Highmark Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant To Local Mission Of Mercy

Grant Dollars Will Provide Greater Access To Medical Care For Uninsured Residents

October 30, 2009

Camp Hill — Due to the increasing number of uninsured residents of Central Pennsylvania, Mission of Mercy, which has been providing medical services for our local uninsured and underinsured for the past 15 years, has reached its capacity for providing care to all patients in need.

To help meet the overwhelming needs of local residents, the Highmark Foundation recently awarded a $100,000 grant to Mission of Mercy that will be implemented during the next two years to provide free medical and oral health care in the Gettysburg and Harrisburg communities. Through the grant, the clinic will now be able to operate two additional days with increased hours and personnel.

"The Mission of Mercy staff goes above and beyond the call of duty in providing health care, particularly in areas that are home to many who suffer from chronic illness," said Yvonne Cook, president of the Highmark Foundation. "As the service needs continue to rise, the Highmark Foundation is proud to support Mission of Mercy and its cause to provide greater accessibility to health and dental care needs in communities where many live without insurance coverage."

Mission of Mercy expects to accommodate more than 4,000 medical and dental visits by increasing its patient capacity by more than 20 percent. The Mission of Mercy clinics operate locally in the Foursquare Church in Gettysburg and the Christ Lutheran Church in Harrisburg.

About the Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation, created in 2000 as an affiliate of Highmark Inc., is a charitable organization and a private foundation that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in the Pennsylvania communities served by Highmark Inc. The foundation awards two types of grants: Highmark Healthy High 5, which includes a focus on the health and well-being of children in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, self-esteem, bullying and grieving; and its traditional four areas of general health focus, which include chronic disease, communicable disease, family health and service delivery systems. Where possible, the foundation looks to support evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties and work collaboratively to leverage additional funding to achieve replicable models. For more information about the Highmark Foundation, visit www.highmark.com.

About Highmark
Highmark is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.