For Immediate Release

Date: March 27, 2007

Contact: Valerie Colvin - (301) 997-1300

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield donates $10,000 to Walden/Sierra

Leonardtown, Maryland - Walden/Sierra received a $10,000 grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in support of residential substance abuse treatment for chemically-addicted pregnant women at the Anchor Intermediate Care Facility.

Anchor, which is located in Charlotte Hall, provides 28-day treatment for adults suffering from alcohol or drug abuse problems, as well as substance abuse counseling and family education services. Last year, Anchor admitted a total of 448 clients. Of these individuals, 97 were considered “priority” clients, a category that includes pregnant women. This donation from CareFirst will aid the Anchor facility’s efforts to treat high-risk pregnant women in order to help them obtain sobriety and ensure healthy birth outcomes.

“This grant will support one of the most critical needs Walden/Sierra strives to meet – improving the health of chemically-addicted pregnant women and their babies,” said Kathleen O’Brien, Ph.D., Executive Director of Walden/Sierra. “We are grateful for CareFirst’s support of these important services.”

Walden/Sierra is a nonprofit behavioral health agency that has been serving Southern Maryland through crisis intervention, counseling services and a continuum of substance abuse treatment since 1973. Their 24-hour crisis hotline can be reached at 301-863-6661.

In its 71^st year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to nearly 3.1 million individuals and groups in Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. Through its CareFirst Commitment initiative and other public mission activities, CareFirst supports efforts to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas.

###