Press release
In 2024, the Independence Blue Cross (IBX) Foundation will fund nearly 60 health centers providing primary, dental, or vision care to nearly 300,000 children, individuals, and families living in medically underserved areas across Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester and Bucks counties. Today, 25% of the uninsured population in Southeastern Pennsylvania access care at a health center supported by the IBX Foundation.
Since 2011, the IBX Foundation Blue Safety Net Program has awarded more than $30 million to more than 70 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), free clinics, and mobile clinics serving diverse populations in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In that time, the total number of health center patients and visits nearly doubled. Additionally, the number of primary care patients increased by 60% and patients at dental and vision clinics increased five-fold.
“Historically disadvantaged and medically under-resourced communities face many challenges when trying to access primary and behavioral health care,” said Heather Major, executive director of the IBX Foundation. “The Foundation strives to break down these barriers with thoughtful, collaborative solutions. Everyone deserves access to affordable, quality care and preventive services that shape healthier futures.”
“Philadelphia has so many wonderful academic medical centers, hospitals, and traditional treatment centers. However, our patients are often hesitant to go there because of the language barrier, lack of providers that look like them, and other feelings of discomfort,” says Brenda Robles Cooke, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Maria de los Santos Health Center. “We try to fill that gap by offering culturally competent care. We’re grateful to the Independence Blue Cross Foundation for being such a great partner in our success.”
IBX Foundation is also leading efforts for local health centers to achieve National Committee for Quality Assurance Health Equity accreditation. This accreditation provides a framework to helping to ensure more equitable care for all patients.
Recognizing that health centers play a pivotal role in helping the commonwealth with redetermination for Medicaid beneficiaries, the IBX Foundation is also provided funding to 14 centers to assist patients with reenrollment. Nearly half of patients who received assistance successfully re-enrolled in public or private health insurance, therefore keeping them from becoming uninsured.
Annually, health centers serve more than 31 million patients, equating to 1 in 11 people nationwide, making them the largest primary care network in the United States. Health centers provide timely care to underserved communities, saving the national healthcare system $24 billion annually and generating more than $85 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve.
About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is leading a future for equitable health in our communities and nation. The IBX Foundation’s grant programs and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation Institute for Health Equity are advancing three areas of impact: Access to Care, the Healthcare Workforce, and Health Equity. Since its inception, the IBX Foundation has placed the community at the center of its work. By the end of 2024, the IBX Foundation will have awarded grants totaling more than $85 million to support nonprofits and research improving the health and well-being of communities in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Learn more by visiting our website: ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on LinkedIn.