S.C. BlueCross Awards 11 Grants to South Carolina Organizations

COLUMBIA, SC – The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation has approved 11 grants in its latest grant cycle to health-related organizations serving South Carolina’s economically disadvantaged citizens.

CareSouth Carolina, Inc. – Up-fit a permanent dental clinic in Lee County, where there are currently no practicing dentists, with three operatories and necessary dental equipment and supplies.      

Columbia Oral Health Clinic – Provide dentures to 200 uninsured patients living with HIV/AIDS in the Midlands area to improve their oral health status. 

Health Sciences South Carolina – Support the South Carolina Surgical Quality Collaborative to advance learning collaborative among eight participating hospitals across the state.

Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. – Staff a transitional living program with clinical counselors to serve homeless male youth ages 17-24 suffering from mental illness in the Midlands.

Midlands Housing Alliance, Inc. – Support Transitions to increase their capability to meet the medical needs of existing homeless clients, as well as assess the opportunity to meet the needs of medically fragile homeless that are currently not able to be served. 

Richland County Emergency Services Department – Support the four community paramedics of the Richland County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Collaborative, as they engage at-risk populations to avoid inappropriate or preventable hospital and emergency services use.

South Carolina Dental Hygienist Association – Train registered dental hygienists working in public health settings and dental hygiene faculty on Caries Control Technique/Atraumatic Restorative Technique to better serve those with limited access to comprehensive oral health care.

South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers – Establish a statewide reporting database for Child Advocacy Centers to track services provided to child victims of abuse and utilize this data to improve access and availability of services across the state. 

Tricounty Family Ministries – Provide dentures to 100 existing clients in Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties to improve their oral health status.

Children's Trust of South Carolina and South Carolina Department of Mental Health – Combine school based mental health services and community-based efforts to build resiliency and improve well-being for students, families and communities in Darlington, Florence, and Marion counties.

About the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation
Headquartered in Columbia, the foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Its mission is to promote and support healthier South Carolinians, particularly the economically vulnerable, by supporting solutions to address gaps in health care and serving as an agent of change to support innovation and value-added public-private partnerships.