• Anthem, Inc. has invested $87.9 million in affordable housing funds across the state of Indiana as part of its continuing efforts to improve lives and communities. The funds support the whole health needs of local individuals, families and communities providing 1,139 affordable housing apartment units, townhomes and single-family homes in Avon, Bloomington, Columbia City, Culver, Fort Wayne, Gary, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, New Castle, Spencer, and Vincennes. Anthem has committed over $410 million to affordable housing in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The multi-year effort will address and create a more stable housing environment for many vulnerable individuals, families and even those who are living with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Anthem will continue to be part of these developments and communities providing on-site health and support services to help residents monitor and promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

• Blue Shield of California has made a $40-million contribution to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to end domestic violence and to make California the healthiest state. The nonprofit health plan has contributed more than $150 million to its foundation over the past four years.
• Blue Shield of California Through their jointly-operated Community Resource Centers, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and L.A. Care Health Plan are rolling out a series of the drive-thru and walk-up food pantry events across Los Angeles County in response to the growing food insecurity burdening nearly every community. The food distribution events, which will start February 20, 2021, and run throughout the year, are free and open to everyone. All safety guidelines recommended by public health officials will be followed.   The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank reports an estimated 1 in 4 people in Los Angeles County lives with food insecurity – the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hunger problem that already existed. Before the pandemic, 1 in 5 people struggled with access to food.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois announced that an expanded pool of 175 non-profit organizations will each be receiving $20,000 in grants to address crucial needs for people across the state as a result of COVID-19. Last month, BCBSIL opened applications for this second round of quick-release funding as part of its COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund. The grant program is aimed at supporting community-based organizations doing work in five focus areas – access to care, hunger, shelter and behavioral health care, and COVID-19 health education and vaccine access. Originally announced in February as a $1.5M grant opportunity, BCBSIL more than doubled the amount of available funds by reinvesting payments from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for providing quality care to Medicaid members.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is providing new resources to help improve the health outcomes of pregnant women and their infants in underserved communities across Illinois.BCBSIL is announcing more than $350,000 in grant funding to six community-based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes on Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has opened an additional round of quick-release funding to support community-based organizations supporting five focus areas – access to care, hunger, shelter and behavioral health, and COVID-19 health education and vaccine access.  This grant cycle will again offer 75 grants of $20,000 and is open to prior recipients of BCBSIL’s COVID-19 Community Collaboration funding. However prior grantees are not guaranteed a second award. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois awarded $1.5 million to 75 organizations during the first round of the COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund in May 2020.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is committed to working to help improve health outcomes by increasing access to nutritious food in communities across Illinois. According to Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, more than 1.2 million people in Illinois — or one out of eight residents — was facing hunger in 2020, and they project 10.9% of the state’s population will face food insecurity in 2021. BCBSIL has joined forces with Feeding America to award more than $150,000 in funding to four organizations committed to combatting food insecurity across Illinois:
  • Central Illinois Food Bank
  • Eastern Illinois Food Bank
  • Greater Chicago Food Depository
  • Northern Illinois Food Bank

   

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) announced that the Blue Door Neighborhood Center^SM (BDNC) locations in Pullman, Morgan Park, and South Lawndale are now open for in-person wellness classes and services. Blue Door Neighborhood Centers offer no-cost programming focused on physical, mental and social health, and are open to everyone — both BCBSIL members and non-members alike. Overall, Blue Door Neighborhood Centers provided more than 700 virtual and outdoor opportunities since the start of the pandemic –continuing to engage community members on-line and through socially-distant, outdoor events, such as our recent vaccination events, produce-box giveaways, pop-up fitness classes and Earth Week plant distributions.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has granted more than $4 million to 95 nonprofits across the state working to meet the needs of communities in response to COVID-19 since mid-March. Efforts supported through Foundation grant funding include:
  • Providing food to kids, financially insecure families, and seniors
  • Supporting healthcare needs, including securing critical supplies for providers, connecting individuals to care and mental health resources
  • Funding direct economic support, housing assistance, and keeping families financially stable
  • Sustaining essential services disproportionately affected by stay-at-home orders, such as sober housing, services for sexual assault victims, and a limited scope of education-related services
  • Supporting regional groups organizing disaster response in communities across Louisiana, and supporting nonprofits through community relief funds operated by local community foundations

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan– Michigan K-12 schools are invited to apply for Building Healthy Communities, a public-private initiative supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and designed to address mental health and well-being and prevent childhood obesity through school-based wellness programming along with raising attention to issues that have emerged due to the pandemic. Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is an evidence-based, comprehensive, school-wide initiative that supports children’s health by providing students, teachers and administrators with tools and resources to improve the health of students and staff while creating a healthier school environment.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation donated $300,000 to six community-based nonprofits to support permanent house initiatives that can help improve racial and economic health equity. Supportive housing has been linked with intensive case management and voluntary life-improving services such as health care and child welfare.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana awarded Missoula’s Friends of the Children a $50,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® grant to strengthen the organization’s ability to impact long-term outcomes for children facing challenges such as intergenerational poverty, trauma, and risk of entry into the foster care system. The HKHF initiative is an ongoing commitment by BCBSMT to invest in and partner with like-minded nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in the five following focus areas: nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, substance abuse prevention, and suicide prevention.
• In an effort to combat hunger, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is joining forces with MontanaFair to support Family Service through the Million Can Crusade. Montana Fair runs from August 13-21 at the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds in Billings, and fairgoers are encouraged to bring 1-4 cans of food (per person/per day) to the fair for discounted admission. Collection canisters will be placed in First Interstate Arena and the goal of the partnership is to capture 1 million cans of food, which will be donated to Family Service. Family Service will collect, process, and distribute the food. As part of its annual commitment of more than $500,000 to like-minded nonprofits throughout Montana, food security is among BCBSMT’s chief focus areas.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico is accepting applications from 501(c)(3) organizations for its COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund from June 7 through June 21. BCBSNM created the COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund to address the immediate needs of New Mexicans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Community Collaborative Grant Fund will release 10 rapid-response grants of $10,000 each to 501(c)(3) organizations focused on access to health care, behavioral health, housing and shelter, child and senior care, and COVID-19 health literacy and vaccine outreach. The application is brief and intended to distribute funds quickly to organizations throughout the state responding to the COVID-19 health crisis.

• The North Carolina Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) have awarded nearly $230,000 in grants to five clinics to support initiatives that will reduce health disparities by addressing drivers of health, such as access to healthy foods, safe housing and transportation, and cultural and language barriers. The grants are part of NCAFCC’s broader focus on the needs of historically marginalized populations that are disproportionately impacted by chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension that put them at greater risk to contract infectious diseases. The grants also support Blue Cross NC’s priority to ensure every North Carolinian has greater access to quality health care, including those living in underserved and rural communities.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is teaming up with the athletic departments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke University to deliver over 2,000 meals to those in need in the Triangle area. This collaboration is an extension of Blue Cross NC’s meal delivery efforts to address food security throughout North Carolina. With help from its partners, Blue Cross NC has delivered over 16,000 meals to the people who need them the most.

• Accessible play areas for children ages 2-5 and 5-12 with ramp access, ground-level play, and a soft rubber safety surface
• Challenge course with obstacles and a precision timing system
• Fitness station with equipment for aerobic fitness, core fitness, and balance
• Sports field with amphitheater seating for school soccer games and local community games
• Tennis and basketball courts
• Walking track
• Pavilion with picnic tables for school and community gatherings
• A $750,000 investment from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has resulted in the opening of a BlueCross Healthy Place at Woodlawn Park. The new space includes a community pavilion, play areas for children, and fitness station. In addition to these projects, BlueCross Healthy Places are also underway in Nashville and Knoxville. Five are open in Chattanooga, Memphis, Huntland, Kingsport and at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tenn. With the addition of the 10 new projects for 2021, the BlueCross Foundation has invested $31.7 million in community spaces across the state.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has launched its 2022 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant cycle and is seeking partnerships with nonprofit organizations engaged in health and wellness initiatives as well as social determinants of health. Last year, nearly $1.9 million in HKHF grants were awarded to community-based organizations statewide. While the key focus of the HKHF program has not changed, the ongoing effects of the pandemic as well as social justice initiatives in the United States, remain a top priority for BCBSTX’s health equity initiatives.

• CareSource, United Way of Greater Cleveland, The Rose Centers for Aging Well, and ten additional hospital and health insurance providers have funded an innovative new initiative, the Collaborative Investments + Health program, designed to improve the lives of Clevelanders. The pilot of the Collaborative Investments + Health program delivers medically tailored meals to the homes of approximately 300 participants and provides volunteer outreach to reduce social isolation and improve the health of older adults suffering from chronic health conditions and lacking access to healthy food options. High-risk individuals who qualify to participate in the pilot program are identified by local investor hospitals and insurers. They are then enrolled in the voluntary six-month Nutrition Solution program overseen by The Rose Centers for Aging Well, a subsidiary of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (BRIA), at no cost to them. The Collaborative’s goal is to expand access to more participants once an evaluation of results is completed in early 2022.
• CareSource has launched a new program in partnership with Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health that will provide mothers of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies with free baby scales in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The scales will be available for all CareSource Medicaid members across the state of Indiana.The COVID-19 pandemic caused new mothers and parents to face barriers to care. Weekly visits to a doctor’s office for a simple weigh-in became difficult and posed a threat to the health and safety of new parents and NICU babies of being exposed to COVID-19 in the doctor’s office. In response, CareSource has partnered with J&B Medical to provide these scales, typically not covered by health insurance.The scale will be the members to keep, eliminating the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the case of a rental. The scales are consumer grade, allowing for easy use for all families. J&B Medical has also committed to performing troubleshooting with customers if needed to ensure the ease of the launch of this program. It is then the provider’s responsibility to reinforce instructions for proper use.
• CareSource has created a $5 million affordable housing investment fund, the CareSource Fund for Appalachia with the Ohio Capital Finance Corporation (OCFC). Additionally, CareSource is donating $1 million to the Ohio Capital Impact Corporation (OCIC) to promote digital equity in southeast Ohio’s Appalachian counties. The $1 million donation will be used to improve Appalachia residents’ access to digital resources, including the installation of building-wide internet service, individual unit Wi-Fi hotspots, dedicated space for telehealth services, and other supportive opportunities.Through CareSource Fund for Appalachia, the Ohio Capital Finance Corporation will leverage resources to assist Ohio’s Appalachian residents with access to the internet with goals of improving health and education outcomes. By providing low-cost bridge financing, the fund will generate additional equity and cost savings to support real estate improvements.
• CareSource has announced $750,000 of funding to jump-start permanent supportive housing programming in Franklin County to address the risks of COVID-19 spread in congregate settings including the local jail and homeless shelter system. The support will fund the FreshStart project to identify, engage and house up to 30 CareSource members with elevated mortality risk for COVID-19 due to chronic behavioral and physical health needs who have had multiple interactions with jails and are experiencing housing instability. The program seeks to reduce reentry into congregate settings that place individuals and communities at risk for contraction and spread of COVID-19.
• CareSource is providing the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio with $1 million to help support shelter and housing services this winter. Housing insecurity is one of the primary factors that increases an individual’s risk of contracting COVID-19.
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative, in partnership with Ohio Capital Finance Corporation, the City of Columbus, the Center for Community Investment, CareSource and Partners For Kids, today announces the creation of the Linden Healthy Homes Fund, a $4.2 million effort to build and rehabilitate affordable, high-quality rental housing for the people of South Linden. The fund furthers the goals of the 614 For Linden collaborative, which launched in 2019 to have a positive impact on housing, business development, health care access and other challenges facing the neighborhood. Nationwide Children’s is a founding member of the collaborative, and the Linden Healthy Homes Fund brings in new investments and new partners to benefit Linden. The fund will focus on building 17 new affordable rental housing units and rehabilitating three others. All units will be located near the Linden Fresh Market located on Cleveland Avenue in South Linden that will open this summer. Rents will range from $725 for a 2-bedroom to $850 for a 3-bedroom home. Healthy Homes, the affordable housing arm of Nationwide Children’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families, will manage the new housing effort.
• CareSource has invested $1 million towards a new partnership as part of its $6 million commitment in investments to affordable housing projects in Indiana. This commitment is part of the $50 million financial investment CareSource is making to housing projects across the U.S., focusing on underserved communities with high rates of poverty. The organization is investing with Finance Fund Capital Corporation (FCAP), a 501(c)(3), certified nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides access to capital to promote development in low-and-moderate-income communities, and Terebinth Group, Indiana’s leading intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) housing provider, to create affordable, supportive housing solutions in Indiana. The investment will help support Terebinth’s growing portfolio of 99 housing units that serve over 300 individuals with disabilities throughout the state of Indiana.
• The CareSource Foundation announced a grant of $30,000 to the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) for a six-part training series on childhood immunizations and lead testing for providers and members. Goals of the training include how to refer families to healthcare providers for lead testing and counseling families in high-risk communities on health, food emergencies, active lifestyles and targeted areas of focus such as picky eating, breastfeeding, play and hunger cues. Additionally, guidance on addressing child, adolescent and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy during encounters; with a focus on high risk, diverse and underserved counties.

• Greater Goals
  Through Greater Goals, Centene and Charlotte FC will enable hundreds of students at 22 local Title I elementary schools to have access to free afterschool soccer and literacy programming throughout the school year.
• Meals on the Move
  Centene is also making a significant commitment to address food insecurity in the greater Charlotte area through support of Charlotte FC’s Meals on the Move program, which will provide family-style meals to neighborhoods in need throughout the duration of the partnership.
• Pitches for Progress
  For the Pitches for Progress platform, Centene will build multiple mini pitches in the Carolinas and in some of Charlotte’s most at-risk neighborhoods.  The first pitch is currently under construction and will be announced next month.

• Centene is working with Samsung Electronics America to expand access to telehealth for individuals living in rural and underserved communities. The initiative will supply providers with Samsung Galaxy A10e smartphones to disseminate to patients who would not otherwise have the ability to receive their health care virtually. Additionally, some providers will receive Samsung Galaxy tablets to use to conduct telehealth visits. With this initiative, Centene and Samsung will deploy 13,000 Galaxy A10e smartphones, with 90 days of free wireless service, to approximately 200 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), other providers, and community support organizations throughout Centene’s markets, with a particular focus on rural and underserved areas. The providers and organizations will then determine which of their patients need the devices and distribute them accordingly. Centene previously announced the creation of a Medicaid Telehealth Partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to help FQHCs quickly ramp-up their capacity to provide telehealth solutions to meet the needs created by the COVID-19 crisis.

• Eliminate food insecurity by stocking in-school food pantries or offering weekend food kits.
• Encourage mindfulness and support emotional well-being by equipping educators with guidance on how to integrate mindfulness into their classrooms.
• Empower youth with programs to teach resiliency through gardening or creative arts and funding trauma-informed therapists and teen suicide prevention education.
• Reduce loneliness and depression by better preparing K-8 educators to increase inclusion and sense of community, and promote student social-emotional learning.

• Cigna – The Cigna Foundation will begin accepting applications for its new Education and Workforce Development grant program later this month. This grant cycle is part of an ongoing focus to address social determinants of health and eliminate health disparities to achieve greater health outcomes overall.Education and workforce development grants will support students enrolled in Pre-K, grades K-8 and high school, as well as post-secondary and adult education. The Cigna Foundation will also provide support to nonprofits that provide programming to increase the cultural competency of health care professionals by helping them better understand and address health disparities among vulnerable populations.Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants starting May 24. The grant application period will close June 18. Additional opportunities to apply for this grant program will be available in 2022.The Cigna Foundation has announced an open call for applications for its new Health and Well-Being grant program, part of an ongoing initiative to improve access to care and eliminate health disparities. In 2021, the Cigna Foundation plans to award over $3 million in grants to support non-profits and community organizations focused on addressing these challenges. Non-profit organizations are invited to apply for grants beginning March 22. The grant cycle will close on April 23. Additional opportunities to apply for this grant program will be available throughout the year. Grants will be awarded this July. Qualified non-profits must specifically address health and well-being with programs that focus on health navigation to improve overall access to care, treatment, and medications.

• CVS Health is investing $12.4 million to build 60 new units of affordable housing in south Phoenix, as well as to expand the company’s no-cost preventive health screening program in the greater Phoenix area. As the company works to address social determinants of health in the Phoenix area, it will also expand its national workforce initiatives program in Phoenix to help break the cycle of poverty by providing meaningful employment services and training to the community. This work will include expanding the company’s registered apprenticeship program and experience program to provide community members and job seekers with the tools they need to succeed in meaningful careers.
• CVS Health has opened its newest Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in Pittsburgh at Ebenezer Baptist Church. This location is part of the company’s commitment to build on its highly successful faith-based and community partnerships to provide employment services and training to underserved populations, including individuals with disabilities, mature workers, youth and veterans. The center will offer training for individuals seeking employment as pharmacy technicians, customer service associates, call center associates and retail associates. It will include a simulated retail store that offers hands-on job training and will also have a fully functional restaurant, where participants can get on-site job training in restaurant services. Individuals who complete the program qualify to apply for a position at CVS Health.

• The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has made $1.5 million in grants to food banks that touch every county in California. According to Feeding America, California is projected to have the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the country in 2021 with more than 4.7 million households affected.
• Delta Dental of Minnesota has distributed 45,000 toothbrushes to 20 food shelves across the state, reaching organizations doing important work for the communities most in need of oral health supplies. The donations reach the Twin Cities region as well as greater Minnesota, including Bemidji where Delta Dental of Minnesota has its technology and call center, as well as North Dakota and Nebraska. The food shelf partners provide support to the most vulnerable communities.

• With increased rates of food insecurity due to the pandemic, there was a 40% increase in purchases made with SNAP and Healthy Incentive Program subsidies
• A 76% increase from 2019 to 2020 in fresh local food sold via mobile farmers’ markets
• A 61% increase in the number of communities reached from 2019 to 2020, with 568 produce distribution sites across 244 New England communities, with most in the highest rate of increased food insecurity.
• A total of 27,280 adults had 5 servings of fruit/vegetables every day from June 1 through October 31, 2020
• An additional investment of more than $7 million to address COVID-19 response and relief efforts across the region, including an extra $350,000 to Healthy Food Fund local programs.

The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation is awarding $120,000 through its “Healthy Youth, Healthy Community” racial equity grants program.  Six organizations supporting and working with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth in Connecticut, Mass., Maine, and New Hampshire will each receive $20,000.  These grants will help BIPOC youth improve the overall health and racial equity of their community.

• Community Education Building, which was awarded a grant to support its Equitable Health Expansion program to provide health services, including an onsite behavioral health counselor.
• Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing which was awarded a grant to support its Housing and Health for the Homeless program to improve health and help individuals find stable housing.
• Friendship House, which was awarded a grant for Project Hope at the New Castle County Hope Center, which provides wraparound services to those seeking support at the Hope Center.
• Philadelphia Arms Townhomes, which was awarded a grant to support programming for their mental health and substance use disorder residential center in Sussex County.
• Year Up Wilmington, which was awarded a grant to continue providing its students health and wellness services as they seek gainful employment placement.
• Exceptional Care for Children, which was awarded a grant for its future young adult center to provide specialized care for youth aging out of pediatric care.
• University of Delaware, which was awarded a grant to launch a diversity in nursing scholarship program empowering underrepresented students to pursue nursing careers.

• Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, which was awarded a grant to support its Healthy Homes program that provides home repairs for low-income homeowners.
• YWCA Delaware, which was awarded a grant to hire a care coordinator as part of their care team pilot program to better address client needs and make referrals.

• Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia announced today that as part of its 7th annual Ks for Kids program, the company will donate $5 to The Step by Step after-school program for every strikeout thrown by a West Virginia Power pitcher at Appalachian Power Park this season.The Step by Step after-school program offers children a safe environment where they can have fun, receive homework help, participate in activities such as art, music, games, physical activity and STEM experiments. Step by Step operates 13 sites in Logan, Lincoln and Kanawha Counties and offers children programs are not only interesting, but also provide constructive activities that channel youthful energy. This is the seventh year that Highmark West Virginia has partnered with the West Virginia Power as part of the Ks for Kids program. Since 2014, over $16,000 has been awarded through Ks for Kids to deserving local organizations.

• Internet infrastructure to connect approximately 180 residents in two target areas with fiber optic cable and free broadband for 1 year.
• Three internet community access points strategically placed throughout the county.
• A telehealth hub for community residents to conduct private telehealth visits with local, regional and statewide hospital systems. The hub will help close care gaps by connecting patients to primary, urgent and preventive care, as well as internal medicine, cardiology and behavioral health services.
• Educational resources to help strengthen residents’ knowledge of internet benefits, safety and affordability.

Humana Healthy Horizons’ $207,000 investment will be used to fund the installation of an underground fiber network in the target areas, purchase wireless routers and provide one-year of free internet service for participating residential homes, create three hotspot access points in the community, construct a telehealth hub, and develop educational materials.

• Humana – Humana Healthy Horizons has announced a new partnership with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Providing a $1.75 million investment, Humana Healthy Horizons will work with No Kid Hungry to sustain healthier communities through grants to schools and community organizations, along with food education and resources needed to address childhood hunger.Through this new “Family is More” initiative, Humana Healthy Horizons and No Kid Hungry will work with school districts to provide meals to kids and equip multi-generational families with food and nutrition education to support healthy eating and wellbeing.Humana – The Humana Foundation is investing $5.4 million in 8 communities across the southeastern United States to address social determinants of health on a local level, helping more people achieve health equity as part of its ongoing Strategic Community Investment Program.Through partnerships with local organizations and community members, The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investment Program creates measurable results in some of the most common social determinants of health, including post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, social connectedness, financial asset security, and food security.Humana Healthy Horizons announced a new partnership with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Providing a $1.75 million investment, Humana Healthy Horizons will work with No Kid Hungry to sustain healthier communities through grants to schools and community organizations, along with food education and resources needed to address childhood hunger.Through this new “Family is More” initiative, Humana Healthy Horizons, and No Kid Hungry will work with school districts to provide meals to kids and equip multi-generational families with food and nutrition education to support healthy eating and wellbeing.
• Humana Healthy Horizons, the Medicaid business of Humana, is partnering with GoNoodle®, an interactive mindfulness, and physical activity platform, to help more than two million K-6^th grade kids, their parents, and teachers. The partnership will impact families across seven states along with thousands of participating schools and teachers. Those states include Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia. Humana and GoNoodle will engage users with custom, downloadable activities that align with Humana’s goal of improving the health of the communities it serves. The whole person health and wellness has always been a focus of both Humana and GoNoodle – and the circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought it to the forefront for more educators and parents. As the world has been focused on critical physical health needs, educators and parents have also been struggling to keep the kids in their lives moving and active during heavily sedentary, online learning.
• Humana has committed $1.5 million in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address social determinants that can substantially impact the health of the nation’s youth, including food insecurity and access to healthy lifestyle information. Humana’s investment will also promote equity and inclusiveness to empower youth to reach their full potential. Humana will provide nationwide support to activate Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Healthy Habits curriculum across their 4,700 Club footprint and will co-sponsor 10 community gardens to be designed, built, and maintained by Club members with support from the local community as well as Humana’s members and employees.
• The Humana Foundation is awarding $1.7 million to nonprofit organizations in Louisville as part of its ongoing Community Partners Program. The initiative began in 2018 and has since awarded more than $8 million to local nonprofits addressing social determinants of health and creating greater health equity in Humana’s corporate hometown. Initiatives funded by the 2021 Community Partners Program advance health equity by addressing social determinants of health in Louisville, focused on food security, shelter, education and lifelong learning, natural and built environment, family and community connections, access to care, cultural vitality and arts.

• At the height of COVID-19, Independence Blue Cross and United By Blue collaborated to create a grocery delivery program to help seniors get the food and household supplies they needed at no cost. Through the program, the two organizations delivered nearly 40,000 bags of groceries to Medicare Advantage members. The items delivered were intentionally selected, including a mask, two rolls of toilet paper, one roll of paper towels, dairy, meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, bread, pastries, and homemade soup. Independence and United By Blue focused on fresh, non-frozen foods that were locally sourced, allowing them to avoid supply chain disruptions facing larger, national chains.

1. Complete at least 20 minutes of physical activity
2. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables
3. Drink eight glasses of water

By meeting daily goals and completing fun and healthy activities, participants in this spring/summer’s Health & Wellness Challenge will earn points and be eligible to win a variety of daily prizes, as well as the grand prize package which includes:

• Pair of tickets and a parking pass to a TBD Bills home game
• Bills autographed helmet
• Bills Prize Pack (approximate value $150)
• $500 Visa Gift Card

• For the last five years, The Shower of Hope has provided unhoused residents in Southern California a sense of dignity through the health and cleanliness benefits of a shower. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization has partnered with Inland Empire Health Plan  and Path of Life Ministries to provide weekly showers for more than 200 I.E. residents. In addition to mobile showers, The Shower of Hope works closely with local community partners to provide access to meals, clothing, hygiene items and case management resources to help residents get back on their feet.
• Inland Empire Health Plan is welcoming members and community residents back into their three Community Resource Centers on July 19 for walk-ins and appointments for benefit support, health resources and more. IEHP’s resource centers, located in Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville, are scheduled to fully re-open to the public in September and plan to reinstate their complete schedule of fitness and wellness classes, along with some fun, new surprises.
• A six-month pilot program hosted by Inland Empire Health Plan will provide 100 Member s with heart failure the tools to manage their health condition by offering personalized care and support. In collaboration with Purfoods, LLC (DBA Mom’s Meals), participating Members will receive healthy food and meals, nutrition education and digital weight scales. The program will run from June to December. IEHP’s Health Navigators will also visit each member in their home to help connect them to Care Management Nurses, set up their digital weight scales, provide Heart Failure Management Plans, and conduct Health Risk Assessments.

• Member services support
• Health care coverage enrollment assistance
• Connection to social service assistance programs
• Free Wi-Fi for telehealth services
• Food pantry distributions

L.A. Care Health Plan – Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services Housing for Health Division, in partnership with L.A. Care Health Plan, has received a $19,958,664 ­­­­­grant from the state of California as part of the state’s Housing for a Healthy California Program. Through this grant, Housing for Health will be able to offer rental subsidies for five years to more than 250 L.A. Care Medi-Cal members experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. The grant was secured due to L.A. Care’s board-approved commitment of $7 million over the same period to Housing for Health, allowing that organization to provide intensive case management for each of the program members.Housing for a Healthy CA is an opportunity to expand Housing for Health’s current partnership with L.A. Care to address homelessness and expand housing resources in Los Angeles County. Individuals experiencing homelessness often require intensive case management, an approach that helps individuals maintain their housing and achieve optimum quality of life by addressing health and mental health needs while building social and community relations.

This collaboration will allow eligible L.A. Care members to receive necessary health care and supportive services in the appropriate setting, which can reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, inpatient hospital stays, and nursing home care.

• L.A. Care Health Plan has awarded $500,000 to MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH) to increase the capacity and capabilities of the MLKCH Post-Discharge Clinic treating South Los Angeles residents dealing with the long-term effects of COVID-19. The expanded post-discharge clinic will add pulmonary rehabilitation, a critically needed service for COVID-19 survivors that had previously not been available in the greater South Los Angeles area. The clinic will also offer a wide range of multidisciplinary services to serve the full spectrum of a patient’s recovery needs. L.A. Care grant funding will be used to increase the number of COVID-19 long-haul and post ICU patients served to 900 during the first year of the grant award, increasing patients served by 556%. In addition to the pulmonary rehabilitation services, the post-discharge clinic will expand nursing, case management, social work, mental health and critical care medicine services.

• Molina – The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Utah, donated $1,000 to Utah Partners for Health in support of the organization’s literacy program.Through the MolinaCares grant, community health workers, health educators, and outreach and enrollment workers will distribute books on nutrition and healthy eating to families that receive services from Utah Partners for Health. Books will be provided with vision screenings through the Mobile Vision Clinic at Title I schools and shelters around the Salt Lake Valley.
• Molina – The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, donated $20,000 to the Community Pantry in support of the Whole Hearted Food Fund, which provides provisions and programs for those in need in McKinley and Cibola counties.The Wholehearted Food Fund supplies local meat protein sources to the pantry, while assisting local ranchers with a viable channel of distribution for their livestock.
• The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, donated $15,000 to Prisma Health in support of children’s injury prevention. The grant will help expand the bike skills and safety program of the Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, a part of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. The MolinaCares grant will fund 1,200 bicycle helmets that will be distributed to fourth and fifth graders at schools throughout Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. The National Safety Council reports that wearing a helmet can reduce a cyclist’s risk of head injury by approximately 60% and brain injury by approximately 58%.
• Molina Healthcare of Texas contributed $20,000 to the North Texas Food Bank to help replenish necessary food supplies for area residents experiencing high levels of unemployment or reduced income due to the COVID-19 crisis.
• The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare, donated $10,000 in support of the Neighborhood House Youth Development Program for students in west Louisville. The Youth Development Program provides year-round academic support, character development and life skills training, cultural and recreational activities, and college and career readiness support for children and teens in grades one through 12. The donation will help ensure that Jefferson County Public School students can continue benefiting from the academic and social-emotional support provided by the Neighborhood House Youth Development Program this summer. The program currently serves students between the ages of 5 and 17 who attend 20 different JCPS schools.
• The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California (“Molina”), recognized four Inland Empire residents for their dedication to addressing social determinants of health through the MolinaCares Champions program. Each honoree received a $5,000 grant to pay forward to the nonprofit organization of their choice.This year’s Inland Empire MolinaCares Champions are:Dr. Mona Salomo-Davies of Murrieta: Dr. Mona Salomo-Davies founded the Community Outreach Ministry to support at-risk children in Riverside County who are impacted by parental incarceration. With a goal of giving disadvantaged youth a second chance to thrive and succeed, she helps break the cycle of crime, incarceration, illiteracy, and poverty. Dr. Davies provides education through STEM mentorships and safe, healthy outlets through activities such as camping trips and holiday gatherings. Many children who have participated in these programs have become first-generation high school and college graduates. Her grant will be donated to Community Outreach Ministry. John Epps of Highland: In his role as a Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC) board member, John Epps advocates for fair treatment for all. He encourages his colleagues to use an equity-focused approach when interacting with clients and other employees. Epps is also a board member or founder of several groups, including Building Resilient Communities, We Are One United, Inc., Academy for Grassroots Organizations, and the Community Advisory Board for the Center of Health Disparities at UC Riverside. Through his expansive efforts, he is spearheading the charge to uplift communities by working to bring more diversity and inclusion to leadership in nonprofits and boards throughout the Inland Empire. Epps has selected Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC) as the recipient of his grant. Dr. Tom Dolan of San Bernardino: As executive director of Inland Congregations United for Change for the last 16 years, Dr. Tom Dolan leads a faith-based nonprofit devoted to creating equity advocates and teaching people from marginalized groups how to be agents of change. He has connected farm workers with food banks, health services, and masks and has helped San Bernardino students register voters and address violence in their communities. Dr. Dolan has worked with parents and students to tackle low graduation rates and advocate for mental health centers in schools. He has a long history of commitment to helping unhoused people and formerly incarcerated individuals. Dr. Dolan’s grant will be donated to Inland Congregations United for Change.Julieta Barraza of Victorville: Through her role as a family support worker for El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, Julieta Barraza provides home visitations to expecting parents and parents with young children in the High Desert area. She also volunteers as a host for a Christian radio station where she encourages families to improve their well-being. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Barraza organized events where local agencies and organizations provided information about services and resources. She also volunteers at food banks and distributes clothing and backpacks. Barraza dedicates her free time to be of service to her community, which she considers a form of demonstrating love. Her grant will be donated to El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center.
• The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California, partnered with El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC) to host two Dr. Cleo’s Cooking Club events for youth ages 5-13 in Holtville and Brawley. At each event, MolinaCares and ECRMC engaged several dozen members of the local Boys & Girls Clubs in a class focused on health and nutrition. At each event, an educator from ECRMC taught about the importance of handwashing and nutrition before leading a hands-on demonstration on making nutritious snacks. All chefs received a Molina bag with health education materials and a frisbee and jump rope to encourage physical fitness.
• The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Utah, donated $20,000 to The Other Side Academy in support of The Other Side Village, a housing development for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Salt Lake City. Each 400-sqaure-foot home in the Village will include a bedroom, living room, bathroom, shower and kitchen with appliances. The affordable monthly rent includes utilities costs, as well as various community services and activities such as a regular farmers market to provide residents with free vegetables harvested from the Village’s many gardens. The Other Side Village plans to break ground by March 2022 and begin building the initial 30 homes in this master planned community. The community will eventually be comprised of up to 400 homes.
• The MolinaCares Accord is supporting several nonprofits statewide to assist Rhode Islanders facing social, financial, and health challenges including food insecurity, homelessness, opioid use disorder, HIV, and more. As part of its mission, MolinaCares is donating to:
  • United Way of Rhode Island works to help Rhode Islanders in need while bringing together individuals, businesses, nonprofits, community leaders, and government officials to address the state’s most pressing social issues. Funds from the grant will go to support United Way’s Non-Profit Innovations Lab, a program designed to promote innovation within the non-profit sector and help transform ideas into programmatic reality, focusing on housing, health equity, and racial disparity solutions.
  • Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s Healthy Habits: Eating Well on a Budget program teaches low-income participants how to shop, cook, and eat with good health in mind, even on a limited budget. Since the program began in 2013, more than 15,000 adults, seniors, and children have participated. The funds will help expand the program to more communities statewide.
  • Family Services of Rhode Island assists low-income families statewide with a variety of services. Funds will support Project Support Ocean State, a federally-funded project to respond to youth impacted by the opioid epidemic. It will also support at-home HIV testing and aid those living with HIV. This includes pre- and post-test counseling, as well as deliveries of groceries, personal care items, and personal protective equipment.

• Priority Health is continuing its support of the Battle Creek Family YMCA/Battle Creek Diaper Initiative and St. Luke’s Diaper Bank in Kalamazoo. Through October 6, Priority Health will support local families in need of diapers, as 1 in 3 families in the U.S. struggle to provide enough diapers for their children, according to a study conducted by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) and Huggies.
  These extended partnerships are in addition to the nearly 230,000 diapers distributed last year in Southwest Michigan through the support of Priority Health. Priority Health has launched a new web presence that focuses on social determinants of health and health inequities. The new landing page, available to the general public, is meant to serve as a central hub for all content related to Priority Health’s efforts towards addressing SDOH.
  The landing page provides visitors with educational background information on SDOH, a recently published report from Priority Health highlighting their work and programs that address health inequities, and links to programs, news coverage, and articles related to the topic.

• Virtual and in-person classes and activities based around shared interests;
• “Friendly Phoner,” a program through which Peer Advocates and SCAN employee volunteers will regularly reach out to members by telephone; and
• “Tech Buddy,” support for people who want to use tablets and other digital devices to connect with other people.

• UPMC for Kids Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) today recognized its 15th anniversary and growth into Pennsylvania’s largest CHIP managed care plan and will make $15,000 charitable donations to three community organizations that support Pennsylvania children. The donations will go to the following Pennsylvania-based non-profit organizations:This Generation Connect: This Generation Connect is the only community center in east Pittsburgh and provides middle and high schoolers and their families with opportunities for audio-visual training and creative expression through videography, photography, and music production.Healthy Steps Diaper Bank: Healthy Steps Diaper bank collects, stores, and distributes free diapers to families in need with the help of partner agencies. They are the only diaper bank in the region, serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Perry, and York counties.Eagle’s Nest School of Academic Distinction: Eagle’s Nest School is the Erie region’s only African-centered academic institution open to students of all ethnicities. The middle school operates in partnership with the Erie School District and has a faculty ratio of about 15:1 with academic benchmarks equal to or better than those of private schools.