Employees of Pennsylvania’s Largest Medicaid Health Plan Award 49 of Its Members With Academic Scholarships
Philadelphia, PA (Vocus) August 24, 2010
Keystone Mercy Health Plan, the largest Medicaid managed care plan in Pennsylvania, recently awarded ,000 scholarships to 49 of its Medical Assistance members, totaling ,000, as part of its annual Mission Partnership program, which is funded by employee donations. The program, which began with one scholarship in 1988 has since awarded more than 750 scholarships totaling .6 million.
The Keystone Mercy Member Scholarship program provides assistance to young adults embarking on a college education, and to non-traditional students coming back to school, later in life, to learn a new skill. Many recipients of this year’s scholarships have overcome adversity in order to continue their education, including Cashana Hudson, a young, North Philadelphia woman, who attends college while working part-time at a fast-food establishment. Ms. Hudson currently maintains a 3.76 GPA and has aspirations of becoming a doctor and returning to North Philadelphia to open her own birthing center/clinic. When asked about the scholarship, she said, “I want to be there for all the mothers who can’t afford the medicine to make their children feel better. I want to be a living example for those children, an example to let them know there is hope and that they can be successful. This scholarship allows me the opportunity to do that.”
Sister Renee Yann, senior vice president and chief mission integration officer, AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, of which Keystone Mercy is a member, is the Member Scholarship Committee Chair. She believes that the success of the program is due to the company’s overall mission of helping those in need, and to its dedicated employees. “It’s a labor of love for all of us,” said Yann. “Employees raise funds through company events and pledges while the committee combs through hundreds of applications, each from a deserving member, to choose our winners. We do all this for the reward of knowing that the combined total of our modest, personal contributions can have such an impact on our members’ lives.”
This year’s winners also included Gilbert Perez, a former homeless and drug-addicted man who conquered his addiction and became a director of his drug rehab’s Syringe Exchange Program. Mr. Perez is currently a candidate for a Bachelor of Science degree in counseling at Drexel University. He describes receiving this scholarship as “a God-send.” “Spanish-speaking drug and alcohol counselors in Philadelphia are in short supply and I want to help fill this need as well as reach out to other groups who seek to shake off the chains of addiction. Coming from where I’ve been and looking forward to what I can become, it is only by the generosity and giving hearts of others that keeps me on the path of success. Never did I think, for a second, that an insurance company would help fulfill my dreams of going to school and allow me to give back to those in an all-too-familiar position. I truly appreciate this program and this company for all that they do.”
The scholarship is available to Keystone Mercy Health Plan members, who have been accepted, or who are currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate college, university, trade or vocational school. Along with the completed application, applicants are required to provide transcripts, a recommendation and a one-page essay.
About Keystone Mercy Health Plan
Keystone Mercy Health Plan, a member of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of companies, is a Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan serving more than 300,000 Medical Assistance recipients in southeastern Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Keystone Mercy is a mission-driven company dedicated to helping members get care, stay well and build healthy communities. For more information about Keystone Mercy Health Plan, please visit www.keystonemercy.com.
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