NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation continued its work to strengthen local communities and advance health outcomes in 2025, investing $12 million in New York through a multi-lever approach that includes grantmaking and associate community engagement.
“Our work in New York is grounded in partnership and supporting community-led solutions that improve outcomes for families and individuals facing some of the most persistent health challenges,” said Dr. Christy Valentine Theard, president and CEO of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s New York Medicaid plan. “By investing across maternal and infant health, food as medicine, behavioral health and community resiliency, we help drive measurable progress and stronger, healthier communities.”
In 2025, New York investments by Anthem’s Foundation included support across key focus areas: Maternal-Infant Health (9 grants), Food as Medicine (11 grants), Behavioral Health (21 grants) and Community Resiliency and Disaster Relief (5 grants), along with associate community engagement.
Anthem also mobilized its associates who volunteered more than 19,300 hours last year, including 188 projects, 670 volunteers, and 2,166 volunteer hours at projects coordinated by VOICE, the company’s volunteer committee. These efforts sustain on-the-ground impact that improves access and prevention across New York, where it helped generate $1.2 million in community value (including volunteerism and related community support).
Key Areas of Impact
Maternal-Infant Health
The Foundation supported programs focused on strengthening maternal and infant health outcomes across the entire pregnancy journey through 12 months postpartum. Examples include:
- Public Health Solutions: Expanding Family Connect EMPATHS, a citywide, free-access perinatal mental health screening, referral, and support network.
- Healthy Birth Day, Inc.: Advancing Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention program that helps expectant parents monitor fetal movement and seek care when changes occur.
- The Child Center of New York: Supporting perinatal mood and anxiety disorder services to strengthen maternal mental health and mother-infant bonding.
Food as Medicine
To help address food insecurity and diet-related chronic conditions, the Foundation invested in programs that improve clinical outcomes and expand access to nutritious food.
Examples include:
- Feeding America: Supporting a Food as Medicine model that screens for food insecurity and connects patients to resources through collaborations with New York food banks and health systems.
- Housing Works: Supporting initiatives that address food insecurity and food-sensitive illness among low-income New Yorkers.
- Samaritan Daytop Village: Expanding nutrition-focused recovery supports through Peer Alliance Recovery Centers.
Behavioral Health
The Foundation continued supporting prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery approaches—particularly for substance use disorder and related mental health needs.
Examples include:
- Sunset Park Health Council (NYU): Supporting PEP Talks, a program designed to help prevent teen fentanyl overdose.
- Care for the Homeless: Supporting the Bronx Health Outreach Initiative, expanding services for people experiencing homelessness and co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges.
- Community Healthcare Network: Expanding access to medication-assisted treatment services for opioid use disorder.
Community Resiliency and Disaster Relief
The Foundation also supported disaster preparedness, response, and recovery partnerships that strengthen community resiliency.
Funding Opportunity
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation encourages eligible organizations to apply to its current funding opportunity:
Patient Safety Prize: a $5 million challenge seeking innovative, community-informed proposals to improve patient safety. The current cycle includes a registration deadline of March 17.
The Foundation will open its Maternal-Infant Health RFP this June.
Over the next five years, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation plans to continue its investments in New York by deepening support for community-led solutions that improve maternal and infant health, expand access to food as medicine, strengthen behavioral health services and build resilience when communities face disruption. Through scaling what works and funding innovation where gaps remain, the Foundation aims to help more New Yorkers access the resources and care they need to thrive.
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 address health equity by focusing on improving the health of the socially vulnerable through strategic partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal child health; mental 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 names 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 https://www.elevancehealth.foundation/ and its blog at www.medium.com/elevancehealthfoundation.
Contacts
Media Contacts:
Kersha Cartwright
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NY
[email protected]
678-767-0199
