BridgingApps® Receives $30,000 Amerigroup Foundation Grant to Improve the Health of Children with Disabilities in Greater Houston

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Amerigroup–Children with disabilities are highly at risk for low muscle mass,
obesity or undernourishment, and eating issues. The $30,000 Amerigroup
Foundation grant will support the Easter Seals Greater Houston’s, a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization, BridgingApps Program, which teaches
children with disabilities about the importance of nutrition and
physical activity on health. This generous grant will enable
BridgingApps to create a program that leverages the power of mobile
technology and apps to help improve the health of children with a range
of cognitive and physical disabilities.

“We are proud to support the Easter Seals Greater Houston’s BridgingApps
Program to ensure that Texans of all abilities stay motivated to eat
healthy and increase their physical activity thru fun exercises so that
they have a lifelong commitment to fitness,” said Tisch Scott,
Amerigroup Texas president.

The BridgingApps Program will be led by a registered dietitian
nutritionist as well as a therapist with nationally recognized expertise
in the use of mobile technology to improve health outcomes of children
with disabilities. The pilot group of 100 participants will use a
combination of commercially available, low cost apps and mobile devices.
In addition, there will be pre- and post-standardized assessment tools
that the project’s leaders can use to determine the improvements on
understanding the importance of health. The key metric of success will
be children consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables
daily.

Children with disabilities often feel that they lack control over their
lives, and are often the “beneficiary” of healthcare services rather
than an active participant. By learning how to use applications and
incorporating mobile technology that they can understand, children
become stakeholders in their health. The empowering independence that
comes with seeing the impact they can make on their own lives will act
as a positive reinforcement that will make their health improvements
self-sustaining.

The learnings from the pilot group will be collected and disseminated
through BridgingApps.org, which has 5,000 visitors every month and has
collected a massive 2 million page views. Information gained, app
reviews and training added to the website will impact families all over
the United States and beyond. Huge thanks to The Anthem
Foundation/Amerigroup whose generous grant will have immeasurable
returns!

About BridgingApps

BridgingApps.org, a program of Easter Seals Houston, provides the
access, education, and resources needed to effectively use mobile,
touch-based devices to help people with disabilities communicate, exceed
educational goals, and reach their fullest potential.

Web: www.bridgingapps.org

About Easter Seals Greater Houston

Easter Seals Greater Houston Easter Seals Greater Houston, Inc. is a
non-profit corporation established to provide comprehensive services to
individuals of all ages with all types of disabilities and their family
members. For more information, visit www.eastersealshouston.org.

About Amerigroup Foundation

The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Anthem, Inc., and the largest corporation
focused solely on meeting the health care needs of financially
vulnerable Americans. Through charitable contributions and programs, the
Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem to be America’s
valued health partner by supporting strategic initiatives that aim to
create a healthier generation of Americans. These focus areas include:
cardiac mortality; cancer prevention and smoking cessation; maternal and
newborn health; diabetes prevention and management; and childhood and
elderly obesity. Many of the populations served also include financially
vulnerable individuals and those with disabilities.

Contacts

Easter Seals Greater Houston
Lauren Brennan
713-838-9050 ext.
374
LBrennan@eastersealshouston.org
or
Amerigroup
Foundation
Olga Gallardo
818-201-5682
olga.gallardo@anthem.com