Rochester–based health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield says a total of 22 Upstate nonprofit organizations have received 2025 Health Equity Innovation Awards. Excellus describes the grants as an annual-funding opportunity that supports nonprofit organizations working to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes across upstate New York. Twenty-two nonprofit organizations in the Central New York/Southern Tier, […]
Rochester–based health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield says a total of 22 Upstate nonprofit organizations have received 2025 Health Equity Innovation Awards.
Excellus describes the grants as an annual-funding opportunity that supports nonprofit organizations working to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes across upstate New York.
Twenty-two nonprofit organizations in the Central New York/Southern Tier, Rochester, and Utica/North Country regions were chosen from a competitive pool of nearly 300 applicants.
The selected organizations are leading efforts to “close gaps in care through innovative, community-driven solutions tailored to the unique needs of the people they serve,” per the Excellus announcement.
Focus areas for funding in each region were strategically identified through community needs assessments, which helped pinpoint the most pressing health challenges and disparities affecting local populations, the health insurer noted.
The Health Equity Innovation Awards will help advance a wide range of initiatives, including community-centered mental health and wellness programs; community-based chronic disease prevention and education; maternal and child-health support services; food access and nutrition initiatives; and workforce development and training in health-related fields.
Regional recipients, projects
CENTRAL NEW YORK REGION
• A Tiny Home for Good – Lead Freedom House, which renovates a Syracuse property to provide free, temporary housing for families during lead remediation.
• InterFaith Works – Telehealth education for older adults expands workshops and one-on-one support to help seniors use telehealth and improve access to care.
• Ithaca Health Alliance – Behavioral-health consultant program, which launches free clinic program offering quick triage and short-term counseling, linking patients to ongoing mental-health care.
• Oswego Health Foundation – Online prenatal education provides free virtual classes on pregnancy, postpartum care, breastfeeding, and infant safety to overcome rural access barriers.
• Restoreforlife, Inc. – Healing through the arts, which uses creative expression and guided circles to help families build coping skills, resilience, and emotional wellness.
• The Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York, Inc. (WCNY) – Behind the Woman career challenge, which connects Syracuse high school students with mentors for hands-on health career learning, hospital shadowing, and research projects.
• United Way – Healthy Start, Safe Home, a program that embeds navigators and peer advocates in high-risk neighborhoods to improve maternal and early childhood health through education and resources.
UTICA REGION
• Bassett Medical Center – Bassett Cancer Institute partnership, which provides medically tailored meals to cancer patients in Otsego County, addressing food insecurity and improving health outcomes.
• Madison County Rural Health Council – Mental health first aid trainings that offer evidence-based training for schools, community groups, and healthcare settings to identify and respond to mental health challenges, reducing stigma and improving access.
• Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees – Healthy Pathways nutrition program that delivers culturally responsive nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and strategies for healthy eating to 500 refugees and immigrants.
• St. Lawrence Health Foundation – Living in Balance, which is a peer-led initiative and supports recovery from substance use through peer-led groups and the Living in Balance curriculum, helping participants build coping skills and resilience.
SOUTHERN TIER REGION
• Binghamton Philharmonic Inc. – Social prescribing program, which offers complimentary concert tickets through healthcare partnerships to reduce isolation and improve health for the IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) community.
• Broome County Council of Churches – Greater Good Grocery mobile market bus that operates an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible mobile market bus to deliver affordable, healthy food to residents in county food deserts.
• Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga – Tioga Fresh mobile café that provides free meals and groceries to more than 3,000 rural residents, reducing food insecurity and connecting families to health resources.
• Family Enrichment Network Inc. – Help Me Grow, which promotes developmental screening and connects families to care, strengthening early childhood systems and school readiness.
• Rural Health Network of SCNY Inc. – Produce-prescription program, which is a card-technology pilot and expands a long-standing produce-prescription program with a card-based system to improve access to fresh food for patients with chronic conditions.
