School Health Clinics Receives Grant From Blue Shield

San Jose , CA - August 30, 2004 - School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County today announced that it has received a grant of $10,000 from the Blue Shield of California Foundation. The funds will help School Health Clinics cover the cost of medical care to over 4,000 low-income children each year, as many as 35% of whom are uninsured.

"We greatly appreciate the financial assistance we have received from the Blue Shield of California Foundation," says Sue Lapp, executive director for School Health Clinics. "Our mission is to provide vital medical services to low-income and uninsured children in our community. As many of our patients are not in the position to pay for the treatment they receive, financial support from an organization such as the Blue Shield of California Foundation is very helpful."

School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County is one of more than 140 community clinics, health centers, clinic networks and consortia in California to receive grants from the foundation this year. The foundation's 2004 Core Support Initiative is releasing more than $3.6 million in grants to these organizations.

"The Blue Shield of California Foundation launched this initiative because we feel very strongly that everyone is entitled to quality, affordable health care," said Tanir Ami, program officer for the Blue Shield of California Foundation's Center for Health Care Access. "We wanted to recognize School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County as a school based organization at the forefront of providing health care to low-income and uninsured children in Santa Clara County ."

The mission of School Health Clinics is to keep children healthy and in school by providing easily accessible health care to children and adolescents on school campuses. The first school clinics opened in two high schools in the fall of 1986. Since the program opened, the clinics have grown to include eight sites in four school districts. Services are available to over 62,000 low-income children annually from age infant to eighteen. Treating all levels of both acute and chronic illnesses, each clinic is strategically located in school districts with substantially medically underserved and low-income student populations.

"We believe primary health care services need to be "where the kids are"' says Lapp. Services at the clinics include immunizations, physical examinations, treatment of minor illnesses and injuries, diagnostic laboratory tests, prescriptions, and health education. Registered nurse practitioners or physician assistants and bilingual medical assistants staff each of the school clinics under the supervision of a physician medical director.

The Blue Shield Foundation was formed by Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit corporation with more than 3.2 million members, 4,300 employees and 20 offices throughout California . The Blue Shield of California Foundation provides charitable contributions and conducts research and supports programs with an emphasis on domestic violence prevention, medical technology assessment and reducing the number of uninsured. For more information, visit the Blue Shield of California website at www.mylifepath.com or the foundation at www.blueshieldcafoundation.org .