2016 Community Report

Building
the Future of
Community Health

A Message from Our Leadership

A Message from Our Leadership

Over the past five years, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) has led sustainable solutions to improve the health and wellness of our communities.

Daniel J. Hilferty, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross, and Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation

Dear Friends and Partners,

Over the past five years, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) has led sustainable solutions to improve the health and wellness of our communities. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $28 million in initiatives to improve community health. These initiatives and our partner organizations have in turn touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

In 2016, we identified two new health priorities: we announced the Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) initiative in response to the alarming opioid abuse epidemic, and we launched Healthy Hearts with a commitment to increase the number of individuals who are trained to administer CPR. With our four programs as a blueprint, we fund organizations and initiatives that help communities achieve better health.

As a thought leader, we believe that sustainable change is made through collaboration. We choose to lead by listening, engaging with community partners that understand the diverse health and wellness needs in our neighborhoods. In the complex health care ecosystem, our community engagement and strategic partnerships bridge the gap between ideas and implementation.

We thank our board, our partners, and our community for a remarkable first five years and look forward to your continued commitment as we build upon our success together. We encourage you to join in our vision for the future of community health.

Daniel J. Hilferty

Daniel J. Hilferty

President and CEO
Independence Blue Cross

Lorina Marshall-Blake

Lorina Marshall-Blake

President
Independence Blue Cross Foundation

Five Remarkable Years

Five Remarkable Years

Since its founding five years ago, the Foundation has evolved into an institution of impact.

Five Remarkable Years

Since its founding five years ago, the Foundation has evolved into an institution of impact.

  • ALL
  • NURSING EDUCATION
  • COMMUNITY HEALTH
  • HEALTH PRIORITIES

2011

Independence Blue Cross Foundation is launched — a charitable, private foundation — with a mission to lead sustainable solutions that improve the health and well-being of the community.

The Foundation awards its first grants to health centers and schools of nursing through the Strengthening the Blue Safety Net and Bolstering the Health Care Workforce programs.

2012

Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative is announced — a $3 million, three-year program and research study aimed at improving childhood health and wellness.

The Foundation launches a new grant program, Building Healthier Communities, to support diverse wellness needs in the community.

The first issue of the award-winning Journal of Change is published.

LEARN MORE

2013

The Foundation convenes its first national forum, Neighborhood Strategies to National Solutions.

The Foundation becomes the inaugural funder of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars Program, and commits to supporting eight doctoral nursing fellows through 2019.

In partnership with the National League for Nursing, the Foundation hosts Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) workshop for nursing and health professionals.

2014

With the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Foundation convenes the national conference Healthy Futures: A Recipe for Childhood Wellness.

LEARN MORE

The Foundation expands support of nursing education and awards an additional $450,000 to doctoral nursing scholarships.

Jose Garces, Billy Jean King, and Venus Williams all lend their support to the Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative.

The Foundation commissions Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health to conduct a needs assessment of Blue Safety Net-funded health centers resulting in a strategic redesign to build health center capacity over three years in the post Affordable Care Act (ACA) landscape.

2015

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation Nursing Internship Program is enhanced with the launch of Leadership Labs focused on professional competencies.

The Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia Freedoms, and Philadelphia 76ers partner with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative to inspire kids to eat right, get fit, and stay well.

The Foundation celebrates 50 years of Community Health Centers during National Health Center Week featuring Dr. Nancy Milio, a pioneer of public health.

LEARN MORE

With the National League for Nursing, the Foundation convenes the national conference, Paradigms in Nursing Leadership.

LEARN MORE

2016 At a glance

2016 At a glance

Strengthing the Blue Safety Net
  • Supporting a network of more than 40 non-profit health centers across the Southeastern Pennsylvania region
  • Increasing access to quality, affordable primary care for nearly 200,000 individuals
  • Awarding nearly $3 million in grant funding to build capacity by improving access to care, and piloting new models of care in 2016
Bolstering the Health Care Workforce
  • Supporting the education of nursing students at every level, from undergraduate through doctoral degree programs
  • Facilitating experiential learning opportunities through an undergraduate nursing internship program and a Nurse Practitioner Residency program
  • Awarding $1.5 million in scholarships to 21 area nursing schools in 2016
Addressing Health Priorities
  • Convening leaders in health and policy to improve clinical engagement, and focusing on research, strategic grant-making, and cross-sector partnerships to address the opioid abuse epidemic through the Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) initiative
  • Supporting prevention strategies to address cardiovascular disparities in underserved populations through the Healthy Hearts initiative
  • Sustaining the impacts of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative through strategic partnerships with Share Food Program, GoNoodle, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Building Healthier Communities
  • Enabling community partners across the Southeastern Pennsylvania region
  • Focusing on the health and wellness needs of veterans, youth, seniors, women, homeless individuals, and immigrants
  • Awarding nearly $500,000 in grants to 38 community-based non-profits in 2016

Strengthening the Blue Safety Net

Building the future of community health means securing a stronger, smarter health care safety net.

 
 
 
 

Strengthening the Blue Safety Net

Building the future of community health means securing a stronger, smarter health care safety net.

Exploring opportunities for outreach into the community — dental care where it’s needed most.

Community Volunteers In Medicine (CVIM) knows Chester County, and was troubled to discover that several populations were receiving little or no dental care. Most lacked dental insurance or were under-insured, and many found it difficult to access CVIM’s dental services due to lack of transport or the need to miss a day of work. Taking a collaborative, community approach, CVIM looked for ways to tackle this issue through effective partnerships.

With the Foundation’s support, CVIM mobilized their dental staff and services, and brought dental care to St. Rocco’s, a Latino parish in Southern Chester County, and to Surrey Services, a senior center in Devon, with hygienists at each site twice a week, and dentists twice a month. More than 80 patients receive care each month through the mobile dental program. Participants are grateful to have a trusted source of care come into their communities, eliminating transportation and logistical barriers to quality services. Improving oral health care helps communities grow healthier.

“The people we see would absolutely be going without dental care if it weren’t for us. The support of the Foundation has been enormous and essential.”

Maureen Tomoschuk, President & CEO, Community Volunteers in Medicine

Bolstering the Health Care Workforce

Building the future of community health means preparing the next generation of nurse leaders.

 
 
 
 

Bolstering the Health Care Workforce

Building the future of community health means preparing the next generation of nurse leaders.

A new training model in primary care — pioneering a residency program for Nurse Practitioners.

Puentes de Salud, a health center serving the immigrant and health needs of the South Philadelphia community, understands the increasingly important role nurse practitioners (NPs) play in delivering primary care. New-to-practice NPs can face a steep learning curve, both in responsibility for patient treatment and culturally competent care. Puentes de Salud and the Foundation saw value in developing a substantive post-graduate training experience to help NPs transition successfully.

One of the nation’s first nurse practitioner residency programs, the one-year hands-on experience is modeled on residency programs for physicians. Participants see patients at Puentes de Salud under clinical supervision and also rotate through the Emergency Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Residents gain confidence, strengthen their clinical judgment, and build cultural competency skills for working in underserved communities.

“We see the chance to provide a powerful new kind of learning experience to Nurse Practitioners and also to prove the effectiveness of this training model by following our graduates’ success over time.”

Sharon Katzenbach, CRNP, Puentes de Salud Residency Program Preceptor

Addressing Health Priorities

Building the future of community health means finding local solutions to national health issues.

 
 
 
 

Addressing Health Priorities

Building the future of community health means finding local solutions to national health issues.

Empowering more Philadelphians to save lives — bringing free and convenient CPR training to thousands.

Rates for CPR training in Philadelphia — especially among the poor and elderly — lag behind national averages, as do the rates at which bystanders perform CPR for those in need. Awareness and training are essential, but cost, time, and transportation to training sites present obstacles. CPR is vitally important, as it represents the best way to save lives from cardiac arrest, a medical emergency that claims over 1,000 lives in Philadelphia each year.

To improve the rates of cardiac arrest survival, Penn Medicine’s Center for Resuscitation Science created The Mobile CPR Project to take CPR training into the community. Using a specially equipped mobile van, project leaders can bring training on-site and deliver free, 30-minute CPR sessions, erasing barriers to participation.

The demand for Mobile CPR training is increasing — the program is conducting 15 or more training events each month, and inquiries from peer institutions in other cities have been pouring in. Teaching life-saving skills to community members will ensure that the heart of Philadelphia keeps beating for generations to come.

“We are enormously grateful for the Foundation’s support, for their help in spreading the word about mobile CPR training, and for their sincere commitment to improving people’s health in our community.”

Benjamin S. Abella, MD MPhil, Penn Medicine Center for Resuscitation Science

Building Healthier Communities

Building the future of community health means empowering individuals to lead healthier lives.

 
 
 
 

Building Healthier Communities

Building the future of community health means empowering individuals to lead healthier lives.

Tracking the impact of interventions — an innovative non-profit launches a health metrics study.

Back on My Feet is a group that helps the homeless get a fresh start in life, in part through establishing a routine that includes early morning group runs. Launched in Philadelphia, the organization has helped more than 1,000 individuals here, and is now active in 11 other cities nationwide.

Many homeless individuals have faced hard times, including addiction, incarceration, and persistent mental health issues. To get them employed and for them to find stable housing, Back on My Feet uses the strength of a running community coupled with its Next Steps program to help its members make fundamental changes in outlook and lifestyle. The group wants its members to understand their commitment to running has positive health impacts.

A partner since the inception of Back on My Feet, the Foundation eagerly supported a study tracking key measures of program participants’ health over time. Among other highlights, data show that after 60 days, 40 percent of members had quit smoking, and there was a 30 percent increase in the number of members with normal blood pressure. An intervention that improves health, fosters friendships, and changes lives is a step in the right direction for neighbors in need.

“We’re not only helping our members get a new start, but also to see the ways they are improving their health. It’s a wonderful reward and a powerful incentive.”

Cathryn Sanderson, Executive Director, Back on My Feet Philadelphia Chapter

Independence Blue Cross Foundation Grant Recipients

Independence Blue Cross Foundation Leadership

Strengthening the Blue Safety Net

  • Core Support
  • Abington Jefferson Health
    Abington Children’s Clinic
  • Albert Einstein Healthcare Network
    Community Practice Center
  • Ann Silverman Community Health Clinic
  • Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor
    Unity Clinic
  • Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership
    Lower Bucks Clinic
  • ChesPenn Health Services, Inc.
    Center for Family Health at Coatesville
  • ChesPenn Health Services, Inc.
    Center for Family Health at Eastside
  • ChesPenn Health Services, Inc.
    Center for Family Health at Upper Darby
  • Community Volunteers in Medicine
  • Congreso de Latinos Unidos
    Congreso Health Center
  • Covenant House Pennsylvania
    CHOP Connections Clinic
  • Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc.
    Fairmount Primary Care Center
  • Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc.
    Maria de los Santos Health Center
  • Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc.
    Norristown Regional Health Center
  • Esperanza Health Center, Inc.
  • Face to Face
    Face to Face Health Center
  • Family Practice & Counseling Network
    Abbottsford Falls
  • Family Practice & Counseling Network
    Health Annex
  • Gwynedd Mercy University
    Adult Health Center
  • HealthLink Dental Clinic
  • Kids Smiles, Inc.
  • La Comunidad Hispana, Inc.
  • Mazzoni Center
    Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine
  • Pathways to Housing PA
    Pathways Medical Clinic
  • Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
    PCOM Health Centers
  • Philadelphia Fight
    Y-HEP & John Bell Health Centers
  • Project HOME
    Stephen Klein Wellness Center
  • Public Health Management Corporation
    Health Connection
  • Public Health Management Corporation
    Care Clinic
  • Public Health Management Corporation
    Mary Howard Health Center
  • Public Health Management Corporation
    Rising Sun Health Center
  • Puentes de Salud
  • Salus University
    The Eye Institute
  • Spectrum Health Services, Inc.
  • St. Mary Medical Center
    Mother Bachmann Maternity Center and Children’s Health Center
  • Stephen & Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University
  • The Clinic
  • The Eagles Charitable Foundation
    Eagles Eye Mobile
  • The Moyer Foundation
  • VNA Community Services, Inc.
    Ginny Coombs Children’s Health Center
  • Youth Service, Inc.
  • Targeted Projects
  • Community Volunteers in Medicine
  • Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc.
  • Esperanza Health Center, Inc.
  • Family Practice & Counseling Network
    Abbottsford Falls
  • Family Practice & Counseling Network
    Health Annex
  • Kids Smiles, Inc.
  • Mazzoni Center
    Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine
  • Spectrum Health Services, Inc.
  • Stephen & Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University
  • The Eagles Charitable Foundation

Bolstering the Health Care Workforce

  • Nurses for Tomorrow
  • Abington Memorial Hospital, Dixon School of Nursing
  • Aria Health, School of Nursing
  • Bucks County Community College, Allied Health and Nursing
  • Chester County Intermediate Unit, Practical Nursing Program
  • Community College of Philadelphia, Department of Nursing
  • Delaware County Community College, Division of Allied Health, Emergency Services and Nursing
  • Drexel University, College of Nursing and Health Professions*
  • Eastern Center for Arts and Technology, Practical Nursing Program
  • Eastern University, Department of Nursing
  • Gwynedd Mercy University, Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing*†
  • Holy Family University, School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions*
  • Immaculata University, Division of Nursing*
  • La Salle University, School of Nursing and Health Sciences*†
  • Montgomery County Community College
  • Neumann University, Division of Nursing and Health Sciences*
  • Temple University, Department of Nursing†
  • Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Nursing*†
  • University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing*
  • Villanova University, College of Nursing*†
  • West Chester University, Department of Nursing*†
  • Widener University, School of Nursing*†
  • Nurse Practitioner Residency Program
  • Puentes de Salud
  •  
  • All Nurses for Tomorrow grant recipients receive undergraduate support. Graduate and doctoral support as noted.
  • * denotes graduate scholarship grant awards
  • † denotes doctoral nursing scholarship grant awards

Addressing Health Priorities

  • Healthy Hearts
  • Philadelphia CPR Ready Campaign
  • Simon’s Fund
  • The Mobile CPR Project
  • Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • GoNoodle
  • Share Food Program

Building Healthier Communities

  • Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  • Association for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
  • Back On My Feet
  • Center in the Park, Inc.
  • Central Bucks Family YMCA
  • Covenant House Pennsylvania
  • Christ Church Preservation Trust
  • Cradles to Crayons, Inc.
  • Family Support Line
  • Gearing Up
  • Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey
  • Girls On the Run Philadelphia
  • Good Samaritan Shelter
  • Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition
  • Healthy NewsWorks
  • Hedwig House, Inc.
  • Historic Fair Hill
  • Linda Creed Breast Cancer .Org
  • Lupus Foundation of America
  • Maternity Care Coalition
  • MenzFit
  • Mighty Writers
  • National Center for Family Recovery
  • Penn Asian Senior Services, Inc.
  • Penn’s Village
  • Peter’s Place
  • Philadelphia City Rowing
  • Playworks Education Energized
  • Greater Norristown Police Athletic League
  • Providence Center
  • Ralston Center
  • Special People In Northeast, Inc.
  • Street Soccer USA, Inc.
  • The Veterans Group
  • Transformation Yoga Project
  • Tree House Books
  • Vetri Foundation for Children
  • William Way LGBT Community Center

Independence Blue Cross Foundation Leadership *

    Board of Directors

  • Christopher Cashman
  • Patrick B. Gillespie
  • Joan Hilferty
  • Plato A. Marinakos
  • Gerald S. Segal, Esq.
  • Paul A. Tufano, Esq.
  • * As of April 2017

    Officers of the Foundation

  • Patrick B. Gillespie
    Chair
  • Lorina Marshall-Blake
    President
  • Gregory E. Deavens
    Treasurer
  • Lilton R. Taliaferro, Jr.
    Secretary

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation Team *

  • Stephen P. Fera
    Senior Vice President Public Affairs
  • Lorina Marshall-Blake
    President Independence Blue Cross Foundation
  • Heather Major
    Manager Independence Blue Cross Foundation Programs
  • Kaazim Hawkins
    Foundation Program Specialist
  • Zaynah Henry
    Foundation Program Specialist
  • Leah Rusenko
    Foundation Program Specialist
  • Claire Trindle
    Foundation Program Specialist
  • Carolyn Golden
    Foundation Program Coordinator
  • Kathleen Harris
    Executive Assistant
  • Jennifer Bowers
    Community Report Editor
  • * As of April 2017

Contact Information

  • Mail Independence Blue Cross
    Foundation
    1901 Market Street
    37th floor
    Philadelphia, PA 19103-1480