S.C. BlueCross Foundation Awards More Than $1.5 Million in Grants

COLUMBIA, SC – July 1, 2009 – The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation has approved grant applications totaling $1,525,924 for health-related programs in South Carolina.

The grants are for periods of one to three years.  Since the Foundation was established in 2003, it has granted more than $24 million to address such issues as childhood health, community health, the increasing need for free medical clinics, mental health, obesity, diabetes, nursing and research – all to organizations in South Carolina that serve South Carolinians. 

The Foundation decides on its grant awards twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The latest round, decided May 18, includes funding for groups located throughout the state. The recipients are:  

• Florence County School District 5, Johnsonville, S.C., for services to uninsured and underinsured students to be provided through a Campus Health Center.
• Communities in Schools, Charleston and Berkeley counties, for student support specialists to identify students at the highest risk for substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors.
• South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, to develop and implement pregnancy prevention strategies for underinsured and uninsured persons ages 18 and 19 in Sumter County and statewide.
• Family Service Center, Lexington and Richland counties, to replace clinic equipment and purchase dental supplies for the children and adult dental clinics.
• Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C., to provide age-appropriate pre-natal care, emotional support, pregnancy and labor education, parenting skills, and future pregnancy prevention services to high-risk, low-income pregnant girls and young women statewide.
• Anderson Free Clinic, Anderson, S.C., to support a part-time nurse practitioner.
• Clemson Free Clinic, Clemson, S.C., for equipment and support for part-time pharmacy services.
• Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County, Kershaw County, for support of a nurse practitioner’s salary and to purchase patient medications.
• Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County, for operational needs for the Darlington clinic and the satellite clinic in Hartsville, including salaries, medical supplies and medications.
• The Free Medical Clinic, Richland County, for portions of nurse practitioner and patient assistance program coordinator salaries, for medications and diabetic supplies.
• Friendship Medical Clinic & Pharmacy, Horry County, for medical and operational expenses, patient medications, pharmacy supplies and portion of staff salaries.
• Good Samaritan Clinic, Richland County, for support of salaries for staff and a part-time nurse practitioner, for malpractice insurance and medical equipment.
• Good Samaritan Medical Clinic, Chester, Lancaster, Union and Fairfield counties, for support of a part-time doctor on staff as well as lab and medication expenses.
• Palmetto Volunteers in Medicine, York County, for medications, operating expenses for volunteer nurse practitioners, medical supplies and radiology services.
• Samaritan Health Clinic of Pickens County, Pickens County, for support of a nurse practitioner, pharmacy services, data entry clerk and patient medications.
• Smith Medical Clinic, Georgetown, for a diabetes disease management program including medications, medication supplies, office/home lab testing supplies and educational materials.
• Rice Creek Elementary, Richland County, for fitness components for the eFIT Academy, a school-wide magnet program to encourage students to live healthier, fit lifestyles and address obesity issues.
• USC School of Medicine – Fairfield County Schools, Fairfield County, to implement the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program, a coordinated school health program designed to decrease fat and sodium in children’s diets and increase physical activity and address obesity.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation (www.bcbsscfoundation.org) is a independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Its mission is to promote the health of South Carolinians and to expand access to health care for the economically disadvantaged by supporting integrated research, education and community service.