PRESS RELEASE

IBC Foundation releases first Community Report, summarizing its mission and 2012 grants

$56 million Foundation provided $4.6 million in grants to support nursing, community health centers

Philadelphia, PA — July 10, 2013 — Less than two years after its launch in October 2011, the Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation has already made a meaningful impact in the Philadelphia region, providing much-needed support for the underserved as well as improving the lives and health of many of its residents. These accomplishments are summarized in the Foundation’s first-ever community report, “Driving change through collaboration,” which includes a listing of the 88 grants totaling $4.6 million distributed last year.

The $56 million IBC Foundation supports three primary areas: caring for the most vulnerable, building healthy communities, and strengthening the nursing workforce for the future.

In 2012, the IBC Foundation:

• Supported 39 private, nonprofit clinics through its Blue Safety Net program. Nearly $12 million in health care savings are attributed to reduced emergency room visits due to the clinics existence.
• Invested more than $1 million to support 22 nursing schools through Nurses for Tomorrow.
• Helped advance the fight against childhood obesity with the groundbreaking IBC Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative, a partnership that includes The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Union, and Vetri Foundation for Children.

“The IBC Foundation, which grew out of Independence Blue Cross’s 75-year social mission to our community, is now a thriving and substantial investor in the health and wellness of our region,” said Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the IBC Foundation. “This community report summarizes our accomplishments, but only touches the surface of the true impact the Foundation has had, with the support of many amazing partners, on the people in our region. We’ve never been more excited about the future and the many new ways we can transform healthcare through innovation in the years to come.”

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. 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.

Connect with us on Twitter at @ibxfdn.

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.