Regence Foundation Announces Three Grants Totaling $195,000

Grants To Support Nonprofits In Portland And Seattle That Improve Health Care Quality

July 28, 2008

PORTLAND — The Regence Foundation today announced three grants totaling $195,000 for organizations working to improve health care quality. Launched in spring 2008, The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of The Regence Group and was created to recognize and promote practices that promote positive transformation of the health care system.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Foundation, operating clinics that largely serve the medical needs of Latinos and farmworkers in Oregon's Yamhill and Washington Counties, will receive $100,000 to implement an electronic health records (EHR) system.  The EHRs will help Virginia Garcia in its efforts to create an electronic medical home for its patients.

Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation (Quality Corp), located in Portland, has been awarded a $45,000 grant to help build a consumer-oriented Web site about health care quality.  The Web site, operated by Partner for Quality Care (a project of Quality Corp), will support Quality Corp's mission to measurably improve health care quality in Oregon.

Puget Sound Health Alliance, in Seattle, has received $50,000 from The Regence Foundation to create a secure Web-based portal to deliver performance results to Puget Sound area clinics.  The results are intended to motivate everyone to do their part to promote better patient health, and is part of the Alliance's mission to improve health care quality and efficiency while reducing the rate of health care costs.

For more information, please visit www.regencefoundation.org.

About The Regence Foundation
The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of The Regence Group, the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain region and a not-for-profit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. A 501(c)3 grantmaking organization, the Foundation partners with organizations driving significant change in health care delivery and accessibility in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Starting in late 2008, the Foundation will also partner with organizations addressing end-of-life issues. http://www.regencefoundation.org

About Regence
Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Mountain State Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. We serve three million members as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueShield (in Washington), Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield of Idaho. Each plan is a not-for-profit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com.