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Press Releases
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Press ReleaseIndependence Blue Cross Earns National RecognitionIBC's Nurse Scholars Program honored for tackling shortage of nurses Philadelphia, PA - March 7, 2006 - America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Foundation yesterday recognized Independence Blue Cross for creating an innovative partnership initiative to combat the critical shortage of nurses and nursing instructors in southeastern Pennsylvania. Independence Blue Cross was honored with the AHIP Foundation Community Leadership Award for its Nurse Scholars Program at the foundation's 2006 Innovation and Excellence Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. "Three years ago, Independence Blue Cross asked area nursing professionals how we could help tackle the nursing shortage and the result was the Nurse Scholars Program," said Joseph A. Frick, IBC President and CEO. "This award brings national recognition to this joint effort to address the nursing shortage, which ultimately affects the health care we all receive." The Nurse Scholars Program, a partnership with the six largest nursing schools in the Philadelphia area and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation, has made a long-term commitment to address the region's nursing shortage by increasing the number of nursing educators and practicing nurses through graduate and undergraduate scholarships, an internship program and grants to fund faculty positions. The outreach program, which was recently expanded, is a five-year $9.5 million program. In just two years, it has awarded $2 million for more than 1,200 scholarships at 29 area colleges and universities. Each year, the AHIP Foundation Community Leadership award is given to two health insurance plans for their leadership and innovation in community outreach. The award recognizes health insurers who identified a specific problem in the community, established a creative way to address the problem, and successfully led community partnerships toward a collaborative solution. The AHIP Foundation is the non-profit, 501(c) (3), educational, scientific, and research arm of America's Health Insurance Plans. The Foundation strives to create, support, and enhance programs throughout the health insurance plan industry which improve quality, effectiveness, and value in health care through research, education, information sharing, and other activities which strengthen and reward exemplary practices by individuals and organizations. Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, IBC and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For more than 65 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered quality health care products and services tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, groups and providers. Independence Blue Cross recently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for its HMO and PPO health care plans. In addition, in 2005, Independence Blue Cross's Personal Choice was rated the No. 1 PPO in the nation and its Keystone HMO was ranked the No. 1 HMO in the region by health care consumers in a leading independent consumer magazine.
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