In Buffalo Diocese, Fidelis Care Awards $135,000 from Community Grant Fund

BUFFALO, NY (07/25/2011)(readMedia)-- Fidelis Care, the New York State Catholic Health Plan, is pleased to announce the distribution of $59,700 from its Community Grant Fund to benefit Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Buffalo, $36,700 to support the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, and $38,600 to support Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.

For the seventh consecutive year, Fidelis Care is proud to offer grant funds to non-profit organizations that share similar missions and values of service to low-income, vulnerable individuals. The 2010 Fidelis Care Community Grant Fund made grants available, in coordination with Buffalo Bishop Edward U. Kmiec and his brother bishops, across New York State's eight Roman Catholic Dioceses.

"Fidelis Care has always valued and understood the importance of a strong community presence and enduring partnerships with community organizations that share our healing ministry," said Mark L. Lane, President and CEO. "We are pleased to support such worthwhile programs and services and know that they will benefit local residents within the Diocese. This is the heart of our mission."

Bishop Kmiec said, "Fidelis means faithful and these grants are reflective of Fidelis Care's ongoing faithful respect of its mission: to make sure that all New Yorkers have access to quality health care. We are most grateful for their generosity."

Serving eight counties and providing a wide array of services in areas such as developmental disabilities, caregiver support, outreach, foster care and adoption, homeless shelters, and case management, Catholic Charities is the social service arm of the Diocese of Buffalo. The agency will use the funding to provide counseling services in five Catholic schools in the Buffalo/Niagara region: St. Margaret's (North Buffalo), Our Lady of Black Rock (Buffalo), St. Joseph-University (Buffalo), Catholic Academy of West Buffalo and St. Dominic Savio Middle School (Niagara Falls). The program focuses on prevention and intervention social work, and providing individual counseling services to address the needs of youth at risk of educational failure and/or engaging in harmful behaviors.

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo will use their grant to support health care initiatives aligned with the mission of Fidelis Care through not-for-profit organizations that assist the underserved population in the diocese. These organizations include the Response to Love Center (Buffalo), Heart, Love and Soul (Niagara Falls), St. Vincent de Paul (need location); and Gerard Place (Buffalo).

Mercy Hospital of Buffalo will utilize their grant to establish a radiology program at the Mercy Comprehensive Care Center (MCCC), their newest primary care center. The program will provide on-site basic x-ray services that will assist in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, other lung and cardiac ailments, and well as fractures and extremity injuries. MCCC serves the medically underserved First Ward in Buffalo.

Fidelis Care offers free or low-cost health insurance through New York State's Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care programs. Members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, routine screenings, hospital and emergency care, eye exams, dental care, and more. Fidelis Care also offers a variety of benefit options for seniors through Fidelis Medicare Advantage, Dual Advantage, Medicaid Advantage Plus, and Fidelis Care at Home programs, available in certain counties.

With more than 715,000 members in 58 counties statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance.

Members have access to a provider network of more than 43,000 health care professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Amherst, Syracuse, Albany, and Rego Park (Queens), with satellite offices in Rochester, Poughkeepsie, and Suffern.

For more information, call Fidelis Care toll-free at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

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