Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Awards More Than $1M to Support Maternal Health Programs Across Virginia

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation, has awarded more than $1M in grants to five Virginia nonprofit organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes and support women and families across the state.

The funding supports Urban Baby Beginnings, United Way Southwest Virginia, March of Dimes, Richmond Behavioral Health Foundation, and HumanKind with each local organization providing vital programs that promote healthier pregnancies, stronger families, and greater access to care.

“These organizations are doing incredible work to support mothers and families in every corner of Virginia,” said Monica Schmude, President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia. “By partnering with community-based organizations like these, we’re helping to close health gaps, promote whole-person care, and build healthier futures for women and their children.”

Urban Baby Beginnings will receive $500,000 over the next three years to support their Maternal Health Hubs, which provide a critical lifeline for mothers and babies in underserved communities, offering a range of services including crisis intervention, case management, and social support, creating a safe and nurturing environment for individuals facing high-risk pregnancies. This grant funding will support the stabilization of the newly launched Roanoke hub, and the ReByrth Telehealth Expansion, which will expand maternal mental health, lactation, and perinatal navigation services statewide.

United Way Southwest Virginia will receive $300,000 to launch the Flourish Project, which will connect expectant mothers in the counties of Wise and Dickenson, and the City of Norton, Virginia, to the resources they need for a healthy pregnancy and beyond.

March of Dimes will receive $150,000 to expand its NICU Family Support Program. The program offers education, peer connections, and emotional support, helping NICU families through one of the most critical times in their lives.

Richmond Behavioral Health Foundation will receive $90,000 to continue a pilot that Anthem Foundation previously funded which addresses barriers to Substance Use Disorder treatment for pregnant women with the goal of improving birth outcomes by having women enter treatment earlier in their pregnancies, stay longer in treatment, and successfully complete treatment episodes. This funding will allow them to continue the program and expand the protocol and data collection to include postnatal health for women and infants.

HumanKind will receive a $50,000 grant to support their Healthy Families program in Lynchburg. Healthy Families is a nationally accredited parent support and infant health home visiting program. The program begins prenatally, promoting healthy habits and adequate prenatal care and continues to support parents while promoting healthy development for children up to the age of five.

“These grants represent our deep commitment to advancing whole health and ensuring every mother has the resources she needs for a healthy pregnancy and beyond,” Schmude said. “Together, we are supporting programs that strengthen families and transform lives across Virginia.”

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation

The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation. The Foundation works to improve the health of the socially vulnerable through strategic partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal-infant child health; behavioral health; and food as medicine. Additionally, the Foundation also responds to disasters when our communities need us the most. The Foundation coordinates the company’s year-round Dollars for Dollars program which provides a 100 percent match of associates’ donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. ^®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross name and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. To learn more about the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and the Elevance Health Foundation, please visit www.elevancehealth.foundation and its blog at www.medium.com/elevancehealthfoundation.