Blue Shield of California Foundation Announces Over $4.4 Million in Second-Quarter Grants

Half of new funding to train and develop next wave of leaders in California’s community health centers

San Francisco, June 25, 2012 — Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) today announced over $4.4 million in second-quarter funding. Almost half of the funds will be used to strengthen California’s health safety net by expanding leadership training and professional development for emerging leaders and new CEOs at community health centers across the state.

“We need a strong health care safety net in California so we are pleased to invest in the talent required to deliver quality care at the community level,” said Peter V. Long, Ph.D., president and CEO of BSCF. “The next wave of health center leaders will need a whole new set of skills to succeed in an era where the technology, finances, and fundamental strategies for providing health care are all experiencing profound changes.”

California’s community health centers will need to adapt and change as pressures increase to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services amid challenging state budget cuts. At the same time, the field is expecting an influx of retirements among executive directors and chief executive officers over the next few years. Anticipating these challenges, the Foundation partnered with the Center for Health Professions at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to launch the Clinic Leadership Institute in 2006. Since then, the Institute has trained 123 emerging leaders from community health centers around the state, two-thirds of whom have since moved into more senior roles.

Today’s announcement includes a major grant to UCSF for a sixth cohort of 25 high-potential community health center leaders, and will support a professional network of emerging leaders who previously participated in the program. These funds will also underwrite an executive program that will provide leadership, management, and strategic mentoring support to new CEOs and CFOs as they replace retiring, longstanding clinic leaders.

Below is a summary of all second-quarter grants for 2012:

HEALTH CARE AND COVERAGE ($3,519,138)
The following provides an overview of new funding aimed at expanding access to affordable, effective care to underserved Californians.

The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) (San Francisco, CA; $2,114,257): To UCSF’s Center for Health Professions to support the Clinic Leadership Institute’s Emerging Leaders program for a sixth cohort of 25 emerging community health center leaders and to continue alumni activities, including a program for new chief executives.

Capital Link, Inc. (Boston, MA; $105,196): To assess and improve the financial well-being of community health centers in California.

Los Angeles Unified School District Student Health Services Support Fund (Los Angeles, CA; $150,750): To develop a health information exchange between school-based community health centers and the school health center system of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Prevention Institute (Oakland, CA; $117,964): To engage community health centers in prevention activities by adopting the Prevention Institute’s Community-Centered Health Home model.

Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (Los Angeles, CA; $345,471): To UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research to continue the evaluation of the impact of the Low Income Health Program on expanding coverage and improving access to health care for uninsured Californians.

Small Business Majority Foundation, Inc. (Sausalito, CA; $300,000): To educate California's small businesses about opportunities to increase coverage for business owners and employees through state and federal health reform efforts.

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (Glendale, CA; $165,000): To educate staff and patients about the redesign of health coverage and healthcare delivery by Los Angeles County.

Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA; $220,500): To UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research to increase the survey sample for the 2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) in Los Angeles County to support planning and analysis related to healthcare coverage expansion, health reform implementation, and access to care for county residents.

BLUE SHIELD AGAINST VIOLENCE ($964,156)
The following is an overview of new funding aimed at ending domestic violence (DV) in California.

California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (Sacramento, CA; $300,000): To provide general operating support.

La Piana Consulting (Emeryville, CA; $250,000): To provide customized technical assistance on mergers and restructuring to DV service providers and to share lessons learned from collaborative efforts between DV service providers and healthcare providers in California.

Women’s Foundation of California (San Francisco, CA; $100,000): To support DV leaders’ participation in the Women’s Policy Institute, a state-level policy training, and develop a model for local policy training.

Full Frame Initiative, Inc. (Greenfield, MA; $249,156): To develop a more collaborative approach to DV advocacy, policy, funding, and practice.

TrueChild, Inc. (Washington, DC; $65,000): To launch the California Council on Gender to integrate a gender-informed approach to DV prevention into statewide systems and policy.

ABOUT BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION
Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state’s largest healthcare grantmaking organizations. Visit: www.blueshieldcafoundation.org.

The Foundation was formed by Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit corporation with more than 3.4 million members, 4,800 employees, and 20 offices throughout California. Visit: www.blueshieldca.com.

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