Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Awards Over $1 Million in Grants to 50 Clinics Providing Medical Care to the Uninsured Throughout the State

DETROIT, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the eighth consecutive year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has awarded more than $1 million in grants to support 50 Michigan clinics that help provide health care services to uninsured Michigan residents. Through its "Strengthening the Safety Net" program, BCBSM continues its commitment of increasing access and quality care to the uninsured and underinsured.

"The Blues are committed to improving access to care for all Michigan residents. As part of our ongoing social mission, our free clinic grant program continues to play a crucial role in Michigan's health care system, by providing quality health care to the uninsured, serving as a safety net for people who need it the most," said Lynda Rossi, BCBSM senior vice president of Public Affairs and chief of staff. "The outstanding care and variety of health care services provided by these nonprofit clinics help reduce the need for expensive emergency room care and often afford patients with valuable health education and chronic disease management."

The Blues have provided more than $8 million in grants through the "Strengthening the Safety Net" grant program since 2005.  The grants serve to help free clinics with daily operations and enhance the services they offer. In the past year, Blues' funding helped clinics provide more than 140,000 patient visits.

Of this year's applicants, 50 free clinics qualified for noncompetitive grants of $15,000 to be used for continuing existing operations, extending operating hours or adding health care services. Eight of those clinics were also awarded competitive grants of up to $50,000 for identifying clear gaps in safety net coverage and outlining plans to address those gaps in a creative and sustainable way.

"More and more of Michigan's residents have found themselves without insurance and unable to access the proper health care services they need," said William Brazier, executive director of Detroit-based St. Vincent de Paul, a recipient this year of both competitive and noncompetitive grants for its dental clinic.  "We are proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan to provide free critical dental assistance to those who would otherwise go without proper care. We provide preventive dental hygiene services, education, fillings, extractions, dentures and more. For more than 125 years, St. Vincent de Paul has been committed to assisting those in need in our region and the Blue Cross "Strengthening the Safety Net" program has enabled us to grow our capacity to provide dental clinic services each year.  Last year alone, we treated more than 6,000 patients and, with the newly awarded $65,000 in grant funding, we plan to expand our services to help even more of our neighbors in need of vital dental care."

The following is a listing of the free clinics that received grants from the Blues this year:

2012-2013 "Strengthening the Safety Net" Competitive Grant Recipients:

• Brighton: VINA Community Dental Center, 400 E. Grand River Ave., 810-844-0240
• Detroit: St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, 3000 Gratiot Ave., 313-393-3007
• Grand Rapids: Catherine's Health Center, 224 Carrier St. NE, 616-336-8800, in partnership with Health Intervention Services, 15 Andre St. SE, 616-475-8446
• Grayling: AuSable Free Clinic, Inc., 1250 E. Michigan Ave., Bldg D, 989-348-0508
• Holland: Holland Free Health Clinic, 99 West 26th Street, 616-391-3610
• Pinckney: Faith Medical Clinic, 122 Howell St., 734-474-4627
• Ypsilanti: Hope Medical Clinic, 518 Harriett Street, 734-481-0111

2012-2013 "Strengthening the Safety Net" Noncompetitive Grant Recipients:

West Michigan

• Alpena: Free Clinic of Alpena, 100 W. Chisholm St., 989-354-3888
• Battle Creek: Community HealthCare Connections, 190 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 385, 269-969-6494
• Big Rapids: Hope House Free Medical Clinic, 220 Ferris Dr., Suite 312, 231-796-0807
• Boyne City: Boyne Area Free Clinic, 624 State St., 231-582-4605
• Cadillac: Stehouwer Free Clinic, 521 Cobbs Street, 231-876-6152
• Cheboygan: Northern Care Center, 117 W. State St., 231-333-3019
• Coldwater: Presbyterian Health Clinic of Branch County, 15 Church St., 517-278-7848
• Grand Rapids: Baxter Community Center, 935 Baxter St. SE, 616-456-5310
• Grand Rapids: Catherine's Health Center, 1211 Lafayette Ave. NE, 616-336-8800
• Grand Rapids: Health Intervention Services, 15 Andre SE, 616-475-1363
• Grand Rapids: Oasis of Hope Center, 522 Leonard St. NW, 616-451-8868
• Grand Rapids: Project Access, 233 E. Fulton St., Suite 226, 616-459-1111
• Grayling: AuSable Free Clinic, Inc., 1250 E. Michigan Ave., Bldg D, 989-348-0508
• Hastings: Barry Community Free Clinic, 1230 W. State St., 269-945-4444
• Holland: Holland Free Health Clinic, 99 West 26th Street, 616-391-3610
• Marshall: Fountain Clinic, 111 N. Jefferson St., 269-781-0952
• Petoskey: Community Free Clinic, 416 Connable Avenue, 231-487-1058
• Three Rivers: Riverside Health Clinic, 207 East Michigan Ave., 269-273-3744
• Zeeland: City on a Hill Health Clinic, 100 S. Pine St., Suite 140, 616-748-6009

Central Michigan

• Ann Arbor: Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, 312 W. Huron St., 734-662-2829
• Brighton: VINA Community Dental Center, 400 E. Grand River Ave., 810-844-0240
• Chelsea: Chelsea Grace Clinic, 603 S. Main Street, 734-544-3300
• Essexville: Helen M. Nickless Volunteer Clinic, 1460 W. Center Road, 989-895-4830
• Flint: Genesee County Free Medical Clinic, 2437 Welch Blvd., 810-235-4211
• Hillsdale: St. Peter's Free Clinic of Hillsdale County, 3 N. Broad St., 517-437-4041
• Jackson: St. Luke's Clinic, 132 Seymour Ave., 517-783-1117
• Lapeer: Loving Hands Clinic, 148 Maple Grove Road, 810-667-8933
• Owosso: Redeemer-Shiawassee Free Medical Clinic, 217 N. Washington St., Suite 109, 989-725-5442
• Pinckney: Faith Medical Clinic, 122 Howell St., 734-474-4627
• Port Huron: People's Clinic for Better Health, 3110 Goulden Street, 810-985-4747
• Saginaw: Cathedral Mental Health Care, 705 Hoyt Ave., 989-759-3356
• Saginaw: Community Prescription Support Program, 100 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 101, 989-907-5602
• Saginaw: Saginaw Area Foundation for Eye Care, 5161 Cardinal Park, 800-504-4856
• Saginaw: St. Mary's of Michigan Center of HOPE Free Clinics, 723 Emerson Street, 989-907-8340
• Ypsilanti: Hope Medical Clinic, 518 Harriett Street, 734-481-0111

Southeast Michigan

• Detroit: Cass Clinic, 3745 Cass Ave., 313-883-2277
• Detroit: The Dr. Albert B. Cleage, Sr. Memorial Health Center, 700 Seward St., 313-874-1300
• Detroit: HUDA Clinic, 13240 Woodrow Wilson St., 313-865-8446
• Detroit: Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation, 18917 Joy Road, 313-581-7773
• Detroit: St. Frances Cabrini Clinic, 1234 Porter Street, 313-961-7863
• Detroit: Order of Malta Medical/Dental Clinic, 4860 15th St., 313-894-2240
• Detroit: St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, 3000 Gratiot Ave., 313-393-3007
• Pontiac: Mercy Place Clinic, 55 Clinton St., 248-333-0840
• Pontiac: The Gary Burnstein Free Clinic, 90 W. University Drive, 248-758-1690
• Southfield: Tri-County Dental Health Council, 29350 Southfield Road, 248-559-7767
• Trenton: Z.I.A.D. Health for the Underserved, 1640 Fort St., Suite E, 313-815-8767
• Warren: St. John Providence Community Health Physicians Who Care, 28000 Dequindre, 586-753-1484
• Wayne: Hope Medical Clinic, 35425 Michigan Avenue, 734-710-6688
• Wyandotte: Wyandotte Clinic for the Working Uninsured, 333 Biddle Ave., 734-365-3560

Upper Peninsula

• Marquette: Medical Care Access Coalition, 1414 W. Fair Ave., Suite 108, 906-226-4400

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.3 million members residing in Michigan in addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the state. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan