Independence Blue Cross Foundation Awards $3 Million to Improve Healthcare Access

Image via Independence Blue Cross Foundation.

Kids Smiles is one of 63 nonprofit health centers to receive a grant from the IBX Foundation.

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation has announced regional funding totaling $3 million to improve access to primary care, vision, and dental services.

Grants were awarded through the IBX Foundation Blue Safety Net Health Center Grant Program to 63 health organizations representing Federally Qualified Health Centers, free, and nonprofit clinics in southeastern Pennsylvania. Across the five-county region, IBX Foundation-supported centers serve 255,000 children and families. In Pennsylvania, health centers care for more than 800,000 patients annually.

As part of its commitment to improving healthcare access for everyone, the IBX Foundation has distributed more than $35 million in funding to health centers since 2011. Select health centers also participate in IBX Foundation community health initiatives and projects such as NCQA Health Equity Accreditation. Additional collaboration is underway with health centers through the IBX Foundation Community Health Institute, including a closed referral program with HealthShare Exchange for seniors. They also serve as practicum sites in the IBX Foundation Nursing Internship Program, helping prepare the next generation of nurses.

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the nation’s health center program — the largest primary care network in the U.S. In 2024, community health centers served:

• 1 in 10 Americans (more than 32.4 million people)
• 1 in 8 children
• 1 million uninsured, Medicaid, and Medicare patients
• 1 in 5 rural residents
• More than 1 in 15 seniors
• More than 400,000 veterans

“Health centers are essential to promoting health and wellness and driving local economies in communities everywhere,” said Heather Major, Executive Director of the IBX Foundation. “They are an important stakeholder in the IBX Foundation mission to positively impact health.”

“The IBX Foundation’s support for 15 years has been instrumental in helping Kids Smiles provide essential dental care and education to children,” said Cheryl Janssen, CEO of Kids Smiles. “It helped us become the first dental clinic in the nation to earn NCQA Health Equity Accreditation.”

Learn more about the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and its mission to positively impact health.