Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Michigan Foundation

TO SUPPORT HEALTHCARE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF MICHIGAN RESIDENTS.

RESEARCH GRANT AWARDS ARE MADE TO ADDRESS THE COST AND QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE. THESE AWARDS ARE MADE TO MICHIGAN RESEARCHERS, PHYSICIANS AND STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITIES, AND HOSPITALS. BEFORE AN INNOVATIVE IDEA CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, IT MUST FIRST BE TESTED. THE INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED RESEARCH PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR MICHIGAN RESEARCHERS, ENABLING THEM TO TURN THEORY INTO DATA AND DATA INTO KNOWLEDGE. THESE GRANT PARTNERS OFTEN INCREASE THEIR INFLUENCE IN ACADEMIC CIRCLES AND COMMUNITY PLATFORMS TO INFORM AND SHAPE FUTURE THOUGHT AND IMPROVEMENT. OUR INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED RESEARCH AWARD PROGRAM PROVIDES GRANTS TO DOCTORAL-LEVEL RESEARCHERS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL GAPS IN HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH, EXAMINE FACTORS THAT MAY PREVENT OR REDUCE THE RISK FOR DISEASE, EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS AND CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HEALTH VARIABLES, SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF LARGE DATASETS, HEALTH CARE COST-ANALYSIS STUDIES, ROBUST EVALUATION PROJECTS AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES TO TEST THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT STUDIES SHOULD LEAD TO RESEARCH DISSEMINATION AND A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH OR OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES FOR FUNDING TO ADVANCE THE RESEARCH. IN 2021, 12 RESEARCHERS ADDRESSED RESEARCH FUNDING TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND VALUE. THE PHYSICIAN INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH AWARDS FOCUSED ON THE QUALITY OF THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE, AND THE VALUE OF HEALTH CARE. THESE GRANTS REPRESENT AN EVALUATION OF A NARROW IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT CAN BE SHARED ACROSS MEDICAL FACILITIES AND OFTEN ENLARGED WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING AFTER THE PILOT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE FUNDED AWARDS ARE WORKING TO EVALUATE HOW HOSPITALS CAN PREPARE FOR A MEDICAL SURGE, MODELS FOR TREATMENTS FOR INFANTS WITH EPILEPSY, AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SUPPORT A PATIENT'S DECISION TO QUIT SMOKING. IN 2021, THE SEVEN GRANTEES WERE AWARDED GRANTS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THEIR PATIENTS. AS A FREQUENT PARTNER OF MICHIGAN UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCHERS, THE FOUNDATION IS ACUTELY AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION. WITHOUT PROPERLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, MICHIGAN WOULD HAVE LITTLE HOPE OF CREATING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS TO THE MANY HEALTH ISSUES THAT PEOPLE FACE EVERY DAY. THE STUDENT AWARD PROGRAM RECOGNIZES MICHIGAN STUDENTS WHO EXCEL IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS OFFERED BY OUR UNIVERSITIES. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT THESE YOUNG MINDS IN THEIR JOURNEY TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE PROGRAMS AND BECOME THE RESEARCHERS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, AND HEALERS OF TOMORROW. THE STUDENT AWARD PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH OF MEDICAL, TERMINAL PRACTICE DEGREE, AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN MICHIGAN. THE 2021 STUDENT AWARD GRANTS SUPPORTED THE RESEARCH PROJECTS OF 13 STUDENTS AT SIX MICHIGAN UNIVERSITIES. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY JANUARY 31 OF EVERY YEAR.

COMMUNITY HEALTH INNOVATION, ACCESS, AND QUALITY ADDRESSED BY THE GRANTS PROVIDED IN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROGRAM AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM. THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM, WE PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP, TEST, OR VALIDATE NEW TECHNIQUES AND PROGRAMS OR IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS AND PRODUCE A TANGIBLE EFFECT IN THEIR LIVES. WITH INCREASED COLLABORATION AT THE COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS, WE'RE SOWING THE SEEDS FOR A FUTURE WHEN COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES AND ABILITY TO MEET THEIR OWN HEALTH NEEDS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY-IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND EVALUATE MEASURABLE PROGRAMMATIC AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. IN 2021, 28 ORGANIZATIONS WERE AWARDED MATCHING GRANTS THAT ADDRESSED HEALTHCARE VALUE AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND IMPROVE PARTICIPANTS' HEALTH. THE FOUNDATION DOESN'T JUST WAIT FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS. WITH THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROGRAM, WE REACH OUT TO MICHIGAN-BASED SAFETY NET ORGANIZATIONS THAT PRIMARILY SERVE THE UNINSURED, UNDERINSURED, MEDICAID RECIPIENTS AND OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS THAT ALIGN WITH AREAS OF NEED THAT WE IDENTIFY. THROUGH LISTENING AND LEARNING SESSIONS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND GATHERING DATA, THE FOUNDATION CREATED A REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS THAT IS POPULATION-LED AND COMMUNITY-INSPIRED. IN 2021, OUR SESSIONS AND DATA GATHERING CULMINATED IN THREE INITIATIVES: 1. ADDRESSING FOOD AND NUTRITION INSECURITY 2. PARTNERING TO MEET UNMET COMMUNITY NEEDS IN THE UPPER PENINSULA 3. BUILDING HEALTH CARE BRIDGES TO STABLE HEALTH THE BCBSM FOUNDATION, WITH OUR FUNDING PARTNERS, SUPPORTED 22 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY-IDENTIFIED NEEDS.

CRAFTING A PROPOSAL THAT CAPTURES WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING FOR AN INNOVATIVE HEALTH PROJECT STAND OUT FROM THE REST CAN BE CHALLENGING AND OFTEN REQUIRES SPECIAL GRANT-WRITING RESOURCES. THE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD IS DESIGNED TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS GET THE SERVICES OF GRANT WRITERS TO PREPARE APPLICATIONS THAT DRAW THE ATTENTION OF GRANT-MAKERS OF LOCAL, NATIONAL PRIVATE, AND PUBLIC FUNDERS. IT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR THE CAPACITY TO BUILD IMPORTANT MICHIGAN ORGANIZATIONS GRANT FUNDING IS ONE FORM OF NONPROFIT CAPACITY BUILDING. HOWEVER, MANY NONPROFITS DON'T HAVE A GRANT WRITER ON STAFF OR THE CAPACITY TO HIRE A CONTRACT GRANT WRITER TO DEVELOP AND SUBMIT HEALTH-RELATED GRANTS. THE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD PROVIDES NONPROFITS WITH FUNDING TO CONTRACT A GRANT WRITER TO CREATE AND SUBMIT HEALTH-RELATED GRANTS. OUR GRANTEES AND THEIR CONTRACTED GRANT WRITERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED AND SUBMITTED PROPOSALS TO PUBLIC AGENCIES AND PRIVATE, COMMUNITY, AND CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS. IN 2021, THE TOTAL WAS AWARDED TO SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.