Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation Tackled Complex Health Needs in New York in 2016

25 Ene 2017, 10:53 AM EST

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#EmpireBlueCrossBlueShield–The Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation works with organizations in
Empire’s 28-county service area to help improve the health of New
Yorkers. Through our focus on heart health, cancer prevention, prenatal
care, diabetes prevention, active lifestyles and behavioral health, the
Foundation is teaming with organizations that are setting the standard
when it comes to innovative programs that offer long term health
solutions.

In New York, the Foundation provided nearly $1.4 million in grants
during 2016. Empire contributed another $294,650 in additional community
support.

“When our communities are healthy, residents are able to thrive, grow
and prosper,” said Larry Schreiber, president and CEO of Empire. “We are
proud to work with these organizations, dedicated to improving the
health of our communities and working to change the lives of so many
people throughout the state. Together, we’re one step closer to
achieving a healthier future for all.”

From increasing cancer screening and helping youth discover that eating
healthy and staying active can be fun, the Foundation continues to
tackle some of the state’s most complex health issues. A quick look at
some of this year’s highlights illustrates how our work with these
non-profits is helping to reduce health disparities and empower local
community residents to take control of their health:

Boys & Girls of America: 722 youth engaged in healthy,
active lifestyles as a result of the seven grants that were made to
support Triple Play Club programs.
Disabled Sports USA: Adaptive sports programming was provided
to 40 youth with disabilities in Albany.
March of Dimes: Through our support of the ‘Healthy Babies are
Worth the Wait’ program, 462 women received direct services including
Centering Pregnancy and the high risk prenatal program at Elmhurst
Hospital; 210 providers and 5,950 individuals were reached indirectly
through health education.
OASIS Institute: In partnership with Bronx House, the CATCH
Program was able to reach 779 adults and 175 children in 18 sites in
Bronx this year. Adult volunteers were engaged in moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity for an average of 53 percent of the physical
activity portion of the program; a 46 percent increase was achieved
with regard to total minutes of moderate physical activity by adult
volunteers; and the program saw a 100% increase in total minutes of
vigorous physical activity by adult volunteers.
New York City Department of Parks and Rec: In 2016, we
announced 100 new ShapeUP NYC exercise classes – and the addition of
20 bilingual classes.
Child Center of New York: Through our support of the Asian
Outreach Project, 2013 NYC students who suffer from
emotional/behavioral issues were screened. Ninety-five percent of
screened children were then engaged in crisis intervention and/or an
assessment and 70 percent received therapy at their school.

In addition to the support given directly to these organizations, Empire
associates volunteered 6530 hours to benefit a number of nonprofits in
the state, earning $40,000 in the company-sponsored “Dollars for Doers”
grants. Two New York associates received support through the associate
emergency fund, totaling more than $13,000. And, supported by a
Foundation match, Empire associates raised more than $237.000 through
the company’s year-round Associate Giving Program.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Serving New Yorkers for 80 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield is the
largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million
members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New
York. Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire
HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is
the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees
of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and
businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York
State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com.
Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation

Through charitable grant making, the Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Foundation (and the Empire BlueCross Foundation), trade names of the
Anthem Blue Cross Foundation L.L.C., independent licensees of the
BlueCross BlueShield Association, serving residents and businesses in
the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State, promotes
Empire’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of
individuals and families in communities that Empire serves. The
Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and
provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as
promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational
initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions.
These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight
babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease
obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult
populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking
cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s annual
associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50
percent match of associates’ campaign pledges. www.empireblue.com