TMAF Receives Grant From BCBSTX

Grant To Help Improve Kids’ Health With Free Helmets

 

May 29, 2014 

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 29, 2014) — The Texas Medical Association (TMA) announced today that its philanthropic arm, TMA Foundation (TMAF), received a grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) through the health plan’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative.

The grant supports TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads bicycle helmet giveaway program, which in 2014 has distributed nearly 11,000 helmets to Texas children, including more than 3,200 during Bike Month in May.

“Because of our commitment to improve the health of all Texans, we are now partnering with BCBSTX, whose Healthy Kids, Healthy Families vision is to help improve the health of youth in local communities,” said G. Sealy Massingill, MD, Fort Worth, TMA Foundation president.

“Each year about a half a million children in the United States are seriously injured in bike-related accidents. And if a helmet is not worn, these accidents can result in brain damage or death. The goal of TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads is to keep children safe,” added Dr. Massingill.

“We’re proud to give our support to TMA and TMAF as a Healthy Kids, Healthy Families partner,” said Catherine Oliveros, director, Community Affairs, BCBSTX. “Through their work, we expect to see measurable improvement in children’s health by giving away free, properly fitted helmets.”

Healthy Kids, Healthy Families began as a three-year initiative that aimed to pull together local, state, and national resources to make a significant impact on childhood health and wellness. Now it is a signature initiative of BCBSTX and part of its ongoing commitment to invest in Texas communities. Likewise, TMA and TMA Foundation are committed to helping children prevent injury and exercise safely with Hard Hats for Little Heads, which is celebrating 20 years of keeping kids safe.

At Hard Hats events, physicians and their community collaborators gives helmets to kids who need one and educate them and their parents about why it is critical to wear the appropriate helmet for the appropriate sport. Physicians urge children to wear a properly fitted helmet each time they ride their bike or participate in any sport on wheels, including skateboarding, rollerblading, and riding a scooter.

About Healthy Kids, Healthy Families

Healthy Kids, Healthy Families (HKHF) began as a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of at least 1 million children through community investments by Health Care Service Corporation and its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Reaching nearly 3 million children within the first two years, HKHF is now a signature program of the organization and part of an ongoing commitment to invest in and partner with nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in areas of nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, and supporting safe environments. To learn more about Health Kids, Healthy Families, please visit www.healthykidshealthyfamilies.org.

About TMA Foundation

TMA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Texas Medical Association and raises funds to support the public health and science priority initiatives of TMA and the family of medicine. One of those programs is TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads, which began in 1994. Since that time, more than 170,000 Texas children have received a free helmet.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and 500 hospitals to serve 4.8 million members in all 254 counties. It has also been ranked “Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in Texas” for three years in a row by J.D. Power and Associates. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Montana), the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall.  Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  

BCBSTX.com | Twitter.com/BCBSTX | Facebook.com/BlueCrossBlueShieldOfTexas | YouTube.com/BCBSTX

 

BCBSTX Media Contact:                            Texas Medical Association Media Contact

Margaret Jarvis                                               Pam Udall

972-766-7165                                                512-370-1382; (512) 413-6807 (cell)

Margaret_Jarvis[at]bcbstx[dot]com                         pam.udall[at]texmed[dot]org  

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Last Updated On

February 18, 2020

Originally Published On

May 29, 2014

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