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Press Releases
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Press ReleaseIndependence Blue Cross Expands Commitment To Nurse Scholars ProgramFive-year, $9.5 million program to address nursing shortage crisis Philadelphia, PA - March 28, 2006 - Independence Blue Cross today announced the expansion of its Nurse Scholars Program, which provides nursing scholarships to combat the critical shortage of nurse educators and practicing nurses in southeastern Pennsylvania. Independence Blue Cross (IBC) and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation (PHEF) will dedicate $9.5 million through the year 2010 for the Nurse Scholars Program to support nurses and nurse educators through scholarships, internships, and a faculty support program. "Nurses are a vital part of the health care industry; more nurses on the front lines means better care for the community," said Joseph A. Frick, IBC president and chief executive officer. "The goal of our innovative Nurse Scholars Program is to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care in our market by reducing the shortage of highly-qualified nursing staff." IBC will dedicate $5.75 million and PHEF will contribute $3.75 million over the next five years to provide a total of $9.5 million to fund the following initiatives:
The Nurse Scholars Program was created in 2004 by IBC in response to the severe threat the current nursing shortage in southeastern Pennsylvania poses to the quality and cost of health care. The Bureau of Health Professions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that almost a million registered nurse positions will be vacant in America by the year 2020. In 2005, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, baccalaureate nursing programs were forced to turn away more than 33,000 qualified applications due to limited faculty, clinical sites and classroom space. Originally rolled out as a three-year, $3 million program, the Nurse Scholar Program has provided financial assistance to aspiring nurse educators and undergraduate nursing students. By 2005, the Nurse Scholars Program had awarded $2 million for more than 1,200 scholarships at 28 accredited area nursing programs. Independence Blue Cross also recently expanded its commitment to another social mission program, the IBC Charitable Medical Care Grant Program. IBC will dedicate $2 million each year through 2010 to provide operational funding to nonprofit clinics in southeastern Pennsylvania and to support special projects that improve care or access to care for the uninsured. To date, the program has awarded more than $4.7 million to 25 area clinics, in an effort to support quality care that ultimately reduces the number of uninsured individuals who require treatment at area hospitals. 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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