Press Releases

Highmark Delaware invests more than $800,000 to support health

• Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware commits $838,300 to address a variety of community needs

Wilmington, Del. (August 8, 2024) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is pleased to announce more than $800,000 in BluePrints for the Community grants have been awarded for the second quarter of 2024. The grants address a variety of community needs ranging from increasing access to healthcare to providing economic stability for families and individuals.

"We're excited to see the impact these grants will have on the greater Delaware community," said Nick Moriello, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware. "For example, our partnership with the City of Wilmington encourages city-residents to opt-in to an array of events designed to promote cardiac wellness through a holistic approach. This is just one example of how Highmark and the Delaware Community Foundation are working together to improve the health and well-being of Delawareans."

BluePrints for the Community is a grants program of the Highmark Delaware Fund, a donor-advised fund at the Delaware Community Foundation.  Launched in 2007, the Highmark Delaware Fund has invested more than $38 million in initiatives to improve health outcomes across the state.

BluePrints aims to increase access to care and reduce health disparities throughout the state. Programs and projects typically demonstrate progress in one or both goals through one of the following focus areas: healthcare access, economic stability for families and individuals, social and community context, neighborhood and built environment, and health workforce.

“Our goal is to continue to make a real difference in the lives of Delawareans through the BluePrints for the Community program. Partnering with these incredible organizations keeps us on that path,” said Rita Landgraf, chair of the BluePrints for the Community Advisory Council. 

BluePrints grants awarded in the second quarter were:

• La Red Health Center: Support individuals transitioning out of incarcerated systems through the individuals’ healthcare needs and social determinants of health to promote successful reintegration back into their communities
• Healthy Communities Delaware: Invest in communities through local organizational partners that provide infrastructure to facilitate community transformation.
• Wilmington Alliance: Hire four marginalized, justice-involved persons for positions with ChristianaCare.
• Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley: Grant wishes to children aged 2.5 - 18 years old living with critical illnesses through a new initiative at Nemours Children’s Hospital.
• Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake, Inc.: Provide medical needs for five Delaware families while attending Camp Sunshine this year
• Limen House, Inc.: Support the organization’s Recovery Community Center that will accommodate 1,000 new patients per year.

"Highmark Delaware and the DCF remain steadfast in making an impact in the health of the state through this grants program. The impact of the grants can be positively felt and will continue to make a difference,” DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said.

For details on each award, visit the Blueprints for the Community second quarter report. 

For information about the full impact of the 2023 BluePrints for the Community grants, see the new 2023 BluePrints for the Community Grants Report.