Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) has awarded grants to 19 organizations from across the state, through the 2018 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) initiative.
HKHF is part of an ongoing commitment to invest in and partner with nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in four key areas:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Preventing and managing disease
- Supporting safe environments
“There are many organizations that are making positive changes in the health of Oklahomans. Our Healthy Kids, Healthy Families grant program allows us to invest in these successful efforts,” said Ted Haynes, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. “We are pleased to partner with organizations from all over Oklahoma, as this year’s grants focus on building a healthier future.”
The HKHF grant program received numerous applications and each was carefully evaluated on impact, feasibility, capacity, collaboration and sustainability. All 19 grant recipients are community partners that share BCBSOK’s vision of improving the health and wellness of Oklahoma’s children and their families.
The 2018 BCBSOK’S HKHF grant recipients include:
- A Chance to Change in support of A Chance to SUCCEED, which provides adolescents a safe place to turn for help when life circumstances become overwhelming.
- Arubah Community Clinic’s support of dental follow-up services.
- Children's Hospital Foundation’s Resources for Advancing Children’s Health (REACH), an intervention program to prevent lifelong negative health risks that can result from child abuse and neglect.
- Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in support of its Clinic Pantry Program.
- Community Health Connection in support of funding uninsured pediatric visit costs.
- Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County, Inc.’s Friendship House, which offers civic engagement activities, access to social services and guidance from staff in a neutral setting.
- Fab Lab Tulsa’s medical equipment purchase for the expanding Fab Lab space.
- Girls on The Run of Southern Oklahoma, Inc. need for volunteer training and retention to increase diversity.
- Global Gardens to expand and enhance its family food farm program and increase impact on students’ nutritional health by engaging families in organic gardening and cooking.
- Hearts for Hearing to continue support of core services during the initial diagnostic audiology testing for pediatric patients.
- Infant Crisis Services to provide safe sleep equipment and car seats to referred families.
- Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma City’s FUN (Fitness Understanding and Nutrition) program, an 8-week summer program to train families on how to make systematic changes in their family structure to encourage health for all generations and the future.
- Morton Comprehensive Health Services to continue providing oral health services to pregnant women.
- Oklahoma Caring Foundation’s replacement of the oldest vehicle in the Oklahoma Caring van fleet.
- Oklahoma State University Foundation’s extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO), is a collaborative model of medical education and care management, empowering clinicians in rural and underserved communities to provide specialty care to more people via video conferencing. The extension will include childhood obesity and HIV/AIDS lines of service.
- Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in support of its Healthy Pantry Initiative.
- Tulsa CARES to expand Hepatitis C outreach efforts to identify individuals at risk of infection and potentially in need of early intervention.
- Tulsa Children’s Museum in support of its action-based STEM Learning program.
- Youth and Family Resource Center, Inc. in support of funding for school-based social workers.