Helios Care Receives Excellus
BCBS Community Health Award

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently awarded Helios Care a Community Health Award of $2,000 to support free bereavement counseling for the public. This program provides grief counseling services online and in person through support groups, individual counseling, camps for children, coping kits, and presentations to the public. Helios Care social workers have been providing free bereavement counseling for all residents of Delaware and Otsego counties since the onset of the pandemic and have seen a rise in demand for support groups. The funding provided will allow 12 additional support groups to be added to the program this year.

“Many traditional forms of grieving and commemorative activities of death, such as funerals and memorials, were stifled or stopped during the pandemic,” explained Kathryn Dailey, Helios Care director of development.

“This has left many residents suffering from unresolved grief, leading to mental health issues and preventing them from moving on to the next stage of their lives. Support groups, led by our specially trained bereavement counselors, are especially effective since there is the benefit of knowing other people understand what you are going through and can provide mutual support.”

The mission of Helios Care is, “making life easier for patients and families facing serious illness or end of life by providing choices, dignity and compassionate care.” Helios Care provides hospice and palliative care to manage the symptoms of chronic diseases, as well as social workers to assist with social determinants of health and bereavement counseling. Services are provided in the patient’s home, free of charge or at a nominal cost. Helios Care’s nationally certified staff deliver the best practices of the industry and perform to the highest standards of patient care.

Through a competitive application process, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Community Health Awards provide funding to launch, expand, and sustain programs and services that promote health. These investments advance health equity by extending the reach of preventive health services or health-promoting programs to vulnerable populations. The health plan’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies, or products.

“Providing access to high-quality health care is core to our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Utica regional president. “We are proud to support Helios Care with essential community health funding to provide bereavement counseling for those grieving the loss of a loved one.”

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is committed to supporting local organizations that improve community health. The company’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies or products.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Utica region encompasses Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and St. Lawrence counties.