Philadelphia Region and announced a new presenting sponsorship of the RMHC Served With Love program. Served With Love, formerly known as the Guest Chef program, brings groups of volunteers into the kitchen at RMHC Philly’s Chestnut Street and Front and Erie Houses to prep and serve meals for more than 250 individuals who are staying at these facilities while their children receive life-saving medical care.
  • has launched the BlueBench Program. The program aims to address isolation and loneliness among seniors in Philadelphia by creating an infrastructure, such as park benches, for them to meet new people and socialize more.
  • leaders joined representatives from the business, government, and civic communities to announce the Enterprise Center’s Innovate Capital Growth Fund. The new Small Business Investment Company fund focuses on opening doors for minority- and women-owned business. Independence is an investor in the fund through the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.
  • is now offering members access to a program to help them reduce student loans and improve their financial well-being. Philadelphia-based GradFin is now available at no cost to Independence consumer plan members and commercial group customers. Independence is among the first health insurers to team up with GradFin and the first Blue plan to implement the program. The Independence GradFin program is unique in that its services are available to Independence members and those in their household, even if the household members are not enrolled in the insurer’s medical benefits. Similarly, for commercial group customers, GradFin is a value-added service, so even if an employee does not elect to receive their medical benefits through Independence, they and their family still have access to GradFin services.
    • At the height of COVID-19, and United By Blue collaborated to create a grocery delivery program to help seniors get the food and household supplies they needed at no cost. Through the program, the two organizations delivered nearly 40,000 bags of groceries to Medicare Advantage members. The items delivered were intentionally selected, including a mask, two rolls of toilet paper, one roll of paper towels, dairy, meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, bread, pastries, and homemade soup. Independence and United By Blue focused on fresh, non-frozen foods that were locally sourced, allowing them to avoid supply chain disruptions facing larger, national chains.
  • is teaming up with the Buffalo Bills for the Health & Wellness Challenge. The latest round of the community-wide initiative will be held from May 24 through July 4.The Health & Wellness Challenge was created as a way to help motivate Western New Yorkers to make simple, healthy choices by offering them opportunities to win prizes. The number of points earned throughout the 6-week Health & Wellness Challenge will determine the number of chances they have in the random prize drawings. Participants can earn points by achieving three main daily goals:
    1. Complete at least 20 minutes of physical activity
    2. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables
    3. Drink eight glasses of water

    By meeting daily goals and completing fun and healthy activities, participants in this spring/summer’s Health & Wellness Challenge will earn points and be eligible to win a variety of daily prizes, as well as the grand prize package which includes:

    • Pair of tickets and a parking pass to a TBD Bills home game
    • Bills autographed helmet
    • Bills Prize Pack (approximate value $150)
    • $500 Visa Gift Card
  • Free yoga, Pilates, Zumba®, kickboxing and other fitness classes presented by and the YMCA have returned to 18 outdoor locations throughout Western New York and online through the Fitness in the Parks program. In all, more than 500 classes will be offered during this season’s Fitness in the Parks program, the largest and longest running outdoor fitness program in the region. Numerous classes will be offered every week at multiple locations throughout Western New York, including longtime favorites Wilkeson Pointe at Outer Harbor Buffalo, Delaware Park in the City of Buffalo and Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park! No registration is required.
  • has partnered with Victor Valley College to address food insecurity in the high desert. Community residents can receive a free food box at VVC’s Lower Campus every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. While residents are encouraged to register online at , non-registered walk-ups are welcome at 12:30 p.m., while supplies last. Recipients must be 18 years or older, and boxes are limited to one per household. Prior to partnering with VVC, the health plan hosted weekly food box drive-thru distribution events at their Victorville Community Resource Center (CRC), totaling more than $5M in food from June 2020 to July 2021.
  • continues to partner with community organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties to fight for racial equality in the Inland Empire. To help strengthen Black-led and Black-empowering organizations, IEHP has also partnered with Inland Empire Community Foundation, the Black Equity Initiative, and the Inland Empire Funders Alliance providing a $50,000 sponsorship to the Inland Empire Black Equity Fund. The health plan is taking steps beyond financial support and sponsorship, working with local health and community organizations to host webinars on issues specifically affecting Black and Hispanic communities. In addition, IEHP is committed to supporting equity in all public policies by staying involved and compliant with the state’s upcoming California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal Initiative, known as CalAIM.The most recent activity includes a $2,000 sponsorship to the Center Against Racism and Trauma’s (CART) first I.E. Antiracist Summit. Held on March 17, this virtual event teaches IE residents about the Anti-racism Movement and how to actively fight against racism. Registration for this event can be found at destroyracism.org/events.
    • For the last five years, The Shower of Hope has provided unhoused residents in Southern California a sense of dignity through the health and cleanliness benefits of a shower. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization has partnered with and Path of Life Ministries to provide weekly showers for more than 200 I.E. residents. In addition to mobile showers, The Shower of Hope works closely with local community partners to provide access to meals, clothing, hygiene items and case management resources to help residents get back on their feet.
    • is welcoming members and community residents back into their three Community Resource Centers on July 19 for walk-ins and appointments for benefit support, health resources and more. IEHP’s resource centers, located in Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville, are scheduled to fully re-open to the public in September and plan to reinstate their complete schedule of fitness and wellness classes, along with some fun, new surprises.
    • A six-month pilot program hosted by Inland Empire Health Plan will provide 100 Member s with heart failure the tools to manage their health condition by offering personalized care and support. In collaboration with Purfoods, LLC (DBA Mom’s Meals), participating Members will receive healthy food and meals, nutrition education and digital weight scales. The program will run from June to December. IEHP’s Health Navigators will also visit each member in their home to help connect them to Care Management Nurses, set up their digital weight scales, provide Heart Failure Management Plans, and conduct Health Risk Assessments.
  • in Hawaii has donated $125,000 to 2 organizations focused on providing housing and health care services to prevent homelessness and create job opportunities for individuals at-risk for incarceration. Partners in Development Foundation will receive a $50,000 grant award, and Institute for Human Services will receive a $75,000 grant award. These grants are the latest in a series of contributions from Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii to help residents throughout the state receive vital support services that impact their overall health. Thus far in 2022, Kaiser Permanente has dedicated over $2.2 million through community grants and scholarships to improve health and wellness in Hawaii.
  • is committing $50 million to bolster programs that increase food and nutrition security and improve health outcomes for the country’s most vulnerable populations. The contribution also supports significant collaboration between public and private entities to develop solutions for ending hunger and improving health and health equity. This commitment coincides with Kaiser Permanente’s participation in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health alongside other national leaders in food and nutrition security to create a strategy to address the food- and diet-related challenges Americans continue to face. Kaiser Permanente’s multiyear commitment will support Food Is Medicine — a national movement linking nutrition, chronic illness, and the food services that help improve health outcomes. Kaiser Permanente will focus its efforts on 4 key areas:
    • Coordinating with publicly funded programs to support Kaiser Permanente members experiencing food and nutrition insecurity or diet-related diseases.
    • Supporting the generation of evidence and accelerating the scaling and coverage of Food Is Medicine programs for targeted populations.
    • Addressing food and nutrition insecurity through targeted community investments and coalition building to help more people.
    • Accelerating partnerships between Kaiser Permanente and private businesses to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, prevent and treat diet-related disease, and improve health equity.
  • Orange Coast College partnered with and Abound Food Care for a volunteer event aimed at addressing food insecurity in the community. Kaiser Permanente staff and their families visited OCC’s Recovery Kitchen to make and package ready-to-eat meals using recovered food. Volunteers were also given a tour of OCC’s new state-of-the-art facilities as well as the College’s Pirates’ Cove food pantry, where many of the meals would be delivered in preparation for the start of the fall semester.
  • is increasing its financial commitment to economic development and investing in affordable housing across the United States by doubling the capital in its Thriving Communities social impact investment fund to $400 million. This step comes as part of Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among underrepresented communities, including low-income and communities of color, whose health and economic well-being have been hardest hit. The Thriving Communities Fund is on track to create and preserve 15,000 units of affordable housing by 2025. Doubling the fund to $400 million will double the impact to create or preserve 30,000 units before 2030, while also advancing inclusive economic development in communities to address systemic economic disadvantage and discrimination that underpin the housing crisis.
  • and Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) have teamed up with Project HOME, a holistic housing project designed to assist the chronically homeless population in Marion and Polk counties. A $1.5 million grant to MWVCAA from Kaiser Permanente’s national community benefit fund, a donor-advised fund from the East Bay Community Foundation, will support Project HOME. The initiative will be led by the ARCHES Project, MWVCAA’s homeless outreach and sheltering division.
  • A 1-year $580,000 grant from will help Project Angel Heart expand its service area to a total of 1,350 square miles and makes home-delivered meals and nutrition services available at no cost to people with severe illnesses who live along the I-25 corridor. The expansion also increases the scope of Project Angel Heart’s services to include more comprehensive client care, including nutritional counseling and wellness visits to address health challenges and review nutrition planning for clients’ diagnoses. Peer support groups will also bring severely ill Coloradans with similar health conditions together in a virtual format to help them feel more empowered and less isolated in their health journey. Project Angel Heart will collaborate with Kaiser Permanente and Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado to help deliver meals across El Paso and Pueblo counties.
  • In the third quarter of 2021, committed nearly $63 million in grant funding to organizations working to:
    • Boost COVID-19 vaccination rates by increasing access to and confidence in the vaccine with a focus on reaching faith-based Black and Latino communities
    • End homelessness by expanding the availability of affordable, permanent housing
    • Promote environmental stewardship in the health care industry by encouraging the adoption of sustainable and climate-smart solutions and helping the United States health sector become carbon neutral (meaning that for any carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere an equivalent amount is removed)
    • Support health and wellness initiatives in schools, with a focus on resilience and mental health programs
  • , in an effort to prevent homelessness before it starts, has awarded $500,000 to the Liberty Hill Foundation to support the Stay Housed L.A. network, the largest eviction prevention and defense program in the country. The network consists of 13 community-based organizations that offer eviction prevention services, and it is supported by both the City and County of Los Angeles. L.A. Care launched a Housing Stability Initiative in 2018 and over 2 cycles, grantees helped 1,093 families avoid eviction through pre-litigation or litigation services. This grant builds on that previous commitment.
  • has awarded $1.3 million to the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) to help thousands of low-income individuals and families get benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called CalFresh in California. CAFB will use the L.A. Care funding to provide grants to up to 10 nonprofit organizations across L.A. County. The organizations will provide outreach and enrollment assistance to at least 5,600 eligible families, which is about 17,000 individuals who will gain access to nutritious foods.
  • and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers have provided $65,000 to Access Books to assist with the creation of mini libraries, and to cover the cost of initial books for the mini libraries and additional books that will be given away to local families. The first phase will create 7 mini libraries to help support existing family literacy programs and children’s activities at CRCs in Lynwood, Metro L.A. (Koreatown), El Monte, Inglewood, Norwalk, Pomona, and Palmdale, bringing a total of 6,200 brand new books in both English and Spanish to children, encouraging them to explore stories in more than one language. Once the first phase for these 7 centers is completed this year, work will begin to provide similar book collections and other special, literacy-focused events to the remainder of the 7 CRCs.
  • and Blue Shield of California Promise health plans will distribute up to 33,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies for Los Angeles County students from kindergarten through college in July and August. This is the third year in a row that the 2 health plans have held this backpack event series. The events are open to the public, and they will take place in locations throughout Los Angeles County, including the health plans' jointly operated Community Resource Centers, from July 9 to August 13, 2022. Six of the 11 events will also feature free tote bags filled with groceries.
  • has announced 3 new grants totaling $500,000 to support projects that benefit its members and the safety net of health care providers that care for them. The 3 grants include:

    • $250,000 to Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare to support its Diabetes Management Center of Excellence. L.A. Care funding will support a full-time diabetes nurse specialist who provide diabetes-specific care management.
    • $150,000 to the Community Health Alliance of Pasadena to support a Dental Assistance Apprenticeship program. L.A. Care funding will help recruit and hire dental apprentices to support dentists, which will help the clinics provide care for at least 650 new patients over an 18-month period.
    • $100,000 to the Westside Infant-Family Network to provide therapy, case management, and social supports for children in families with high Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scores. L.A. Care funding will provide ACEs screenings for 165 new families over two years and will provide case management and clinical therapy sessions for 42 new families each year.
  • has awarded $562,500 to 5 clinics in its 12th round of Provider Recruitment Program grants. The funding could bring up to 5 new physicians into the Los Angeles County safety net, including a psychiatrist and a pediatrician. The grants are part of Elevating the Safety Net, a $155 million initiative L.A. Care launched in 2018 to recruit highly qualified primary care physicians into the Los Angeles County safety net. The initiative is part of L.A. Care’s commitment to advancing health equity for members and their communities.
  • has committed $25,000 to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce OneLA Inclusive Procurement program. The program launched in 2019 to provide easier contract opportunities for local, small, and diverse businesses. L.A. Care’s sponsorship will pay tuition for up to 10 eligible small business to participate in the next session of the OneLA training program. The program aims to build stronger small businesses, especially those owned by women and minorities, by helping them develop the knowledge necessary to compete for contracts.
  • and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan celebrated the grand opening of their Community Resource Center in El Monte. A number of free services are available to members and the general public at the Center, including fitness classes such as Zumba and yoga, mental health and stigma workshops, healthy cooking sessions and health education classes, as well as resources that address social determinants of health such as housing, food security, income security, and more. Its weekly food pantry, where anyone from the community can pick up free groceries on a first come, first served basis, is open every Wednesday between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The 12,000-square-foot Center provides L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members with personalized services, including help with care management, free Wi-Fi and private rooms to support virtual medical visits, member services, and benefit navigation.
  • has awarded $1.75 million in its latest round of Provider Recruitment Program grants. The funding, which is going to 9 clinics and 4 independent provider offices, could bring up to 14 new physicians into the Los Angeles County health care safety net. These grants are the latest in L.A. Care’s $155 million Elevating the Safety Net initiative that has a goal of recruiting highly qualified primary care physicians into the county safety net.
  • is committing up to $1,231,650 to the California Association of Food Banks as part of its 2021 Community Wellness Initiative to help families enroll in CalFresh. CalFresh is a state program for people with low-income who meet federal income eligibility rules and want to add to their budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table. L.A. Care is also committing a total of $107,500 to 2 organizations that will help low-income families file their taxes and receive an Earned Income Tax Credit. This is the fifth round of L.A. Care’s Community Wellness Initiative grants. Previous grants have resulted in tax refunds of $619 for more than 7,000 low-income residents in L.A. County. Some of those families received up to $1,500 in tax refunds.
  • and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan held an inauguration for their Community Resource Center in Wilmington, which opened to the public in early July. The new site marks the latest addition to the health plans’ jointly operated Community Resource Centers, which aim to keep members and the community active, healthy, and informed. At 13,000 square feet, the Wilmington Community Resource Center, is the largest in the network. The location is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides select services including, connection to social services, free Wi-Fi for private telehealth consultations, support with Medi-Cal enrollment – and customer care for L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members. A wide range of in-person fitness and health education classes will resume once it is deemed safe by public health officials overseeing the COVID-19 pandemic response.
  • and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan reopened their jointly-operated Community Resource Centers on May 3, 2021 after they were temporarily closed in early January due to a surge in COVID-19. For the safety of resource center visitors and staff, they will offer limited services by appointment only.Limited services at this time will include:
    • Member services support
    • Health care coverage enrollment assistance
    • Connection to social service assistance programs
    • Free Wi-Fi for telehealth services
    • Food pantry distributions

    Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services Housing for Health Division, in partnership with L.A. Care Health Plan, has received a $19,958,664 ­­­­­grant from the state of California as part of the state’s Housing for a Healthy California Program. Through this grant, Housing for Health will be able to offer rental subsidies for five years to more than 250 L.A. Care Medi-Cal members experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. The grant was secured due to L.A. Care’s board-approved commitment of $7 million over the same period to Housing for Health, allowing that organization to provide intensive case management for each of the program members.Housing for a Healthy CA is an opportunity to expand Housing for Health’s current partnership with L.A. Care to address homelessness and expand housing resources in Los Angeles County. Individuals experiencing homelessness often require intensive case management, an approach that helps individuals maintain their housing and achieve optimum quality of life by addressing health and mental health needs while building social and community relations.

    This collaboration will allow eligible L.A. Care members to receive necessary health care and supportive services in the appropriate setting, which can reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, inpatient hospital stays, and nursing home care.

  • In preparation for the return to in-person classes this fall, the jointly-operated and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Community Resource Centers are hosting a series of back-to-school events where they will provide 25,000 FREE backpacks filled with school supplies to children ages four and older. The drive-thru and walk-up events are taking place throughout Los Angeles County from July 16 to August 14, and they are open to everyone. Both health plans, which serve primarily low-income populations in L.A. County, recognize that while the economy is rebounding, many families are still recovering from the financial hardships due the COVID-19 pandemic – and that gearing up for a new school year may put a strain on their finances.
  • Through their jointly operated Community Resource Centers, L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan are rolling out a series of the drive-thru and walk-up food pantry events across Los Angeles County in response to the growing food insecurity burdening nearly every community. The food distribution events, which will start February 20, 2021, and run throughout the year, are free and open to everyone. All safety guidelines recommended by public health officials will be followed. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank an estimated 1 in 4 people in Los Angeles County lives with food insecurity – the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hunger problem that already existed. Before the pandemic, 1 in 5 people struggled with access to food.
  • Food insecurity has been severely exacerbated by the economic toll and isolation brought by COVID-19, and it places many at risk of poor health outcomes. To help ensure its members are receiving the proper nutrition, has awarded Project Angel Food $150,000 to provide home-delivered, medically-tailored meals to more than 80 homebound members through the end of the year. These members are battling illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, uncontrolled diabetes, pulmonary disease, and cancer. The members have been selected in partnership with L.A. Care’s Social Services Department. Most are older than 60, have limited mobility, and are unable to prepare meals for themselves. Over the next six months, Project Angel Food will provide at least 15,000 meals to these vulnerable individuals.
    • has awarded $500,000 to MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH) to increase the capacity and capabilities of the MLKCH Post-Discharge Clinic treating South Los Angeles residents dealing with the long-term effects of COVID-19. The expanded post-discharge clinic will add pulmonary rehabilitation, a critically needed service for COVID-19 survivors that had previously not been available in the greater South Los Angeles area. The clinic will also offer a wide range of multidisciplinary services to serve the full spectrum of a patient’s recovery needs. L.A. Care grant funding will be used to increase the number of COVID-19 long-haul and post ICU patients served to 900 during the first year of the grant award, increasing patients served by 556%. In addition to the pulmonary rehabilitation services, the post-discharge clinic will expand nursing, case management, social work, mental health and critical care medicine services.
  • Kaiser Permanente will donate grants totaling $500,000 to 4 nonprofit, community-based organizations in Washington to address systemic racism the state. The grants will focus on civic engagement and policy, health care, education, and business and cultural development. Together these grants aim to dismantle discriminatory policies, systems, and practices and will touch nearly 52,000 individuals across the state. Kaiser Permanente has donated $25 million to support Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing nonprofit. The funding will support up to 1,000 new permanent housing units for formerly homeless Californians.
  • Medica has provided $500,000 in funding to support Nebraska organizations throughout the state that address social issues that impact the health of people with low incomes. The funding is in addition to the approximately $2 million in support provided by Medica for Nebraska nonprofit health organizations since 2018. The funding falls into 6 categories: Child/Maternal Health, Education/Workforce Development, Health Equity, Foster Youth, Health & Housing, and Tribal Organizations.
  • is partnering with the Salvation Army in Benton Harbor, Michigan to provide Christmas meals for up to 700 participating families. Each family will receive a seven-pound shank ham and sides of macaroni and cheese and canned green beans. Meridian also helped to address food insecurity in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, donating Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit and Holiday Hope in Flint, which held a holiday party in November for 100 youth. Over 650 families received food distribution, resource vouchers, and other supplies during the event at Northwestern High School in Flint.
  • Meridian of Michigan and Grace Health in Battle Creek have partnered to foster the development of early literacy skills among children as part of its pediatric primary care program, Reach Out and Read. Through the program, Grace Health provides books to children birth to 5 years of age at their well-child visit. During the visit, the provider discusses with the parent or guardian the importance of reading to and with a child. Earlier this year, Meridian donated $5,000, which will fund four months' worth of books.
  • partnered with The Brightside Project and local community-based organizations and businesses for a drive-thru distribution event to assist those affected by the East Palestine train derailment. Organizers say more than 700 families were helped. Water, bread, milk, filters, masks, nasal cleansing kits, pillows and paper products are just some of the items handed out. Molina employee volunteers were on hand with water bottles, toothbrushes, and other essentials. Molina will also provide financial support for The Brightside Project’s ongoing recovery efforts.
  • , together with SIHF Healthcare, recently opened a new community closet in Centreville. The Molina Closet will be available to both patients and the community at large, offering a variety of items, including diapers, wipes, toiletries, laundry detergent, and feminine hygiene products.
  • Mars Food, Delta Group, , and the Community Foundation of Washington County in Mississippi have announced a partnership to create the Washington County Food Access Improvement Fund along with a commitment of more than $400,000 to the fund over the next 3 years. The fund will provide long-term support by making grants to food pantries and other non-profit organizations that provide access to healthy food for Greenville and Washington County-area residents.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with , recently donated $8,000 to The Idaho Foodbank in support of the Hope for the Holidays mobile food pantries campaign and A Chef’s Affaire, The Idaho Foodbank’s largest annual fundraiser event. The grant will help provide food to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity throughout Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello. The funding will support the purchase of nutritious food as well as costs associated with packing, transporting, and setting up mobile food distribution sites.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , recently donated $80,000 to Downtown Streets Team (DST) and their Committed 2 Care volunteer work experience program in Sacramento. The funds supported 11 individuals participating in the program, which partners with unhoused individuals to beautify the community in exchange for case management, employment services, and a non-cash stipend for basic needs. Through the program, DST team members take on leadership opportunities, further their education and ready themselves to reenter the workforce and housing. They’re also encouraged to invite other unhoused individuals in the area to join the crew through a peer-to-peer outreach and engagement model.
  • , Community Settlement Association (CSA) and Hensel Phelps recently hosted a drive-thru Thanksgiving meal kit giveaway for 300 families in Riverside. Kits included a frozen turkey or gift card to purchase a turkey, stuffing mix, canned cranberry sauce, canned green beans, canned corn, canned gravy, boxed mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, vegetables, pumpkin pie, and more.
  • recently teamed up with long-time partner Home Aid Los Angeles to support individuals experiencing homelessness on the streets of L.A. County. Through the partnership, 2,000 hygiene kits will be distributed to shelters, transitional housing facilities and permanent housing facilities across the county during November. Some of those facilities include WomenShelter of Long Beach, Project EDUCATE, Long Beach Rescue Mission, Biddy Mason, Stopping Cry’s, Urban Voices Project, The Dream Center Foundation, and Miriam’s House. Kits will feature a variety of items including socks, soap, shampoo, lotion deodorant, a survival kit, toothbrush, hairbrush and more.
  • employees presented a $5,000 check and donated boxes of food in support of the Shalom Center food pantry’s mission. Molina also gave the center 10 new shopping carts to make it easier for those without transportation to carry their goods home.
  • , as part of the Molina College Angels Program, collaborated with United Friends of the Children (UFC) to donate hundreds of school supplies and other essentials for foster youth transitioning from high school to college. The partnership is part of Molina’s ongoing efforts to increase whole-health outcomes among underserved populations. Molina donated more than 400 school supplies, backpacks, comforters, and towels to UFC to distribute to foster youth for the upcoming college semester.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , has committed to donate $100,000 to the Governor’s Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund and the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky to support communities affected by the deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , has committed to donate $100,000 to the Governor’s Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund and the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky to support communities affected by the deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , is addressing social determinants of health in Arizona in the areas of homelessness, unemployment, and behavioral health with $150,000 in grants. The grants are focused on addressing inequities that often lead to poorer health outcomes in Arizona, and will help vulnerable individuals and families find stable housing and employment with proper access to needed resources, including mental health services.
  • recently opened a new One-Stop Help Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Each One-Stop Help Center provides new member orientation sessions, face-to-face healthcare assistance, connections to behavioral health services and community-based organizations, live tutorials on how to use the Passport app, and private health risk and needs assessment sessions, among other services for both members and providers. The center will also offer nutrition, cooking, and health classes. Members can also receive employment services support and assistance signing up for GED classes. In addition, visitors can find resources for assistance with food, housing, and utilities.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , is making a significant impact in addressing social determinants of health in Arizona in the areas of homelessness, unemployment and behavioral health with $150,000 in grants. For Arizona Peer and Family Career Academy, an organization that works to make a meaningful impact on the behavioral health workforce, the funding supported the hiring of dedicated staff, as well as the professional development of over 300 individuals. For Valley Leadership, a leadership development and community impact organization dedicated to improving the workforce development of marginalized populations, including the recently homeless, Medicaid recipients, and the formerly incarcerated, the funding has helped connect those they work with to full-time jobs.
  • is partnering with Clark Resources, a 100% minority-owned business enterprise, to open a new Clark Resources call center in Oak Brook that will create jobs for local residents. The new Clark Resources call center will initially employ approximately 40 associates, with plans to grow to a capacity of over 150. It is estimated that 80-90% of the jobs will come from minority communities.
  • , in collaboration with Pacify Health, will offer $8,000 in scholarships to minorities interested in a career as a lactation consultant. The Diversity in Lactation Consulting scholarship is designed to address the underrepresentation of minorities among lactation consultants. Each scholarship winner will receive $1,000 to help cover the cost of expenses, such as the fee for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) exam.
  • Mars Food North America, The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , and Kroger Delta Division, announced they will extend a partnership expanding the Delta region’s supply and accessibility of healthy foods and educating residents on forming healthy eating habits. Originally launched in July 2021, the coalition’s partnership has enabled community-based organizations in the region to support and promote healthy eating by making healthy foods accessible.
  • has partnered with FarmboxRx to expand a custom food delivery program focused on outcomes for Molina Medicare Advantage members and Molina Marketplace members under maternal care. The partnership will advance health equity for Molina members living in food deserts, home-bound individuals due to health conditions, mobility, or transportation challenges, and maternal populations.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , will donate $200,000 to support wildfire relief efforts in addition to providing shelter, food, water, and medical care to affected residents. Donations will go to the Santa Fe Community Foundation Resiliency Fund, which is providing rapid wildfire relief in San Miguel and Mora counties, and to the All Together New Mexico Fund (ATNM), which has recently been reactivated to coordinate statewide relief. ATNM was first established in 2020 by the New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations in conjunction with the Governor’s office for COVID-19 response and recovery.
  • announced a grant of $10,000 to Living Independence Network Corporation, a catalyst for independent living, providing information, referrals, and resources to people with disabilities, helping them remain in their own home. The donation was made as part of Idaho Gives, a program of the Idaho Nonprofit Center designed to bring awareness for Idaho nonprofits.
  • The has donated $30,000 to the Iowa Health Care Association Foundation, the leading state advocate of nursing facilities in Iowa serving all 99 counties, to provide scholarships to high school students interested in pursuing a career in long-term care. This grant continues IHCA’s MolinaCares High School Scholarship program established in 2021. This year’s grant will fund $2,000 scholarships for students enrolling in certified nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or Bachelor of Science in nursing programs.
  • The committed over $8.8 million in charitable programming and partnerships with community organizations across 23 states in 2021. Charitable donations are impacting a range of critical community health issues and whole person care such as vaccination access and education, health equity and accessibility, food and housing security, behavioral health, and health care workforce development. MolinaCares funded several key statewide initiatives in 2021, including the over $1.6 million California Equity and Accessibility Initiative to advance health equity in California and the recently announced $700,000 Behavioral Health Initiative to expand access to behavioral health in Washington State. MolinaCares also joined partnering organizations to create a coalition to bolster food access efforts in the Mississippi Delta. Having made an initial investment of $250,000, MolinaCares will donate a total of $1.25 million over the next 5 years.
  • partnered with the Chicago Urban League and the Chicago Housing Authority on a free webinar on affordable housing, rent, and homeownership. Meridian hosted the virtual event to provide the community with helpful information on renting, buying a home, preparing to move, and available options for anyone who might be behind on their rent or mortgage.
  • Eastpointe Middle School students participated in No One Eats Alone Day, a positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion and build a culture of belonging among students, with the help of . Dozens of Eastpointe Middle School students participated in activities designed to teach them about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on health and academic performance. Students were able to participate in fun and engaging activities, paired with video demonstrations and promotional items for school staff to use with them. Representatives from Meridian hosted the hybrid event in honor of No One Eats Alone® Day, created by the nonprofit Beyond Differences™.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , presented $100,000 to the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in support of a pilot program addressing social determinants of health for Arab Americans and community residents. The goal of the program is to improve health equity by increasing access to care. This initiative provides specialized screenings and assessments that evaluate critical social barriers to an individual’s well-being, including housing, employment, discrimination, and other factors that can impact health management. A case manager, funded by the MolinaCares grant, will then focus on the top three priorities identified for improving health outcomes for each participant.
  • has partnered with Healthcare in Action, a non-profit member organization of The SCAN Group, to provide health care and support to Molina members currently experiencing homelessness. Healthcare in Action is a first-of-its-kind medical group providing health care and other services to unhoused individuals through a “street medicine” model, which brings services out of the clinic and directly to the street or encampments. Molina and Healthcare in Action are identifying homeless members currently in hospitals, emergency rooms, recuperative care, and skilled nursing facilities, and offering them the option to sign up for Healthcare in Action’s primary care services. Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach is one of the hospitals helping identify Molina members experiencing homelessness to connect them to resources.
  • helped promote the KRQE Cares Phone Bank with the aim of increasing donations. KRQE Cares, has put more than 22,000 new pairs of shoes on the feet of New Mexico children through its Shoes for Kids program. The effort is focused primarily on students at Title I schools with economically disadvantaged populations.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , is supporting the Early Childhood Investment Corporation’s (ECIC) Think Babies Michigan initiative, aimed at improving the lives of babies and toddlers. The $100,000 donation will help fund grants for community organizations focused on parent-led early childhood initiatives. In combination with a grant from the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, ECIC will award 16 programs up to $10,000 each. The organizations will receive assistance from ECIC and parent leaders to pilot and implement programs designed to improve access to the early childhood system in Michigan.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with , recently partnered with Operation Warm to provide 400 warm winter coats to children at Mint Valley Elementary in Longview. Following the coat giveaway, partnering organizations provided additional resources to the larger community. Care-A-Van distributed COVID-19 vaccinations, while Food Lifeline provided food boxes.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , announced a $325,000 investment to support 2 Texas nonprofits focused on improving access to health care for rural Texans — the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH) and Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA). MolinaCares provided TORCH with $250,000 to advance rural health through clinical integration, telehealth, and data analytics. The funding will be used to develop a plan for a scalable, interoperable rural telehealth network, expand and support the organization’s Clinically Integrated Network (CIN), and convene regional executive roundtables to identify and pursue specific opportunities for collaboration and identification of best practices, such as shared services and physician credentialing. MolinaCares also provided $75,000 to TRHA to bolster workforce training and telemedicine access through the expansion of the High School Telemedicine Technical Certificate Course. Funding will enable TRHA to bring the one-of-a-kind training program and the first telemedicine certificate training program to as many as nine high schools in the West Texas region and allow more access to young people who want to pursue a career in health care, equipping them with the tools to excel and fill gaps in the workforce.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with , has made a $15,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana. The donation will help support the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Extended Learning Day program, which aims to bridge educational gaps among underserved youth.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with , donated $15,000 to Home of the Innocents to support mental health and wellbeing among underserved youth in the Louisville area. The donation will help to fund Home of the Innocents’ Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) pilot program. MST is an evidence-based model that treats youth ages 12-17 who exhibit chronic or serious anti-social behavior and are at high risk of out-of-home placement. MST utilizes a home-based model of service delivery, including therapy that educates families on the effects of trauma and helps them heal from past trauma, preventing trauma from manifesting into one or more psychiatric disorders, a child’s removal from the home, or detainment in a juvenile justice facility.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with , donated $15,000 to Dare to Care Food Bank to help address food insecurity this holiday season. The donation will help support Dare to Care’s food pantries and cooking classes for community members. Dare to Care Food Bank, which serves Kentuckians in Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Henry, Trimble, Carroll, Shelby, and Spencer counties, distributed 23 million meals last year to those in need. With several programs that target our communities’ most vulnerable populations, including children and seniors, Dare to Care plays a vital role in feeding individuals and families in need.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , is donating $50,000 to deploy dedicated food and nutrition educators in 12 Delta-area schools through its partnership with FoodCorps. MolinaCares is funding evidence-based lessons teaching kids how to make healthier choices every day. FoodCorps educators will support the creation of school gardens where fruits and vegetables will be planted for the students to tend and eventually consume. The program also includes hands-on lessons on simple and healthy meal preparation to help establish beneficial eating habits to last a lifetime. The program is projected to reach 2,500 children through 400 nutrition education lessons. The grant to FoodCorps is part of a larger initiative launched by MolinaCares in the Mississippi Delta region earlier this year to expand Mississippians’ access to healthy food.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , and Valley Leadership are launching a new Impact Maker team tasked with encouraging private sector employers in Arizona to remove barriers to employment for historically marginalized populations, including Medicaid recipients and the formerly incarcerated. The MolinaCares grant will fund creation of an employer resource toolkit on inclusive hiring criteria. The Impact Team will engage with hundreds of Arizona companies about changes they can make to their hiring practices. Companies completing the program will be recognized for making an impact based on positive qualitative and quantitative criteria.
  • The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with Senior Whole Health by , donated $12,500 to the Greater Boston Food Bank to help alleviate food insecurity in local communities surrounding Boston. In addition to the donation, 32 employees of Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare showed up on two different days to volunteer at the Food Bank.
  • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , donated $5,000 to Charleston Promise Neighborhood (CPN), an organization supporting the development of local youth. MolinaCares’ grant will help fund KidsWell, CPN’s school-based health program, and implement a clinic at the Mary Ford Early Learning and Family Engagement Center. KidsWell is CPN’s longest-running initiative and offers children with high-quality health services onsite at their school. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, this service has been offered in-person and virtually while students are remote learning at home. MolinaCares’ grant will also launch a clinic at the Mary Ford Early Learning and Family Engagement Center, located at Mary Ford Elementary School. The clinic will be available for students and their families to during the school year.
    • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Utah, donated $1,000 to Utah Partners for Health in support of the organization’s literacy program.Through the MolinaCares grant, community health workers, health educators, and outreach and enrollment workers will distribute books on nutrition and healthy eating to families that receive services from Utah Partners for Health. Books will be provided with vision screenings through the Mobile Vision Clinic at Title I schools and shelters around the Salt Lake Valley.
    • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, donated $20,000 to the Community Pantry in support of the Whole Hearted Food Fund, which provides provisions and programs for those in need in McKinley and Cibola counties.The Wholehearted Food Fund supplies local meat protein sources to the pantry, while assisting local ranchers with a viable channel of distribution for their livestock.
    • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , donated $15,000 to Prisma Health in support of children’s injury prevention. The grant will help expand the bike skills and safety program of the Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, a part of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. The MolinaCares grant will fund 1,200 bicycle helmets that will be distributed to fourth and fifth graders at schools throughout Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. The National Safety Council reports that wearing a helmet can reduce a cyclist’s risk of head injury by approximately 60% and brain injury by approximately 58%.
    • contributed $20,000 to the North Texas Food Bank to help replenish necessary food supplies for area residents experiencing high levels of unemployment or reduced income due to the COVID-19 crisis.
    • , in collaboration with Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare, donated $10,000 in support of the Neighborhood House Youth Development Program for students in west Louisville. The Youth Development Program provides year-round academic support, character development and life skills training, cultural and recreational activities, and college and career readiness support for children and teens in grades one through 12. The donation will help ensure that Jefferson County Public School students can continue benefiting from the academic and social-emotional support provided by the Neighborhood House Youth Development Program this summer. The program currently serves students between the ages of 5 and 17 who attend 20 different JCPS schools.
    • The (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California (“Molina”), recognized four Inland Empire residents for their dedication to addressing social determinants of health through the MolinaCares Champions program. Each honoree received a $5,000 grant to pay forward to the nonprofit organization of their choice.This year’s Inland Empire MolinaCares Champions are:Dr. Mona Salomo-Davies of Murrieta: Dr. Mona Salomo-Davies founded the Community Outreach Ministry to support at-risk children in Riverside County who are impacted by parental incarceration. With a goal of giving disadvantaged youth a second chance to thrive and succeed, she helps break the cycle of crime, incarceration, illiteracy, and poverty. Dr. Davies provides education through STEM mentorships and safe, healthy outlets through activities such as camping trips and holiday gatherings. Many children who have participated in these programs have become first-generation high school and college graduates. Her grant will be donated to Community Outreach Ministry. John Epps of Highland: In his role as a Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC) board member, John Epps advocates for fair treatment for all. He encourages his colleagues to use an equity-focused approach when interacting with clients and other employees. Epps is also a board member or founder of several groups, including Building Resilient Communities, We Are One United, Inc., Academy for Grassroots Organizations, and the Community Advisory Board for the Center of Health Disparities at UC Riverside. Through his expansive efforts, he is spearheading the charge to uplift communities by working to bring more diversity and inclusion to leadership in nonprofits and boards throughout the Inland Empire. Epps has selected Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC) as the recipient of his grant. Dr. Tom Dolan of San Bernardino: As executive director of Inland Congregations United for Change for the last 16 years, Dr. Tom Dolan leads a faith-based nonprofit devoted to creating equity advocates and teaching people from marginalized groups how to be agents of change. He has connected farm workers with food banks, health services, and masks and has helped San Bernardino students register voters and address violence in their communities. Dr. Dolan has worked with parents and students to tackle low graduation rates and advocate for mental health centers in schools. He has a long history of commitment to helping unhoused people and formerly incarcerated individuals. Dr. Dolan’s grant will be donated to Inland Congregations United for Change.Julieta Barraza of Victorville: Through her role as a family support worker for El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, Julieta Barraza provides home visitations to expecting parents and parents with young children in the High Desert area. She also volunteers as a host for a Christian radio station where she encourages families to improve their well-being. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Barraza organized events where local agencies and organizations provided information about services and resources. She also volunteers at food banks and distributes clothing and backpacks. Barraza dedicates her free time to be of service to her community, which she considers a form of demonstrating love. Her grant will be donated to El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center.
    • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , partnered with El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC) to host two Dr. Cleo’s Cooking Club events for youth ages 5-13 in Holtville and Brawley. At each event, MolinaCares and ECRMC engaged several dozen members of the local Boys & Girls Clubs in a class focused on health and nutrition. At each event, an educator from ECRMC taught about the importance of handwashing and nutrition before leading a hands-on demonstration on making nutritious snacks. All chefs received a Molina bag with health education materials and a frisbee and jump rope to encourage physical fitness.
    • The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with , donated $20,000 to The Other Side Academy in support of The Other Side Village, a housing development for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Salt Lake City. Each 400-sqaure-foot home in the Village will include a bedroom, living room, bathroom, shower and kitchen with appliances. The affordable monthly rent includes utilities costs, as well as various community services and activities such as a regular farmers market to provide residents with free vegetables harvested from the Village’s many gardens. The Other Side Village plans to break ground by March 2022 and begin building the initial 30 homes in this master planned community. The community will eventually be comprised of up to 400 homes.
    • The is supporting several nonprofits statewide to assist Rhode Islanders facing social, financial, and health challenges including food insecurity, homelessness, opioid use disorder, HIV, and more. As part of its mission, MolinaCares is donating to:
      • United Way of Rhode Island works to help Rhode Islanders in need while bringing together individuals, businesses, nonprofits, community leaders, and government officials to address the state’s most pressing social issues. Funds from the grant will go to support United Way’s Non-Profit Innovations Lab, a program designed to promote innovation within the non-profit sector and help transform ideas into programmatic reality, focusing on housing, health equity, and racial disparity solutions.
      • Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s Healthy Habits: Eating Well on a Budget program teaches low-income participants how to shop, cook, and eat with good health in mind, even on a limited budget. Since the program began in 2013, more than 15,000 adults, seniors, and children have participated. The funds will help expand the program to more communities statewide.
      • Family Services of Rhode Island assists low-income families statewide with a variety of services. Funds will support Project Support Ocean State, a federally-funded project to respond to youth impacted by the opioid epidemic. It will also support at-home HIV testing and aid those living with HIV. This includes pre- and post-test counseling, as well as deliveries of groceries, personal care items, and personal protective equipment.
  • The Molina Cares Accord (“MolinaCares”), together with Molina Healthcare of Washington (“Molina”), donated $100,000 to Excelsior Wellness (“Excelsior”) in support of programs designed to help at-risk youth and families better navigate the complex education and health care systems to improve their quality of life.
    The grant will support Excelsior’s Mobile Engagement and Evaluation Team (MEET), which leverages certified peer specialists to deliver a person- and family-centered wellness and recovery models for youth with behavioral health needs. MolinaCares’ funding will enable MEET to increase certified peer specialist capacity by 20%.
    Grant funding will also support the Excelsior Equity Scholarship Fund, which provides opportunities to people of color who are enrolled in advanced degree programs in the fields of education, criminal justice, and health care. When combined with the Excelsior Foundation’s match, MolinaCares’ donation will fund 12 scholarships for students in need.
    Both efforts aim to combat alarming statistics revealed in studies of minority representation within the health care industry. A recent George Washington University study showed that in 2019, of the ten health care professions tracked, both Latino and Black populations were underrepresented in every one of them.
  • and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) have announced a statewide partnership and the availability of $650,000 in funding to build state-of-the-art outdoor Fitness Courts across communities in New York and Vermont. This announcement builds upon the success of last year’s partnership launch in which MVP and NFC build 21 Fitness Courts throughout New York and as a result, is looking to expand its reach into Vermont in 2023. The MVP Health Care Fitness Court, which was created by NFC, is the world’s best outdoor gym featuring a series of powerful seven-movement stations that are designed by leading experts in functional fitness and bodyweight training. Users can download a free Fitness Court App, which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and delivers regular content to keep fitness training fun for adults of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels. Each Fitness Court location also provides opportunities for free fitness classes through an ambassador program featuring local trainers.
  • , SUNY Schenectady, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany County, the Cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) today announced a partnership to bring nine outdoor Fitness Courts® to the Capital Region. The MVP Health Care Fitness Courts will provide the region with equitable access to free, high quality workouts using state-of-the-art equipment. The MVP Health Care Fitness Courts are a result of a partnership launched last Fall between MVP Health Care and NFC activate public spaces and encourage a healthy lifestyle. A Fitness Court is a free, open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages and abilities in mind, a Fitness Court work out allows users of all fitness levels to move at their own pace. Users can download the free Fitness Court app which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem.
  • (MVP) and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) have launched a statewide partnership to build 10 to 15, state-of-the-art outdoor Fitness Courts across communities in New York and Vermont. The MVP Health Care Fitness Courts will be built in easily accessible public spaces beginning in 2022. The fitness court is a free, outdoor 7-minute full-body workout system, for adults of all ages and fitness levels. The courts are part of an effort launched by NFC to activate public spaces, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and create equitable access to outdoor exercise programs. They build on the success of MVP’s initial Fitness Court, which launched in the City of Rochester in 2019.
  • , CAP COM Federal Credit Union, and the City of Schenectady hosted a free back-to-school event where more than 1,500 backpacks filled with essential school supplies and books were distributed to kids of all ages. Each backpack included school supplies like pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, a pencil pouch, and an age-appropriate book. The giveaway event also offered back-to-school haircuts vouchers provided by Paul Mitchell Hair School in Schenectady in 25 randomly marked backpacks. COVID-19 vaccines were available onsite to children over the age of 12 with parent or guardian consent.
  • , Thundermist Health Center, and Algorex Health have partnered on an innovative food program to address extreme food insecurity in Woonsocket. The “Neighborhood-Thundermist Food Access Program” is a six-month pilot aimed at 140 Neighborhood Medicaid members who live in Woonsocket and access health care through Thundermist’s Woonsocket location. The program’s primary objective is to test whether supplemental groceries delivered to the homes of members with significant food access challenges have a positive impact, particularly when combined with the engagement of a clinical team, on the health and quality of life of participants. Rolled out over the December holidays, the pilot program will culminate in mid-June and use both quantitative and qualitative measurements to determine the impact on participants’ health. Participants in the program receive weekly or bi-weekly, depending on household size, boxes of shelf-stable foods delivered to their homes to address gaps in food access. The boxes also include face masks and hand sanitizer to support pandemic safety measures. The design of the program was informed by social determinants of health data and is unique compared to other food intervention programs in Rhode Island because of its integration of clinical engagement with participants.
  • ', in partnership with the Caregiver Foundation, is offering scholarships for individuals interested in becoming a certified nurse aide (CNA). 'Ohana Health Plan donated $15,000 to provide scholarships through the Advanced Care Training School in Wahiawa, Hawaii – a state-approved training facility certified by the Department of Human Services for teaching CNA training and recertification.
  • Papa, a nationwide platform for companionship and support for older adults and families, and PacificSource Community Health Plans have announced a partnership to address the social needs of the Greater Northwest’s most vulnerable populations. The collaboration offers a new approach to combating loneliness and isolation and its impact on health. Papa’s companionship and care services will be available on January 1, 2022 to members of PacificSource Medicare Special Needs Plan. PacificSource members can request a Pal through a phone call, mobile app, or online platform. Papa will consult with members to learn about their individual needs, and in which ways a Papa Pal can provide the most help. Papa Pals are trained companions who assist directly with medical appointments, grocery shopping, technology troubleshooting, and much more. Papa’s platform uses technology to streamline access to in-the-home support, and to efficiently and meaningfully engage with people on a personal basis.
  • has announced grants totaling $700,000 to 7 food banks in the region. Each organization will receive $100,000 to increase capacity to respond to the growing community need for emergency food support. These investments support general operations, including staff salaries, the purchase of fresh and non-perishable food, and fuel costs for distribution. Funds also will go to advocacy efforts that promote system and policy changes addressing root causes of hunger, and aligned with the new National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
  • has made grants totaling $1 million to advance social and racial equity. The funds will support nonprofit organizations that include diverse voices and perspectives, eliminate systemic barriers, and advocate for stronger communities. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation, which combined to become Point32Health Foundation, have committed more than $5.5 million to support racial equity since 2020. The grants will support 16 nonprofit organizations, two in Connecticut, three each in Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and four in Massachusetts. Organizations will have flexibility in how the resources are used and are not tied to a specific project or initiative.
  • More than 1,100 colleagues recently volunteered across New England this week to serve at more than 40 local nonprofits as part of the company’s inaugural Volunteer Week. Point32Health is the not-for-profit health care parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan. Colleagues signed up for more than 50 virtual and in-community activities across the region, including prepping and serving meals at local food pantries; harvesting produce from area farms; cleaning up local parks, trails, beaches and rivers; building beds for children in need; and writing notes and coloring posters for children and older adults. Volunteers participate in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island —all the states Point32Health does business. Point32Health anticipated employee volunteers would complete approximately 2,500 service hours throughout the week.
  • Total Health Care USA and Priority Health have announced the first round of grant recipients named by the Total Health Care Foundation. Created as part of the merger agreement between Priority Health and Total Health Care, the Total Health Care Foundation’s first round of grants total more than $1.8 million and are going to Southeast Michigan organizations that are committed to improving the health and well-being of the individuals they serve. The creation of the Total Health Care Foundation demonstrates Priority Health’s commitment to finding solutions to the health disparities and social determinants of health facing Michigan residents such as food and housing shortages, economic stability, and health issues.
    • is continuing its support of the Battle Creek Family YMCA/Battle Creek Diaper Initiative and St. Luke’s Diaper Bank in Kalamazoo. Through October 6, Priority Health will support local families in need of diapers, as 1 in 3 families in the U.S. struggle to provide enough diapers for their children, according to a study conducted by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) and Huggies.
      These extended partnerships are in addition to the nearly 230,000 diapers distributed last year in Southwest Michigan through the support of Priority Health. has launched a new web presence that focuses on social determinants of health and health inequities. The new landing page, available to the general public, is meant to serve as a central hub for all content related to Priority Health’s efforts towards addressing SDOH.
      The landing page provides visitors with educational background information on SDOH, a recently published report from Priority Health highlighting their work and programs that address health inequities, and links to programs, news coverage, and articles related to the topic.
  • Priority Health has launched a first-of-its-kind “full lifecycle” social determinants of health (SDoH) initiative. Recent research has shown that SDoH, or social factors like access to healthy food, transportation options and financial security, may be responsible for up to 80% of health outcomes. Priority Health’s program will enable the insurer to proactively identify social risk among its members, initiate culturally resonant engagement, connect people with critical resources to address their needs, and repeatably measure the impact to refine future programs. Priority Health has partnered with industry leaders Socially Determined, ConsejoSano and Aunt Bertha to create this data-driven, full lifecycle approach for addressing SDoH and improving health outcomes.Understanding social risk is the first step to launching this comprehensive approach. This enables Priority Health to pinpoint where the biggest needs are so it can direct resources towards the most impactful programs across its membership. This fundamental step also helps in identifying individuals in need of targeted intervention, regardless of whether they have had a recent touchpoint with Priority Health, a health care provider, or other social service. To gain this visibility, Priority Health has partnered with Socially Determined, a market-leading technology company that provides social risk intelligence to organizations seeking to understand the impact social risk has on their populations and communities. This information enables organizations like Priority Health to create more impactful, sustainable and measurable programs that drive better health outcomes and business performance.As a next step in the program, Priority Health’s partnership with ConsejoSano will help transform the insights from Socially Determined into actionable outreach to members. ConsejoSano is an engagement solution that provides culturally and linguistically aligned outreach to traditionally underserved communities. Their team will work directly with new Priority Health members to perform SDoH screenings and make direct referrals to Priority Health’s internal care management team. This will create a more seamless member experience and will allow for care managers to immediately begin addressing needs.In addition to personalized member referrals and care intervention from care managers and community health workers, Priority Health will also work with and encourage members to utilize Priority Health Connect. This online platform, powered by Aunt Bertha, is designed to connect individuals in the community with free and reduced-cost programs and critical social services. This allows members to instantly search for the resources that they need within their zip code, including services like housing support, legal assistance, access to healthy foods, and childcare.A final, yet key component to Priority Health’s novel SDoH program is its ability to objectively measure outcomes. This allows Priority Health to understand the impact of its social programs to refine and improve future initiatives. Many organizations focused on SDoH struggle to understand the impact of their programs or implement manual and inconsistent practices to measure them. Priority Health’s partnership with Socially Determined will allow the insurer to measure impact in a standardized and repeatable way to iterate and apply new insights back into the lifecycle. This will help drive decisions around future community investments and social services collaboration.Learn more about Priority Health’s efforts to address SDoH.
  • and National Fitness Campaign have launched a statewide partnership to expand free access to world-class fitness by bringing The Fitness Court® to communities across Wisconsin. This partnership was formed to fight obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, improve quality of life, and create equitable access to outdoor exercise programs for communities around the state. Through the partnership, Quartz Fitness Courts will be constructed in easily accessible public spaces beginning in 2023, bringing community wellness programs and free digital workouts to thousands of people.
  • Regence health plans a $1 million philanthropic investment to advance health equity in underserved communities across Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington.This investment supports Regence’s “Four Communities” project, which aims to increase access to preventative and chronic care for people living in areas of greatest need, including: Lewiston, Idaho; Medford, Oregon; West Valley City, Utah; and South King County, Washington.Investments will address the socioeconomic challenges that prevent people from living their healthiest lives by expanding existing community health programs with a specific emphasis on:
    • increasing care access and capacity, as well as integrating behavioral health services into existing programs
    • reducing barriers to optimal health by addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), including housing, food and emergency support
    • and by improving capacity for more personalized and sustainable care coordination between medical providers and social services.

    According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, social and economic factors shape 80% of a person’s ability to engage in healthy behaviors. As a result, populations with fewer resources and lower incomes face significant barriers to achieving optimal health and require a broad-based approach to address the social, economic and environmental factors that influence health. Partnering with local health systems, community health workers act as advocates and often share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and life experiences with the community members they serve.

    Four Communities investments will increase training and capacity for organizations so they can serve even more people, while at the same time empowering trusted on-the-ground experts who best know local community members and their unique needs.

  • is launching a unique Togetherness Program aimed at reducing loneliness. Unlike other programs, SCAN’s will rely on senior-to-senior interactions to reduce isolation among SCAN’s membership.Among the programs that SCAN will offer its members are:
    • Virtual and in-person classes and activities based around shared interests;
    • “Friendly Phoner,” a program through which Peer Advocates and SCAN employee volunteers will regularly reach out to members by telephone; and
    • “Tech Buddy,” support for people who want to use tablets and other digital devices to connect with other people.
  • Chippewa Valley area youth and their families can receive a reduced-cost YMCA membership, due to a charitable contribution of Wisconsin, Inc., and Marshfield Clinic Health System made to the YMCA Strong Kids Annual Campaign. Membership to the YMCA offers access to all youth activities like swimming lessons, youth sports and educational programs.
  • invested more than $400,000 in community partnerships in 2021 within 42 counties in the Health Plan’s service area. The investments focused on 4 top community health priorities known as the ABCS:
    • Alcohol and other substance use
    • Behavioral health
    • Chronic disease
    • Social determinants of health.
    By focusing on these areas of need, Security Health Plan reached over 66,500 people to make measurable improvements on health within communities it serves.
  • The School District of Abbotsford is working to improve the mental health of their students through an interactive program called School Pulse, which became operational in January 2022 and provides students with social and emotional support using their cell phones. Security Health Plan and Marshfield Clinic Health System are investing in this program to promote mental wellness and decrease suicide rates in young people. The School Pulse program uses texting to check in with students about their mental health 3 times a week – all year long. Students who wish to participate in the program will receive real-time help through open, anonymous communication through a platform that works just like texting. Messages are inspirational, informative, and collect answers to students’ questions. The school will use the data to determine students’ needs and develop appropriate interventions. Students can get resources to help them with depression, bullying, dealing with stress, life after high school, family relationships and more.
  • and Optima Health have partnered with Unite Us to create a single space where Sentara and Optima Health can connect patients and members to local health, human, and community‐based organizations to address their social determinants of health and broader health needs to better improve health outcomes.
  • has awarded the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation (VVSF) a $150,000 grant to support programs for veterans and their families. The grant is designated to assist homeless veterans and to support behavioral health initiatives including suicide prevention. Since 2013, Sentara has participated in the Virginia Values Veterans program (V3), which helps companies develop best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining Virginia Veterans. In 2018, Sentara joined the Army’s Partnership for Youth Success program, helping veterans secure job interviews with our company after their service. Sentara has been honored for hiring women veterans and for hiring the most military medics and corpsmen in Virginia in 2020.
  • Sunflower Health Plan is again sponsoring its Member Days this summer at local farmers markets to help its members across Kansas afford fresh fruits and vegetables. Sunflower Member Days will benefit people who have Medicaid coverage through Sunflower. Shoppers will receive $10 in vouchers they can use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables on the day of the market. The farmers market initiative is part of Sunflower's commitment to addressing social determinants of health – issues such as food insecurity and lack of transportation or housing – that can serve as barriers to better overall health. In response, Sunflower Member Days will help members afford healthier food options, promote healthy eating habits, and support local growers.
  • Sunflower Health Plan is partnering with the Kansas Children's Discovery Center this summer to offer free, educational play access for children growing up in underserved communities. Sunflower and KCDC are offering 2 dates for its Discovery Play mobile museum, which highlights mini versions of its most popular exhibits, including building machines, creating art and more.
  • and Community Based Care Integrated Health (CBCIH) have announced that the My Healthy Child Reinvestment Fund has allocated an additional $50,000 to address gaps in healthcare services available to youth in foster care. Sunshine Health and CBCIH are partners in the Sunshine Health Child Welfare Specialty Plan, which serves youth in, or adopted from, the state’s child welfare system. Since 2017, more than 100 Florida children and teens in foster care have benefitted from the fund, which covers costs associated with orthodontic care deemed not medically necessary.
  • is partnering with United HomeCare to recruit and train home health aides in South Florida to ensure people have the community supports and services they need to retain as much independence and quality of life as possible. The collaboration between Sunshine Health and UHC will provide free training to South Florida residents to help them jumpstart a career in healthcare, and expand the number of people in the community who will have access to home health care supports to help them live safely at home.
  • has awarded grants to 51 community organizations focused on addressing social barriers to health. The grants of up to $2,000 help organizations throughout Florida provide food, financial help, transportation, domestic violence services, social isolation programs, and more to their local communities.
  • Sunshine Health awarded a total of $200,000 in grants to address homelessness, food insecurity, mental health, and other social needs across Florida in 2021. In total, 54 grants were awarded to nonprofits working to improve community health and help Floridians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Sunshine Health Community Connections grants went to organizations addressing such issues as healthy birth outcomes, transportation, domestic violence, social isolation, housing, food insecurity and more. Community Connections grants will be offered again in 2022.
  • has donated $23,000 to support movies at no cost for people who have disabilities and their families. These events have taken place in Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa. Through partnerships with Galaxy Theatres, Cinergy Cinemas, AMC Theatres, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, more than 1,200 Texans have been able to enjoy the movie experience so far this year in a comfortable environment. Sensory-friendly movies are intended for guests and their families affected by autism and sensory processing disorders. These showings take place in auditoriums that have brightened light levels, reduced sound volume, and room for guest interaction and movement. In addition to a movie, attendees receive popcorn and a drink at no cost.
  • In recognition of National Health Literacy Month, is providing insight into common insurance terms so everyone can feel confident and empowered when making health insurance decisions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 9 out of 10 adults struggle to understand public health information as it contains unfamiliar or complex terms.
  • Since 2020, has donated more than $300,000 to help community-based organizations establish hygiene closets to help those in need, including $25,000 in the Amarillo and Lubbock areas. To date, Superior has provided funding to more than 70 organizations and schools statewide. The products in the closets are are things not covered by SNAP or Food Stamps, including feminine products, dishwashing liquid, soap, and shampoo.
  • In recognition of National Nutrition Month in March, encouraged Texas residents to explore habits and tips to help improve diet, nutrition literacy, and healthful outcomes all year long. Here are some of the ways Superior is helping:
    • In the last 7 years, Superior employees have donated $1.6 million to Texas chapters of United Way, an organization that often supports low-income residents through food assistance and other programs.
    • Superior provided funding for our partner, Salvation Army of North Texas, to purchase a food trailer used to serve thousands of community members and families each month.
    • Prospera Housing Community Services received funding from Superior to establish an on-site food pantry in Laredo, Texas.
  • Goodside Health, the state's leading provider of school-based telehealth and screening services, has partnered with Superior HealthPlan to bring virtual care to children in school districts across Texas. The partnership allows children to see a medical provider, virtually, while at school to address a variety of health concerns or illnesses. SchoolMed, Goodside Health’s school-based telehealth program enables students and staff to see an age-appropriate doctor or nurse practitioner to evaluate, diagnose, and provide treatment for common conditions and ailments in the convenient setting of school. Goodside Health currently partners with more than 70 districts across Texas. SchoolMed partners also receive on-site rapid COVID-19, flu, and strep tests as well as over-the-counter medications such as pain relievers, allergy medications, and other necessary supplies to deliver top quality care, all at no cost to the school.
  • has announced a partnership with Unite Us, a technology company connecting health and social care services, to further enhance the health plan's ability to collaborate with providers and local community-based organizations to provide integrated healthcare services. The Connect Oregon network, powered by Unite Us, is a coordinated care network of health and social service providers. Partners in the network are connected through the Unite Us Platform, an integrated, HI-TRUST-certified social care infrastructure helping providers and community-based organizations address social determinants of health and advance health equity. Trillium's care managers and member services staff will use the Connect Oregon network to efficiently coordinate care for Oregon Health Plan members, ensuring their access to needed services and supports.
  • has partnered with the Rockwood Community Development Corporation to deliver culturally specific meals to vulnerable families.Rockwood CDC uses food, nutritional education, business incubation, and agricultural development as tools to help residents gain better health outcomes, greater equity, and more prosperity. To achieve these goals, Rockwood CDC supports food entrepreneurs, encourages black-owned farms and other food businesses, engages African-American grandmas to teach nutrition to families, and more.Through the partnership with Rockwood CDC, Trillium will help support local BIPOC-led organizations as they provide 400 culturally appropriate food boxes each week for individuals and families in the Rockwood community.
  • Tufts Health Plan Foundation donated $900,000 in funding to 64 community organizations to help support efforts to address basic needs like food access, housing assistance, and other fundamental supports to help stay safe and healthy.
  • directed its 2022 end-of-year funding to expand and develop programs addressing food and housing insecurity for underserved communities. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $200,000 to 25 community organizations making a difference for diverse populations and cultures spanning urban and rural regions of the state. In 2022, for example, the health plan provided $100,000 in emergency funds to Second Harvest Heartland to boost dangerously low milk supplies by at least two weeks in 59 Minnesota counties. And UCare emergency funds helped secure housing for more than 185 at-risk individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorder in St. Louis County. 2023 funding will ensure housing for hundreds more Minnesotans in other communities.
  • is one of 10 recipients of the 2022 Community Impact Award announced by Twin Cities Business. These annual awards recognize nonprofits and for-profit businesses whose efforts are making a significant difference in Minnesota in areas including poverty alleviation, hunger relief, and access to capital. UCare won in the Civic Engagement category for its commitment to health equity for marginalized and underrepresented communities. Among the many activities UCare engaged in during 2021 was organizing more than 80 COVID-19 vaccine clinics, partnering with public health agencies, creating a community response team of multilingual workers and sending care kits to seniors.
  • was one of 10 recipients of the 2022 Community Impact Award announced by Twin Cities Business (TCB). These annual awards recognize nonprofits and for-profit businesses whose efforts are making a significant difference in Minnesota in areas including poverty alleviation, hunger relief and access to capital. UCare won in the Civic Engagement category for its commitment to health equity for marginalized and underrepresented communities. Among the many activities UCare engaged in during 2021 was organizing more than 80 COVID-19 vaccine clinics, partnering with public health agencies, creating a community response team of multilingual workers and sending care kits to seniors.
  • is providing an $80,000 donation supporting ongoing hunger relief in neighborhoods with disproportionately high rates of food insecurity. The funds will cover distributions of approximately 6 weeks of Second Harvest Heartland Minnesota Central Kitchen meals – packed in UCare bags – at Corcoran Community Center in South Minneapolis and other sites served by The Sanneh Foundation. Minnesota Central Kitchen brings together restaurants, chefs, caterers and hunger-fighting organizations to prepare delicious ready-to-eat meals, with special effort placed on creating culturally connected meals made by and for communities of color.
  • UCare, a community-based, nonprofit health plan, is with the philanthropic arm of LeadingAge Minnesota, LeadingAge MN Foundation (LAMF), to bring a visionary new model of integrated care to aging adults living in rural communities in west central Minnesota. Through separate funding, LAMF has awarded Connected Communities for Healthy Aging pilot grants of $800,000 each to two LeadingAge Minnesota members – Knute Nelson in Alexandria, Minnesota and Perham Health in Perham. The UCare Foundation contributed an additional $100,000 to each organization to support program design and implementation through year-end 2022.With the goal of helping older adults experience healthier aging, the pilots will coordinate and deliver an inter-connected continuum of community-based supports (socialization, meals, transportation); preventive and primary care; acute, post-acute and long-term care; and other services to support and enhance older adults’ quality of life. Key objectives are:
    • Convene and advance a local and collaborative whole-system, whole-person approach to serving seniors in the community
    • Experiment and improve care of Medicare Advantage members in a local health plan in coordination with providers of primary care, acute- and post-acute care, home care and community-based services
    • Connect consumers to local resources for healthier aging
    • Implement effective workforce strategies to support this collaborative model
  • and GEDWorks are partnering to provide UCare members a second chance to earn their GED® (General Educational Development) credentials. The partnership addresses education as a significant social factor driving health and health outcomes.Since 2019, UCare and GEDWorks have piloted a trailblazing program in select Minnesota counties to waive the costs of GED preparation and testing for a limited number of UCare members enrolled in Families & Children Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs. To date, 28 members from diverse backgrounds have graduated and earned their GED credentials. Read one member’s success story here.Now UCare and GEDWorks are expanding the program statewide – and throughout the metropolitan area – and adding an additional 1,000 opportunities for members. The program is also expanding to members of UCare’s Special Needs Plans for adults with disabilities. is funding more than 20,000 meals for Minnesotans through a $132,000 donation to Second Harvest Heartland. UCare is also supporting winter markets that are large-scale distributions of produce, emergency food boxes, protein, and dairy. The markets are held weekly throughout the Twin Cities metro area and in Greater Minnesota.
  • UniCare of West Virginia donated $1 million to West Virginia Health Right, helping to open the new CommUNITY Wellness Center. The new center features four behavioral health offices, health education and community training space, childcare so parents easily can attend health appointments, a teaching kitchen, and an onsite gym. UniCare’s donation to West Virginia Health Right also will support at-risk individuals in communities with higher rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection through local outreach, education, and community-based services that aim to improve health equity. West Virginia Health Right and UniCare are strengthening and transforming how these services are provided with the launch of an innovative mobile medical unit that will provide access, care, and quality for underserved populations, including routine primary care services and HIV and Hepatitis C testing.
  • Two Pittsburgh Foundations—Henry L. Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments—have partnered with , a Medicaid managed care plan, to create a new private loan fund to help mission-minded developers acquire existing multifamily housing units and retain them as affordable units for neighborhood residents. Working with Cinnaire Lending, the Preserve Affordability Pittsburgh (PAP) loan pool seeks to preserve 1,200 units of affordable housing in Pittsburgh neighborhoods throughout the next decade by lending capital to developers focused on creating or retaining affordable properties. The initial PAP loan pool is $11 million with specific loan amounts dependent on individual developer proposals. The program is the result of nearly 2 years of planning and will offer loans to developers who include affordable housing in proposed projects at less cost than developers would encounter if pursuing loans through traditional lending paths.
  • and its community partners have opened the UPMC Health Plan Neighborhood Center in Pittsburgh’s East End. The Center will also house 3 Community Health Workers to help individuals with health-related questions about issues that include healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and health-related social needs. The Center will also offer access to virtual health consultations via UPMC Health Plan’s AnywhereCare telehealth platform, a community food pantry, workforce development programs, and Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED) and social services.
  • recently launched “Freedom House 2.0”— a project designed to recruit, train and employ first responders from economically disadvantaged communities, many of which have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.Run through the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care, the program will provide training and support in two, 10-week cohorts to individuals facing health and economic disparities. The training will focus on traditional emergency medical services (EMS) and on equipping first responders to help address critical, non-emergency psychosocial needs— such as poorly managed chronic medical and behavioral health conditions and a lack of access to resources to address them— that comprise a significant portion of 911 calls.
    • for Kids Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) today recognized its 15th anniversary and growth into Pennsylvania’s largest CHIP managed care plan and will make $15,000 charitable donations to three community organizations that support Pennsylvania children. The donations will go to the following Pennsylvania-based non-profit organizations:This Generation Connect: This Generation Connect is the only community center in east Pittsburgh and provides middle and high schoolers and their families with opportunities for audio-visual training and creative expression through videography, photography, and music production.Healthy Steps Diaper Bank: Healthy Steps Diaper bank collects, stores, and distributes free diapers to families in need with the help of partner agencies. They are the only diaper bank in the region, serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Perry, and York counties.Eagle’s Nest School of Academic Distinction: Eagle’s Nest School is the Erie region’s only African-centered academic institution open to students of all ethnicities. The middle school operates in partnership with the Erie School District and has a faculty ratio of about 15:1 with academic benchmarks equal to or better than those of private schools.
  • WEA Trust recently asked public school personnel what they would do with a $1,000 Stock-a-Classroom Grant. Over 730 public educators and school personnel submitted a response, and 20 recipients were randomly chosen to receive a $1,000 grant for this upcoming school year. WEA Trust created the Stock-a-Classroom Grant to recognize and support Wisconsin educators. The grant-winning proposals consisted of both essential and unique classroom needs—materials for a hydroponics lab, a new whiteboard, music equipment, books, a sensory space, art supplies and more.
  • and Kentucky Homeplace have partnered to distribute gas cards offered at no cost to current WellCare Medicaid members. KHP, a program of the University of Kentucky's Center of Excellence in Rural Health, is coordinating the distribution in its 32-county service area in eastern Kentucky. The project is supported by a $15,000 donation from WellCare.
  • is partnering with organizations across the state to help Kentuckians access health screenings and resources for the whole family. Running now through October, WellCare will be holding community family fairs in communities across the state, offering health screenings and fun, family-friendly activities ranging from fairs and festivals to karaoke nights and movies in the park. While type of screenings and resources will vary from event to event, WellCare is working with local and statewide agencies to provide general screenings, including dental and vision, along with resources about disease prevention and the importance of good nutrition at all locations.
  • is participating in Healthy Opportunities, a Medicaid program, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Health Benefits. The Healthy Opportunities Program is the nation's first comprehensive program to test non-medical interventions, such as providing healthy food boxes and addressing transportation needs of Medicaid beneficiaries. The program is a facet of the state's broader Medicaid Transformation efforts and will support and address social determinants of health.

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Social Determinants of Health