Blue Shield of California Foundation Announces $13.1 Million in Grants
On Tuesday, the Blue Shield of California Foundation announced a record $13.1 million in grants, with about 44% of the funding going to the expansion of a program aimed at reducing hospital-acquired infections, the San Francisco Business Times reports.
The foundation will provide $5.75 million to expand its California Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Initiative to at least 100 hospitals statewide.
Foundation President Crystal Hayling said the expanded program would help prevent 4,000 patients from contracting hospital-acquired infections.
In addition, the Blue Shield of California Foundation is providing $6 million toward health insurance premiums for children ages six to 18 who are enrolled in Healthy Kids programs in 19 California counties.
Other grants went to a telemedicine initiative, development of a database intended to reduce complications from cardiac surgeries and infection prevention at children's hospitals (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 2/27).