Wednesday, May 19, 2021
PITTSBURGH (May 19, 2021) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) are teaming up to thank Emergency Medical Service (EMS) first responders during National EMS Week (May 16-22, 2021) by donating 1,500 tickets for upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games to EMS providers throughout Western Pennsylvania and AHN’s Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, New York.
“Our EMS partners have carried an exceptionally heavy weight on their shoulders throughout the past year and continue to make tremendous sacrifices for the health and safety of others,” shared Deb Rice-Johnson, president of Highmark Inc. and chief growth officer for Highmark Health. “These tickets serve as a small token of our appreciation for their ongoing dedication and commitment to our communities. As things slowly begin to return to normal, we hope this gives them a much-needed chance to relax while cheering on the Pirates in one of America’s most beautiful ballparks.”
A predetermined number of tickets will be distributed to EMS providers for the Chicago Cubs series games on May 25, 26, and 27, with 500 tickets designated for each game. Agencies that will receive tickets include those in the Western Pennsylvania region including Pittsburgh and Erie, agencies near AHN’s Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, New York, and agencies in the Johnstown area.
“We’re grateful to have strong partnerships with EMS providers across our network,” shared Robert Twaddle, vice president of prehospital care services for AHN. “The high-quality level of prehospital care provided by the men and women of our local EMS agencies is a tremendous asset available to the patients we serve. We can’t thank them enough for all that they do.”
This announcement comes on the heels of a donation to EMS providers in March and April across AHN to supply agencies with additional PPE to continue through the pandemic. In total, nearly over 275 EMS agencies received over 400,000 N95 masks, 740,000 surgical masks, 51,000 face shields, and 250,000 surgical gowns.
About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Highmark Inc., doing business as Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, serves approximately 2.6 million members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is the market leader in commercial market share, and through its affiliated Blue companies has strong Medicare Advantage market share as well. All of Highmark's Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania received a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. In western Pennsylvania, its unaided brand awareness, brand preference and overall brand rating are significantly higher than its closest competitor. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield employs approximately 4,000 people in western, north central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com
About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 13 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
For more information, contact
Emily Beatty
Highmark Health
Emily.Beatty@highmarkhealth.org