“A pre-Kindergarten child living in poverty with a communication disorder needs every advantage available to reach her full academic potential. Early intervention with speech/hearing assistance is necessary to equip these children for success before entering the school system. The support from the Foundation will positively impact numerous lives in our community,” stated Bill McQuilkin, executive director of JSHC.
IMPACT program grants are strategically awarded to diverse, philanthropic, community-based solutions that improve program capacity and reduce barriers to access; promote collaboration, foster innovation and sustain quality; and leverage financial, human and other resources to maximize measurable impact.
“With these investments, we’re targeting our resources to the communities that need them most,” said Susan Towler, vice president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation. “This demonstrates our commitment to help people and communities in Florida achieve better health.”
For the past 63 years, the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center has provided professional, compassionate audiology and speech/language services to literally thousands of children and adults in our community. Today, the Center continues to provide these services to approximately 4,000 children, adults and seniors annually. Our vision for the next ten years is for every pre-Kindergarten child in the First Coast region who is at risk of failure in school and life due to unaddressed early childhood speech or language needs, will be identified, diagnosed and treated.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation is a separate, philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan for Floridians, incorporated in the state of Florida. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, and its parent, Florida Blue, are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, please visit its website at www.bluefoundationfl.com.
Contacts:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc.
Khalilah Liptrot
(904) 905-7613
Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center
Tana Collins
(904) 355-3403
