Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Texas Awards Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® Grants To 25 Charitable Organizations Statewide

RICHARDSON, Texas, July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX)  announced today that 25 community organizations across the state have been awarded with Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grants.

This $1.54 million dollar investment is part of BCBSTX's ongoing commitment to improve health and wellness across populations that most need it, as well as effecting sustained behavioral changes that lead to better health outcomes for all Texans.

"The investments we make today, especially among populations that are impacted by health access disparity gaps, ultimately improve the health quality of all Texans," said Dr. Dan McCoy, president of BCBSTX. "We recognize the importance of influencing lifestyle habits at an early age, and are honored to stand with these local nonprofit organizations to profoundly impact the health of Texas youth and their families."

According to the recently issued Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the State of Texas Children 2016 Report, the Lone Star State has dropped to 43^rd place in their national ranking that scores infant well-being by measuring health and wellness variables, such as quality housing, access to healthcare, economic stability and healthy nutrition. With one in ten children nationwide now living in Texas, "the future of Texas depends on the health, education and financial security of all our children," the report asserts.

This year, the HKHF initiative received more than 187 applications from organizations across the state. Each application was evaluated on the basis of impact, feasibility, capacity, collaboration and sustainability. All grant recipients are community partners that share BCBSTX's vision of improving the health and wellness of Texas children. Since the program's inception, BCBSTX has awarded more than $8.8 million in HKHF grants.

This year's Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® grantees include:

• "El Centro de Corazón recognizes Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas as an unwavering partner, truly committed to addressing the challenges children face in Harris County. This grant is vital to sustain the pediatric component of our Diabetes Self-Management Program, which allows us to educate our children and their families about healthier lifestyle choices in the areas of nutrition and physical activity." –Marcie Mir, CEO, Houston, TX
  
• "Without the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas' investments, Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic (LBUCC) would not have its Promotora de Salud Program, which has improved family engagement in primary, preventive care and health outcomes for high-risk Hispanic patients. This is a frontline, high impact program, which reaches underserved communities across Dallas County and improves health outcomes." – Leonor Márquez, CEO, Dallas, TX
  
• "MHP Salud is grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for its partnership and support.  Using the Community Health Worker (CHW) model, MHP Salud assists the communities of the Rio Grande Valley to improve their health based on the need they expressed in a recent health needs assessment. Specifically, this funding utilizes CHWs to help educate parents and children on the importance of physical activity and works with local agencies to increase the space availability for physical activity. We applaud BCBSTX's commitment to our Rio Grande Valley community." – Gayle A. Lawn-Day, CEO, Pasco, WA
  
• "CAN DO Houston is very pleased to receive support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for our HEAL to Health project. Our focus, which includes a variety of community and evidence driven initiatives, is to improve family and community health by bridging the gap between knowledge, access, and behavior through the combination of health education and access to opportunities that facilitate the adoption of healthy eating and active living (HEAL) throughout Houston/Harris County."  – Dr. Jasmine Opusunju, Executive Director, Houston, TX

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve 5 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  

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BCBSTX's Community Investments

BCBSTX is committed to helping improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. For more than 80 years, that commitment has been reflected through social responsibility efforts that include corporate giving, local community relations, volunteerism, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance, wellness and sustainability initiatives. Our signature program, Healthy Kids, Healthy Families ® has impacted millions of children and their families in Texas through support in areas of nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, and supporting safe environments. To learn more about BCBSTX's social responsibility efforts, please visit http://bcbstx2015srr.com/

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SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

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