Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Awards Over $1 Million in Grants to 50 Clinics Providing Medical Care to the Uninsured Throughout the State

Eight of these clinics also receive additional funds for closing gaps in safety net coverage

News provided by

Oct 30, 2012, 02:01 ET

DETROIT, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the eighth consecutive year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has awarded more than $1 million in grants to support 50 Michigan clinics that help provide health care services to uninsured Michigan residents. Through its "Strengthening the Safety Net" program, BCBSM continues its commitment of increasing access and quality care to the uninsured and underinsured.

"The Blues are committed to improving access to care for all Michigan residents. As part of our ongoing social mission, our free clinic grant program continues to play a crucial role in Michigan's health care system, by providing quality health care to the uninsured, serving as a safety net for people who need it the most," said Lynda Rossi, BCBSM senior vice president of Public Affairs and chief of staff. "The outstanding care and variety of health care services provided by these nonprofit clinics help reduce the need for expensive emergency room care and often afford patients with valuable health education and chronic disease management."

The Blues have provided more than $8 million in grants through the "Strengthening the Safety Net" grant program since 2005. The grants serve to help free clinics with daily operations and enhance the services they offer. In the past year, Blues' funding helped clinics provide more than 140,000 patient visits.

Of this year's applicants, 50 free clinics qualified for noncompetitive grants of $15,000 to be used for continuing existing operations, extending operating hours or adding health care services. Eight of those clinics were also awarded competitive grants of up to $50,000 for identifying clear gaps in safety net coverage and outlining plans to address those gaps in a creative and sustainable way.

"More and more of Michigan's residents have found themselves without insurance and unable to access the proper health care services they need," said William Brazier, executive director of Detroit-based St. Vincent de Paul, a recipient this year of both competitive and noncompetitive grants for its dental clinic. "We are proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan to provide free critical dental assistance to those who would otherwise go without proper care. We provide preventive dental hygiene services, education, fillings, extractions, dentures and more. For more than 125 years, St. Vincent de Paul has been committed to assisting those in need in our region and the Blue Cross "Strengthening the Safety Net" program has enabled us to grow our capacity to provide dental clinic services each year. Last year alone, we treated more than 6,000 patients and, with the newly awarded $65,000 in grant funding, we plan to expand our services to help even more of our neighbors in need of vital dental care."

The following is a listing of the free clinics that received grants from the Blues this year:

2012-2013 "Strengthening the Safety Net" Competitive Grant Recipients:

Brighton: VINA Community Dental Center, 400 E. Grand River Ave., 810-844-0240
Detroit: St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, 3000 Gratiot Ave., 313-393-3007
Grand Rapids: Catherine's Health Center, 224 Carrier St. NE, 616-336-8800, in partnership with Health Intervention Services, 15 Andre St. SE, 616-475-8446
Grayling: AuSable Free Clinic, Inc., 1250 E. Michigan Ave., Bldg D, 989-348-0508
Holland: Holland Free Health Clinic, 99 West 26th Street, 616-391-3610
Pinckney: Faith Medical Clinic, 122 Howell St., 734-474-4627
Ypsilanti: Hope Medical Clinic, 518 Harriett Street, 734-481-0111

2012-2013 "Strengthening the Safety Net" Noncompetitive Grant Recipients:

West Michigan

Alpena: Free Clinic of Alpena, 100 W. Chisholm St., 989-354-3888
Battle Creek: Community HealthCare Connections, 190 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 385, 269-969-6494
Big Rapids: Hope House Free Medical Clinic, 220 Ferris Dr., Suite 312, 231-796-0807
Boyne City: Boyne Area Free Clinic, 624 State St., 231-582-4605
Cadillac: Stehouwer Free Clinic, 521 Cobbs Street, 231-876-6152
Cheboygan: Northern Care Center, 117 W. State St., 231-333-3019
Coldwater: Presbyterian Health Clinic of Branch County, 15 Church St., 517-278-7848
Grand Rapids: Baxter Community Center, 935 Baxter St. SE, 616-456-5310
Grand Rapids: Catherine's Health Center, 1211 Lafayette Ave. NE, 616-336-8800
Grand Rapids: Health Intervention Services, 15 Andre SE, 616-475-1363
Grand Rapids: Oasis of Hope Center, 522 Leonard St. NW, 616-451-8868
Grand Rapids: Project Access, 233 E. Fulton St., Suite 226, 616-459-1111
Grayling: AuSable Free Clinic, Inc., 1250 E. Michigan Ave., Bldg D, 989-348-0508
Hastings: Barry Community Free Clinic, 1230 W. State St., 269-945-4444
Holland: Holland Free Health Clinic, 99 West 26th Street, 616-391-3610
Marshall: Fountain Clinic, 111 N. Jefferson St., 269-781-0952
Petoskey: Community Free Clinic, 416 Connable Avenue, 231-487-1058
Three Rivers: Riverside Health Clinic, 207 East Michigan Ave., 269-273-3744
Zeeland: City on a Hill Health Clinic, 100 S. Pine St., Suite 140, 616-748-6009

Central Michigan

Ann Arbor: Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, 312 W. Huron St., 734-662-2829
Brighton: VINA Community Dental Center, 400 E. Grand River Ave., 810-844-0240
Chelsea: Chelsea Grace Clinic, 603 S. Main Street, 734-544-3300
Essexville: Helen M. Nickless Volunteer Clinic, 1460 W. Center Road, 989-895-4830
Flint: Genesee County Free Medical Clinic, 2437 Welch Blvd., 810-235-4211
Hillsdale: St. Peter's Free Clinic of Hillsdale County, 3 N. Broad St., 517-437-4041
Jackson: St. Luke's Clinic, 132 Seymour Ave., 517-783-1117
Lapeer: Loving Hands Clinic, 148 Maple Grove Road, 810-667-8933
Owosso: Redeemer-Shiawassee Free Medical Clinic, 217 N. Washington St., Suite 109, 989-725-5442
Pinckney: Faith Medical Clinic, 122 Howell St., 734-474-4627
Port Huron: People's Clinic for Better Health, 3110 Goulden Street, 810-985-4747
Saginaw: Cathedral Mental Health Care, 705 Hoyt Ave., 989-759-3356
Saginaw: Community Prescription Support Program, 100 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 101, 989-907-5602
Saginaw: Saginaw Area Foundation for Eye Care, 5161 Cardinal Park, 800-504-4856
Saginaw: St. Mary's of Michigan Center of HOPE Free Clinics, 723 Emerson Street, 989-907-8340
Ypsilanti: Hope Medical Clinic, 518 Harriett Street, 734-481-0111

Southeast Michigan

Detroit: Cass Clinic, 3745 Cass Ave., 313-883-2277
Detroit: The Dr. Albert B. Cleage, Sr. Memorial Health Center, 700 Seward St., 313-874-1300
Detroit: HUDA Clinic, 13240 Woodrow Wilson St., 313-865-8446
Detroit: Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation, 18917 Joy Road, 313-581-7773
Detroit: St. Frances Cabrini Clinic, 1234 Porter Street, 313-961-7863
Detroit: Order of Malta Medical/Dental Clinic, 4860 15th St., 313-894-2240
Detroit: St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, 3000 Gratiot Ave., 313-393-3007
Pontiac: Mercy Place Clinic, 55 Clinton St., 248-333-0840
Pontiac: The Gary Burnstein Free Clinic, 90 W. University Drive, 248-758-1690
Southfield: Tri-County Dental Health Council, 29350 Southfield Road, 248-559-7767
Trenton: Z.I.A.D. Health for the Underserved, 1640 Fort St., Suite E, 313-815-8767
Warren: St. John Providence Community Health Physicians Who Care, 28000 Dequindre, 586-753-1484
Wayne: Hope Medical Clinic, 35425 Michigan Avenue, 734-710-6688
Wyandotte: Wyandotte Clinic for the Working Uninsured, 333 Biddle Ave., 734-365-3560

Upper Peninsula

Marquette: Medical Care Access Coalition, 1414 W. Fair Ave., Suite 108, 906-226-4400

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.3 million members residing in Michigan in addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the state. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan