Independence Blue Cross Foundation Celebrates Five Years of Promises Made, Promises Kept

When I think about Independence Blue Cross and our region, I am humbled by the thought of our role in improving the health of the millions of members and their families that we’ve served for nearly 80 years. In 2011, our company reaffirmed its commitment to our community with the creation of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation). I am so proud to recognize the first five years of the Foundation’s promise to our community through our bold initiatives, with our partners, and for the people we serve.

The Foundation is fulfilling our commitment to making our region a healthier place to live, work, and play. Guided by our core principles, we are leading sustainable solutions to improve the health and wellness of our neighborhoods.

We’re committed to ensuring there is a health care workforce — specifically nurses — that is highly trained to deliver innovations in health care and educate the next generation. We are distinguished for all that we do for nursing, to prepare nurses on the front lines as educators, practitioners, and leaders. I believe that is what patients deserve.

We’ve addressed childhood obesity using a collaborative and engaging approach that helps children and their families understand the importance of eating right, getting fit, and staying well. Partners with different strengths and a common purpose — school principals, experts in nutrition, physical fitness, and health — all came together with us to lay the groundwork for our children to live a healthier future.

What I love about what we do is that we don’t wait until people are sick; we believe in partnership that is prevention. That’s why health centers are so important. They alleviate real and perceived barriers to care for the uninsured and underinsured. We help to build health center capacity so they can continue to provide quality, affordable and culturally competent health services in our community.

We’ve never lost our ability to have the common touch. The investments we’ve made have a return of healthier communities. Our investments are not made to institutions — they are made to people helping people. With our partners, we have been able to drive wellness and target diverse community health needs.

We’ve made promises and kept those promises — and we continue to fulfill them.

Promises made, promises kept means we stand with our partners as part of the community and make a positive difference together. We ask ourselves how we can become better informed on the health of our communities to ensure they can flourish. We care. I want people to know they have a voice and that we’re listening.

What a great time to tell our story. It’s what is happening right now. It’s also our past and is informative of the Foundation’s future. My hope is for this to become a call to action for people to participate with us. Everyone plays a part in achieving better health.

That’s why, on the eve of our fifth anniversary, I am thrilled welcome you to the newly created Independence Blue Cross Foundation blog. I can’t think of a better way to share the many endeavors that are improving the health of our community and the nation. This blog will share commentary on initiatives across the nation, as well as what we and our partners are committed to in our own backyard. I encourage you to follow along and share your thoughts.

Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, MGA, FAAN

Lorina Marshall-Blake is President of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Vice President, Community Affairs, Independence Blue Cross. Marshall-Blake helped define the IBC Foundation’s mission of leading solutions for healthier communities when it was launched in 2011. Under Marshall-Blake’s leadership, the $60 million IBC Foundation has established itself as a philanthropic force locally, earning the 2014 Corporate Foundation of the Year award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Philadelphia Chapter. An expert in Philanthropy, Corporate Management, Public Relations and Communications, Marshall-Blake says, “We are meant to serve. We must reach back and give back.” She is an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and has been honored for her leadership and community service by numerous organizations such as the NAACP, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA, Philadelphia Tribune, League of Women Voters, Philadelphia Business Journal, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. She also serves as a spokesperson for the local chapter of the American Heart Association.