Foundation Gives $6.3 Million to Strengthen Safety Net & Domestic Violence Systems in California

First-quarter grants awarded to projects and organizations that help to advance the mission of Blue Shield of California Foundation

San Francisco, CA (March 26, 2015) — Today, Blue Shield of California Foundation announced $6.3 million in first-quarter grantmaking. Funds aim to support promising new ideas with the potential to transform healthcare delivery and domestic violence services for the Californians most in need. This includes a 3.2 million-dollar grant to the Tides Center and Center for Care Innovations to help safety net providers deliver high-value care and enhance patient experience and engagement.

This quarter, the Foundation also adds three new members to its board of trustees. Each individual contributes a unique perspective to the Foundation’s ongoing work to make Californians healthy and safe. New members include: Executive Director of First 5 LA Kim Belshé, who has previously held a number of leadership positions in state government, including secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency; and recently-retired IT Executive Douglas Busch, who served as CIO at Intel before becoming chief operating officer of Care Innovations, a joint venture of Intel and GE; and lastly, Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine at UCLA Michael Rodriguez, who founded and directs the Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America, and co-directs the Center of Expertise on Migration and Health at the University’s Global Health Institute.

“We are incredibly excited to have leaders of this caliber join our board of trustees,” said Peter Long, PhD, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation.”The relationships and expertise that they bring will not only allow us to make more strategic decisions, it will also help to ensure that our grantmaking has the greatest possible impact in communities across the state.”

First-quarter giving also includes grants to incorporate the prevention and identification of domestic violence as a standard element of whole-person care, as well as continued support for the Philanthropy-Joining Forces Impact Pledge to enable more veterans and military families to get the help they need.

A full list of Q1 awards can be found here:

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About Blue Shield of California Foundation

Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state's largest and most trusted grantmaking organizations. Our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians, particularly the underserved, by making health care accessible, effective, and affordable, and by ending domestic violence. For more information visit: www.blueshieldcafoundation.org

Press contact:

Christine Maulhardt
415-229-6145
christine.maulhardt [at] blueshieldcafoundation.org

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