BlueCross BlueShield Of South Carolina Foundation Endows Chair

South Carolina Enters Race For World’s First Biological Heart Pacemaker With Recruitment Of International Expert In Cardiac Electrophysiology

March 24, 2008

COLUMBIA – The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation has pledged $5 million to support a new endowed chair in cardiovascular health that includes a unique, three-way faculty appointment at the University of South Carolina (USC), the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Clemson University.

Internally acclaimed researcher, Dr. Martin Morad, was named as the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Health. These announcements were made at a press conference hosted at the South Carolina State House here today by Health Sciences South Carolina, a collaborative of universities and health systems.

Dr. Morad's research focuses on the complex interactions and signaling that regulate heart function. He is seeking to understand why the heart's signaling mechanisms fail and cause arrhythmias and death. Understanding this process will lead to new drugs and procedures to treat congestive heart failure and other heart disease, including the possible creation of a biological pacemaker.

With this announcement, South Carolina has officially entered the race for the world's first tissue-derived human heart pacemaker.

M. Edward Sellers, Chairman and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, spoke at the press conference: "The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation is honored to be able to establish the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Health with a $5 million grant. Our Foundation has been seeking an opportunity that simultaneously supported an endowed chair in a health-related field and involved all three research universities in South Carolina. This is a wonderful, unique opportunity that meets both of these criteria."

Sellers recognized that the state's Endowed Chairs Program has established research centers of economic excellence that focus on health care issues that threaten all South Carolinians, including stroke, heart failure, cancer, mental health, patient safety, and aging. "Dr. Morad's research, in particular, has the potential to benefit the wellbeing of all South Carolinians. His work in developing a biological pacemaker also has great commercial viability as a replacement for current pacemaker technology made from artificial materials," he said.

Speaking on behalf of HSSC partners Clemson University, MUSC, USC, Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, Palmetto Health, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, HSSC President and CEO Jay Moskowitz said the recruitment of a researcher of Dr. Martin Morad's international stature will be a boon to South Carolina's reputation, its research universities, its economy, and to its citizens, a population disproportionately affected by heart disease.

About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation
Headquartered in Columbia, the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation is a philanthropic affiliate of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. It was created to identify and help solve South Carolinians' health problems, with special emphasis on access, affordability and quality of health care. The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its family of companies include more than 20 subsidiaries involved in health insurance services, U.S. DOD health plan and Medicare contracts, and other insurance and employee benefits services. http://www.southcarolinablues.com/bcbs/bcbs_redo.nsf