El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation has received a Blue Impact grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) to expand pediatric diabetes services at El Paso Children’s Hospital (EPCH). The grant reflects BCBSTX’s ongoing commitment to supporting community-based organizations that address social determinants of health and promote long-term wellness for children and families.
The funding will support EPCH’s “Pediatric Diabetes Care” initiative, a clinical program focused on improving diabetes outcomes through targeted data tracking, evaluation, and patient education. With a goal of driving measurable change, the hospital will monitor the effectiveness of outpatient diabetes services by tracking HgbA1c (A1C) levels in pediatric patients receiving follow-up care from Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CDCESs).
Children who participate in EPCH’s Zachary Bowling Pediatric Outpatient Diabetes Education Services have already shown encouraging results, with an average reduction of 1.5% in A1C levels. The Blue Impact grant will help expand this success to more families in the El Paso region while also supporting innovative strategies for care delivery.
In addition to tracking A1C levels, the initiative will measure referral volumes and patient participation in Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) sessions, key tools that empower children and families to manage diabetes more effectively.
BCBSTX, Texas’s largest customer-owned health insurer, has awarded more than $27 million in grants to community organizations statewide since 2011. With nearly eight million members across all 254 counties, BCBSTX continues to invest in programs that address health disparities and promote equitable access to care, reinforcing its 95-year legacy of improving the health of Texans.
This grant strengthens El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation’s mission to ensure local children have access to high quality, compassionate medical care and supports one of the region’s most urgent pediatric health needs, diabetes management and education.
