Blue Shield of California Foundation Awards Nearly $2 Million to 17 Organizations Throughout California; Foundation's 2004 Giving Totals Near $20 million.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Blue Shield of California Foundation (BCSF) today announced it will award nearly $2 million in fourth-quarter grants to 17 nonprofit organizations throughout the state, bringing its 2004 charitable contributions to almost $20 million - more than double the $8 million awarded in 2003.

Since BSCF reinvigorated its charitable efforts in 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $27.5 million to 387 organizations statewide that combat domestic violence, improve health care access for the uninsured, and assess medical technologies that improve the health of individuals and communities.

"By focusing our efforts, we have the opportunity to promote positive changes in the health of our communities," said Crystal Hayling, president of BSCF. "The groups we've supported are vital to that health. Domestic violence not only affects individuals and families, it impacts our workplaces and communities. Our uninsured population continues to rise, while the health care facilities that serve the uninsured struggle to stay open. And, the promises of new health care technology are empty if the technologies are neither safe nor effective."

Domestic Violence Grants

Farmworker women, foster children and women suffering from mental illnesses are among the groups who will benefit from the $1.1 million in grants that BSCF is awarding to eight organizations and programs that combat domestic violence. These grants include:

--$200,000 to the Los Angeles-based Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas, a statewide group dedicated to improving the lives of Latina farmworkers. The grant will fund a domestic violence prevention project targeting farmworker communities in the Central Valley, Central Coast and Southern California.

--$200,000 to the Los Angeles-based Violence Intervention Program Community Mental Health Center Intervention and Prevention of Family Violence Among Foster Care Youth. The grant will fund domestic violence services for high-risk girls and boys ages 11 to 18.

--$60,000 to the Sacramento-based California Institute of Mental Health to train domestic violence, mental health and substance abuse providers about the complex task of working with women who have mental illnesses or substance abuse problems and are victims of domestic violence.

"Domestic violence is endemic in our society," said Marianne Balin, program manager of Blue Shield Against Violence. "Those who have witnessed or experienced family violence as children are especially at risk. The cycle of violence often continues in their adult lives. For example, foster youth are often where they are because of violence in their birth families. Because that's all they know, that violence can be recreated when they become adults. The organizations we support are working hard to break those cycles."

Health Care Access Grants

Seven California organizations dedicated to improving access to health care will receive $603,845 to help their targeted communities. Health care access grants include:

--$200,000 to the Oakland-based California Works Foundation for a project on health access affordability and quality. The goal of this project is to stabilize cost increases, improve health access, quality, and efficiency for Northern California labor union members and their families.

--$125,000 to the Children's Health Initiative of San Luis Obispo to provide premium assistance to 50 children ages 6 to 18. Over the years, BSCF has made grants to the organization in seven other counties around the state to support the expansion of children's health insurance coverage.

--$50,000 to the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Community Health to help improve the health of hard-to-reach, medically indigent Latino families in Central and South Central Los Angeles.

"The groups we support are crucial to ensuring all Californians have access to quality, cost-effective health care," said Tanir Ami, program manager for BSCF's Center for Healthcare Access. "In addition to supporting those who care directly for the uninsured, we fund organizations that help underserved individuals take advantage of services to keep them healthy."

Technology Grants

Two research organizations were the recipients of grants related to BSCF's third focus - assessing the safety and efficacy of new medical technologies. San Francisco's Information Technology Consortium will receive $120,000 to train San Francisco Department of Public Health's nursing staff in the computer skills needed to use an automated record system, which will be implemented at city hospitals to improve patient care. The U.C. Irvine Foundation will receive $100,000 to implement a wireless bedside order entry system.

The Blue Shield of California Foundation was formed by Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit corporation with more than 3.2 million members, 4,300 employees and 20 offices throughout California. The Blue Shield of California Foundation provides charitable contributions, conducts research, and supports programs with an emphasis on domestic violence prevention, medical technology assessment and reducing the number of uninsured. For more information, visit the Blue Shield of California Web site at www.mylifepath.com or the Foundation at www.blueshieldcafoundation.org.