The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation provided substantial support to the Community Practitioner Program through a five-year $10M grant in 2005. The Community Practitioner Program (CPP) improves access to health care in economically distressed or medically underserved communities through practitioner recruitment and retention programs. Since its inception in 1989, the Community Practitioner Program has assisted more than 400 primary care physicians, physician assistants and family nurse practitioners serving in 145 communities located in 83 medically underserved counties.  64% of CPP participants remain in their communities beyond their five-year commitment, 73% continue to practice medicine in rural or economically distressed counties and 85% remain in North Carolina. Support from the BCBSNC Foundation has enabled the Community Practitioner Program to provide loan repayment and support to providers serving in medically underserved communities over the long term.

Since its founding in 2000, the BCBSNC Foundation has invested more than $67 million into communities across the state by supporting more than 440 grants and special initiatives to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians. The Foundation’s focus areas include: Health of Vulnerable Populations – improving health outcomes of populations served by safety-net organizations; Healthy Active Communities – increasing physical activity and encouraging healthy eating habits; and Community Impact through Nonprofit Excellence – increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. The Foundation also coordinates several Signature Programs, among them, Be Active Kids® and the Healthy Community Institute for Nonprofit Excellence.  For more information on the work of the BCBSNC Foundation, click here.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA)
® Registered Marks of the BCBSA.