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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Invests More Than Two Million Dollars in Community Organizations to Chart and Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Habits

September 17, 2010

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) recently gave a total of more than $2 million to roughly 170 local nonprofits that promote health and wellness. A longtime community supporter, BCBSIL is partnering with these organizations not only to fund their work, but to help them measure the effectiveness of their wellness programs to ultimately encourage all Illinoisans to develop and maintain healthy lifestyle habits.

"We’re interested in making a long-term impact on health in the state, so we’re teaming up with organizations that know what it takes to instill healthy behaviors in the neighborhoods where they are," explained Clarita Santos, director of community health initiatives for BCBSIL. "We know that behaviors don’t change overnight, so we aim to do what we can to increase peoples’ access to health care, and to work with the folks ‘on the ground,’ to make meaningful and lasting change – all while tracking our progress."

To that end, BCBSIL is supporting organizations that have programs focused on varying aspects of wellness including nutrition education and healthy eating, mental health coping skills, medication management, and parent education, in addition to direct health and human services programs. Each organization is then asked to work with BCBSIL and like-minded partners to chart the effectiveness of its program to see if it’s motivating behavioral change.

So far, the results have been positive. For example, diabetes management programs and access to health care for the homeless are contributing to fewer emergency room visits, and exercise and nutrition initiatives in the schools are teaching children good and fun ways to be healthy.

Said Santos: "By looking at the processes used the organizations we support, and working with them toward achievable outcomes, we are building a roadmap for addressing some of the state’s most pressing health issues."

The complete list of organizations BCBSIL supported this year is as follows:

  • A Safe Place
  • Access Community Health Network
  • Active Transportation Alliance
  • AgeOptions
  • Aging Care Connections
  • AIDS Foundation Of Chicago
  • Healthy Albany Park
  • Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry
  • Alternatives Incorporated
  • American Diabetes Association
  • American Indian Center
  • Apna Ghar
  • Arab-American Family Services
  • Asian Health Coalition
  • Aspire of Illinois
  • Associated Colleges Of Illinois
  • Association House of Chicago
  • Avenues to Independence
  • B.E.D.S.
  • Beacon Therapeutic Diagnostic and Treatment Center
  • Best Buddies Illinois
  • Better Boys Foundation
  • Better Existence With HIV
  • Between Friends
  • Big Brothers & Big Sisters Of West Central Illinois
  • Big Brothers-Big Sisters Of Vermilion County
  • Big Shoulders Fund
  • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
  • Boys Town Chicago
  • Breakthrough Urban Ministries
  • BUILD
  • Bureau County Health & Wellness Clinic
  • Care For Real, a Service of the Edgewater Community Council
  • Casa Central Social Services Corporation
  • CASA Lake County
  • CASA of Williamson County
  • Catholic Charities Of The Archdiocese Of Chicago
  • Center For Speech And Language Disorders
  • Centro de Salud Esperanza
  • Charleston Transitional Facility
  • Chicago Childrens Advocacy Center
  • Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
  • Chicago Family Health Center
  • Chicago Freedom School
  • Chicago House and Social Service Agency
  • Chicago Metropolitan Battered Womens Network
  • Childcare Network of Evanston
  • Children's Home + Aid
  • Christian Community Health Center
  • Christian Outreach of Lutherans
  • Christopher House
  • Circle Family HealthCare Network
  • Common Threads
  • Communities In Schools Of Chicago
  • Community Health Care Clinic
  • Community Nurse Health Association
  • Community Outreach Volunteeers
  • CommunityHealth
  • Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC)
  • Connections for the Homeless
  • Crisis Center for South Suburbia
  • Crisis Center Foundation
  • Crusader Clinic
  • Deborah's Place
  • ElderCARE@ChristChurch
  • Dupage Senior Citizen Council
  • Easter Seals Dupage And The Fox Valley Region
  • Emergency Fund
  • Envision Unlimited
  • Erie Family Health Center
  • Erie Neighborhood House
  • Ethiopian Community Association Of Chicago
  • Family Health Partnership Clinic
  • Family Rescue
  • Family Shelter Service
  • Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice
  • Franciscan Outreach Association
  • Friedman Place
  • Gads Hill Center
  • Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
  • Gilda's Club Chicago
  • Girls On The Run Chicago
  • Goldie's Place
  • Hanul Family Alliance
  • Health And Medicine Policy Research Group
  • HealthConnect One
  • HealthReach
  • Healthy Schools Campaign
  • Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
  • Hephzibah Children's Association
  • Holy Family Ministries
  • Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.)
  • Housing Opportunities for Women
  • Howard Area Community Center
  • Howard Brown Health Center
  • Illinois Caucus For Adolescent Health
  • Illinois College Of Optometry
  • Illinois Poison Center
  • Inspiration Corporation
  • Japanese American Service Committee (JASC)
  • Korean American Women in Need (KAN-WIN)
  • La Casa Norte
  • Lakeview Pantry
  • Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries
  • Latinos Progresando
  • Lawrence Hall Youth Services
  • Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation
  • Logan Square Neighborhood Assoc Inc
  • Lydia Home Association
  • Maywood Fine Arts Association
  • Mercy Home for Boys & Girls
  • Mercy Housing
  • Metropolitan Family Services
  • Metropolitan Tenants Organization
  • Midwest Youth Services
  • Mobile C A R E Foundation
  • National Kidney Foundation of Illinois
  • Near North Health Service Corporation
  • Old Irving Park Community Clinic
  • One Hope United
  • Pan-African Association
  • Parkways Foundation
  • Peer Health Exchange
  • People's Resource Center
  • Pilsen Homeless Services
  • Pink Panthers Double Dutch Team
  • Polish American Association
  • Proactive Community Services
  • Project HEALTH
  • Reading In Motion
  • REST
  • Robert Crown Center for Health Education
  • Rockford Meld
  • Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center
  • San Jose Obrero Mission
  • Sarah's Circle
  • Sarah's Inn
  • SGA Youth & Family Services
  • SmileHealthy
  • SOS Children's Villages Illinois
  • Southwest Community Services
  • Special Olympics Illinois
  • Springfield Arc
  • Storycatchers Theatre
  • Suburban Primary Health Care Council
  • Teen Parent Connection
  • Test Positive Aware Network
  • The ARK
  • The Bridge Youth & Family Services
  • The Center for Independence through Conductive Education
  • The Chicago Public Education Fund
  • The Childrens Clinic IWS
  • The Good Food Project
  • The Harbour
  • The Hope Institute for Children and Families
  • The Infant Welfare Society of Chicago
  • The Night Ministry
  • The Women's Treatment Center
  • The Youth Job Center of Evanston
  • Thresholds Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center
  • Tri City Health Partnership
  • Umoja Student Development Corporation
  • United Cerebral Palsy Association Of Greater Chicago
  • Villa Guadalupe Senior Services
  • Vital Bridges
  • West Suburban PADS
  • White Crane Wellness Center
  • WINGS
  • YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
  • YWCA of Quincy

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

With more than 7 million members, BCBSIL, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest health insurance company in Illinois. Started in 1936, BCBSIL is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care. BCBSIL is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.


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