MEDIA ADVISORY

IBC Foundation president urges new grads to never stop learning

Lorina Marshall-Blake addresses graduates as Foundation supports program to increase access to education in the Allied Health fields

WHAT:

Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation President Lorina Marshall-Blake will deliver the commencement address to more than 140 graduates of the Metropolitan Career Center/Computer Technology Institute (MCC/CTI) and their families. The IBC Foundation is a key sponsor of an innovative education model in Philadelphia created by a partnership that includes the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) to help low-income residents continue their education and fill the nearly 2,000 Allied Health jobs that will be needed in our region after health care reform. MCC/CTI is an affiliate program of PHMC.

WHO:

Lorina Marshall-Blake, president, Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Richard Cohen, CEO, Public Health Management Corporation
Amy Miller, executive director, Metropolitan Career Center/Computer Technology Institute
Student speakers

WHEN & WHERE:

Thursday, June 20: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Audenried High School
32nd and Morris Streets
Philadelphia, PA

WHY:

There are many high school graduates or individuals with GEDs in the region who have the aptitude to fill Allied Health jobs such as medical office assistants, health data entry specialists, pharmacy technicians and patient navigators. However, without proper access to post-secondary education and training, they will not be eligible for these well-paying jobs, and the quality of health care, in the face of reform and increased demand, will suffer.

At community-accessible locations such as Audenried High School, students can earn their Associates Degrees from MCC/CTI and Harcum College (beginning later this year) in the convenience of their own neighborhoods. This model gives students access to careers with starting salaries of $30,000 and a lifetime earning potential 24 percent higher than typical high school graduates.

About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves. It was launched in October 2011 by Independence Blue Cross, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The IBC Foundation and Independence Blue Cross, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, are both committed to improving the health and wellness of the people of southeastern Pennsylvania. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:

• Caring for our most vulnerable: Supporting nonprofit community health center clinics that deliver quality, cost-effective primary, medical, and dental care to uninsured and underinsured people.
• Enhancing health care delivery: Strengthening the nursing workforce through education, career development, and research.
• Building healthy communities: Partnering with community leaders and programs to address community health and wellness needs.

Media Contact:
Ruth Stoolman
Independence Blue Cross
Ruth.Stoolman@ibx.com
215.241.4807 (office)
215.280.3335 (cell)

© 2013 Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Independence Blue Cross and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, serving the needs of Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania.