BlueCross Grant Helps Fund Site at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga
January 2010
(Nashville and Chattanooga, Tenn.) – At a public event this morning, the Dispensary of Hope received a donation of $75,000 from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to fund a dispensing site in Chattanooga as well as four other locations throughout Tennessee. These sites will provide access to prescription medication for Tennessee’s underinsured and uninsured population. Memorial Health Care System will use some of these funds to establish the first dispensing site in Chattanooga. Additional sites will be announced at a later time.
“Access to medications is necessary to control or improve many health conditions,” said Vicky Gregg, President and CEO of BlueCross. “Without the Dispensary of Hope, many of our fellow citizens would go without adequate care. BlueCross is pleased to play a role in helping to meet their health care needs.”
In the past five years, BlueCross has contributed more than $1.5 million dollars to the goal of expanding access to health care for Tennessee’s uninsured population.
Jason Dinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Dispensary of Hope, accepted the check on behalf of the Dispensary.
Jason Dinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Dispensary of Hope, accepted the check on behalf of the Dispensary.
“We are pleased that BlueCross recognizes and supports the work being done by the Dispensary of Hope, which provides sustainable access to medicine for underinsured communities,” said Jason Dinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Dispensary of Hope. “This sponsorship will go a long way in helping us keep our promise to providing affordable medications to the uninsured and underinsured both in the state of Tennessee and across the country.”
Representatives from the Dispensary of Hope, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Memorial Health Care System announced the sponsorship earlier today.
Dispensary of Hope
Founded in 2003, the Dispensary of Hope is a not-for-profit social venture that provides sustainable access to medicine for underinsured communities through a growing network of dispensing sites across the country. The Dispensary has collected and distributed tens of millions of dollars worth of pharmaceuticals and filled more than 200,000 prescriptions for patients who otherwise couldn’t afford them. For more information, visit www.dispensaryofhope.org.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee offers its clients peace of mind through affordable solutions for health and healing, life and living. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on reinventing the health plan for its 3 million members. Through its personal health advocacy approach, BlueCross is developing patient-centric products and services that positively impact affordability, patient safety and quality. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.bcbst.com.
Memorial Health Care System
Memorial Health Care System is a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare organization. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and strengthened as part of Catholic Health Initiatives, it offers a continuum of care for adult acute care patients and is recognized as a regional referral center of choice for cancer, cardiac care, and orthopedics. Memorial employs over 4,000 associates and has more than 700 affiliated physicians providing health care throughout Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Memorial Health Care System is recognized as one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, the health care industry's leading source of information on hospital quality. To learn more, visit www.memorial.org.
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