PRESS RELEASE

Lorina Marshall-Blake named “African American Leader” in Philadelphia

President of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation honored by The Philadelphia Tribune

Philadelphia, PA — September 12, 2013 — The Philadelphia Tribune selected Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation, as one of the key “African American Leaders” in the Philadelphia region in recognition of her community leadership. She, along with approximately 100 other leaders, will be honored at an awards program today at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The awardees will be featured in the Tribune’s “Philadelphia’s Most Influential African Americans” edition, which will run in the paper’s Sunday September 15 supplement magazine. This is the 9th time The Tribune has honored Marshall-Blake with this award.

As president of the IBC Foundation, Marshall-Blake oversees efforts to transform health care in the communities the foundation serves. These efforts aim to care for the region’s most vulnerable, improve how health care is delivered, support innovative approaches to health care issues, and build healthier communities.

Marshall-Blake joined Independence Blue Cross in 1991 working with local, state, and federal legislators, as well as agencies, on matters relevant to Independence Blue Cross. In October of 2011, she became the president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves.

Marshall-Blake grew up in the Philadelphia area. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from Antioch College and a master of arts in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her corporate responsibility, Marshall-Blake serves as an associate minister at the Vine Memorial Baptist Church.

The Philadelphia Tribune is the nation’s oldest and Philadelphia’s largest newspaper serving the African-American community.

About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
In October 2011, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, launched a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves. 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.

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.