MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premera Blue Cross and the Providence General Foundation are pleased to announce the success of the Cardiac and Stroke Network, a two-year regional program focused on improving both the quality and clinical outcomes for individuals experiencing a stroke or heart attack. Premera provided a $100,000 grant to the Providence General Foundation in support of a regional cardiac community education and outreach program, called the Cardiac and Stroke Network. Through Premera’s support, the two year program has significantly raised public awareness of the importance of calling 911 at the first sign of a heart attack or stroke.
The community outreach program involves a successful collaboration of hospitals, emergency service providers and other community members dedicated to developing a streamlined process to ensure that heart attack and stroke patients receive the best, coordinated care within the shortest amount of time. With Premera’s contribution, the Cardiac and Stroke Network has been able to develop and distribute educational materials to approximately 40,000 residents in Snohomish, Island, Skagit and San Juan counties. These materials educate people on the signs of a heart attack and a stroke and the appropriate steps to take to call for help. In addition, all of the materials are available on a Website (www.cardiacstrokenetwork.org), hosted by the American Heart Association.
“Premera’s support of the Cardiac and Stroke Network is another demonstration of our commitment to ensuring our members have access to the right care at the right time,” said Rich Maturi, senior vice president of Health Care Delivery Systems at Premera Blue Cross. “The program has made significant progress in improving both the quality and clinical outcomes for individuals experiencing a stroke or cardiac symptoms. That’s an important step forward for healthcare in this community.”
The duration of the program and all remaining funds will be dedicated to heart attack and stroke education for minority groups in the Puget Sound region. Many of the existing educational and marketing materials will be translated into Spanish and Russian, in order to meet ongoing community needs in the East and North Puget Sound region. Strategic outreach to these populations will be the last major initiative for the Cardiac and Stroke Network program, which will wind down at the end of the end of the calendar year.
“It has been a rewarding two years,” said Diane Gordon, grants manager at the Providence General Foundation. “We are extremely thankful for Premera’s donation, as it has allowed the Cardiac and Stoke Network to effectively achieve their goals and raise the visibility around the importance of calling 911. It is exciting to continue to work with Premera and extend this program to minority groups in the Puget Sound region.”
About Premera Blue Cross
Our mission is to provide peace of mind to our members about their healthcare coverage. We provide health plans and related services to more than 1.6 million people. Premera Blue Cross has operated in Washington since 1933, and Alaska since 1952. Premera Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake Terrace, Washington that provide health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss, disability, and other related products and services.
About the Cardiac and Stroke Network
The Cardiac and Stroke Network is a collaboration of hospitals, emergency room service providers and community stakeholders in four north Puget Sound counties (Island, San Juan, Skagit and Snohomish) who have developed streamlined processes to ensure that heart attack and stroke patients get the best coordinated care within the shortest amount of time, regardless of which hospital they arrive at first. The community education and outreach program focuses on calling 911 at the first signs of heart attack or stroke as every minute counts.