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Press Releases
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Press ReleaseIndependence Blue Cross Manager Named One of Region's Most Accomplished Young ProfessionalsPhiladelphia, PA - May 1, 2007 - Sheila M. Hess, manager of Independence Blue Cross’s Social Mission Programs, has been named one of the region’s top 40 individuals under the age of 40 who is most deserving of special acknowledgement by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The prestigious “40 under 40” awards program profiles the area’s top young professionals who have shaped the community to make the Greater Philadelphia area a better place to live and work. “This program enables the Philadelphia Business Journal, and our high-powered readers, to learn about some of the rising business leaders in the region. These are people who distinguish themselves through their talent and their actions, on behalf of companies and causes that help to define the business community,” said Bernard Dagenais, editor at the Philadelphia Business Journal. “Sheila is well-recognized in our company for her professional accomplishments and her commitment to making the community a better place for all of us,” said Joseph A. Frick, Independence Blue Cross president and chief executive officer. “We’re pleased that she is being recognized as one of the area's top young and increasingly influential leaders.” “I’m honored to be recognized among the amazing individuals who make a difference in the community,” said Hess. “I’m proud to represent Independence Blue Cross and be recognized for what I love to do — building relationships with our members, our associates, and our community.” Hess, a 15-year employee at Independence Blue Cross, coordinates two of the company’s social mission programs: the Charitable Medical Care Grant Program, which gives financial support to nonprofit, privately funded clinics that provide free or nominal fee care to the area’s uninsured and underinsured; and the Nurse Scholars Program, which addresses the critical shortage of nurses and nurse educators through scholarship funding for qualified graduate and undergraduate students at accredited nursing programs, administrative and clinical internship opportunities for nursing students, and nursing faculty support. The Nurse Scholars program was the recipient of the America’s Health Insurance Plans Foundation’s Community Leadership Award and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Corporate Citizen Award. Active in the community, Hess is involved in numerous boards and volunteer activities, including those of the company’s corporate volunteer program, the Blue Crew, which she helped organize in 1999. Hess’s profile will be printed in a special editorial section of the Philadelphia Business Journal on May 4 and she will also be recognized at an awards banquet on May 2 at the Sheraton Society Hill. At the awards banquet, the Philadelphia Business Journal will choose one of the 40 winners for the Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award. Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For nearly 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. To fulfill its commitment to the communities and people it serves, Independence Blue Cross contributes millions of dollars each year to improve access to quality, affordable health care in the region by funding clinics for the uninsured, increasing the supply of nurses, fighting hospital-acquired infections, and promoting community wellness. In 2006, Independence Blue Cross was nationally recognized by the Disease Management Association of America for Connections, its outstanding program that improves the health and wellbeing of people with chronic illnesses. Independence Blue Cross’s HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. |