The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation has won five national awards in the 2006 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program. The awards, given by the Council on Foundations and the Communications Network, recognize outstanding communications efforts that increase public awareness of foundations and corporate giving programs. The awards will be presented April 30 at the 58th Annual Conference of the Council on Foundations in Seattle.

The foundation has won 29 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards since 1995 (seven gold, 12 silver, nine bronze and one runner-up), including this year’s awards:

— Silver for “The Value of Quality,” the foundation’s 2005 annual report
— Silver for the “BCBSM Foundation Highlights: Focus on Value” newsletter
— Silver for grant program guidelines “Improving Patient Safety: Preventing Hospital Errors”
— Bronze for grant program guidelines “Identification and Treatment of Depression”
— Bronze for the www.bcbsm.com/foundation Web site, which provides information about the foundation, funding criteria, available grants, guidelines for submitting letters of interest, lists of published research, an online edition of “Highlights” and links to other resources

“We strive to maintain and increase the high standards that we put into creating programs that benefit the community and improve the value of health care,” said Ira Strumwasser, executive director and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation. “These awards recognize excellence in communications and the value and quality of our grant programs and activities. These awards also demonstrate the collaborative team work and quality and creativity of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan staff.”

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of Michigan residents by supporting health care research and innovative health programs. The foundation’s grant programs are conducted in Michigan by Michigan-based researchers and nonprofit community health care organizations.

Over the past 25 years, the BCBSM Foundation has contributed approximately $20 million in grants for research and $5 million for community health programs. This funding has resulted in enhancements to quality, patient safety and access to care for the people of Michigan. The foundation also supports efforts to control the rising costs of health care through research, demonstration and evaluation projects.

The BCBSM Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit www.bcbsm.com/foundation.

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