Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Caring Foundation wholeheartedly believes in continually supporting rural communities through its Rural Health Provider Partnership Grant Program. Being a primarily rural state, it is especially important to support our small towns in North Dakota. Since 2001, we've given back over $3 million to help grow smaller communities and make them healthier.

For our 2020-2021 grant period, BCBSND Caring Foundation is donating a total of almost $38,000 to ten rural communities across North Dakota to support their wellness initiatives.

Congratulations to our 2020 awardees:

Southwest Healthcare Services, Bowman
Southwest Healthcare Services (SWHS) is implementing "Step It Up," an employee wellness event using fitness trackers to encourage friendly competition between departments on steps walked throughout the month.

CHI St. Alexius Health, Carrington
CHI St. Alexius Health, Carrington is offering a weekly book club base on the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch to teach staff tools for mindful eating. To promote physical activity, they are also purchasing a step mill for the facility.

St. Luke's Medical Center, Crosby
St. Luke's is hosting a 5K fun run/walk fundraising event with to purchase skating and hockey equipment for the Blue Line Club and Start a Fire Youth Organization and to hold two events on skiing and building physical strength.

Unity Medical Center, Grafton
Unity Medical Center is using grant funds to start a wellness program to include lunch & learns at the hospital, culinary medicine classes for staff and the public along with a demonstration booth at the local supermarket. They also plan on opening the physical therapy gym to staff during hours that are not utilized by patients.

West River Health Services, Hettinger
West River Health Services is using funds to train and certify six community members to become fitness instructors – three for Yoga FIT and three through the online ACE Group Fitness program—who will each offer two classes per month throughout the year in their respective certification areas at the Hettinger Armory.

Emmons County Public Health, Linton
Emmons County Public Health is instituting "Stepping On," a workshop designed for people 65 years of age or older who may have had a fall in the past year, have a fear of falling, live in their own residence and do not have dementia.

Nelson County Health Services, McVille
Nelson County Health System is using funds for an employee nutritional education initiative to provide staff with nutritional information, healthy meal examples and education on why choosing healthier foods makes a difference in their health.

Presentation Medical Center, Rolla
Presentation Medical Center is using the grant to fund a series of six 5K runs for the community to help combat climbing obesity rates.

Sargent County District Health Unit, Forman
Sargent County District Health Unit is focusing on physical activity by using grant funds to purchase a rowing machine for the Sargent Central Public School's Community Wellness Center.

Mountrail County Medical Center, Stanley
Mountrail County Medical Center plans on purchasing playground equipment for Stanley Elementary School.

BCBSND Caring Foundation partners with the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences to provide grant funding for projects through collaborative efforts involving rural healthcare providers and local partnerships to support physical activity and wellness across all ages.