BATESVILLE, Ind., May 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Despite the many
advances in modern medicine, basic medical equipment is still
unavailable in many hospitals around the world. Hill-Rom
(NYSE: HRC), a leading global manufacturer and provider of medical
technologies and related services for the health care industry, is
working to help change that situation with the introduction of its
Hospital Beds for Humanity™ program.
Aimed at placing refurbished hospital beds, new surfaces and
other bedside equipment into needy hospitals and health care
facilities around the world, the program draws on the many
strengths of the company and its employee volunteers. Hill-Rom
employees from locations around the world volunteer their time on
Saturday mornings throughout the year to repair beds for this
program. Once repaired, the beds are tested and certified ready for
redeployment.
"Hill-Rom can make a difference to underserved communities
around the world by providing beds to those in need," said
John Greisch, president and CEO of
Hill-Rom. "This is a program that could come only from Hill-Rom. It
is the perfect marriage of our mission – to enhance outcomes for
patients and caregivers – and our expertise."
The Volunteer Saturdays are held at Hill-Rom's global
manufacturing sites, including its headquarters in Batesville, Ind., and its plants in Pluvigner,
France; Sydney, Australia, and Monterrey, Mexico. More than 400 Hill-Rom
employee volunteers have participated in the project to date.
In establishing the program, Hill-Rom chose to work with a
charitable organization with expertise in placing serviceable
medical equipment into health care facilities around the world.
Project C.U.R.E., the partner selected, has more than 20
years of experience qualifying placements and guiding the logistics
and distribution of products in more than 120 countries.
"We're honored to work with Hill-Rom in this initiative, and
we're deeply grateful to the company and its employees for their
contributions to 'Delivering Health and Hope to the World.' Our
first projects with Hill-Rom in Mexico, Ghana, Papua New
Guinea and Haiti have been
very successful, and we're looking forward to helping extend the
program," said Douglas Jackson,
president and CEO of Project C.U.R.E. "Hill-Rom beds will make a
lasting impact in enhancing health care infrastructure and
improving patient care."
Beds donated around the world
To ensure sustainability, small teams of Hill-Rom volunteers
travel to recipient facilities to install the beds and train staff
to properly use and maintain the beds. To date, Hill-Rom has
placed 130 beds into three hospitals in the Yucatan Peninsula region of Mexico, provided more than 140 beds and
equipment in Ghana and
Papua New Guinea, and provided
stretchers in Haiti. Ingenieria y
Sistemas Electromedicos S.A. de C.V., Hill-Rom's distributor in
Mexico, joined the Hill-Rom
volunteers for each project in Mexico and has pledged to provide ongoing
biomedical support for the sustainability of the beds in that
region.
The Hospital Beds for Humanity program supports Hill-Rom's
broader mission to enhance outcomes for patients and their
caregivers. The program originated through a cross-functional
and multi-country group of Hill-Rom employees, led by Patrick de
Maynadier, senior vice president at Hill-Rom, as well as the
program's executive sponsor.
"We have the opportunity to have a huge effect on the world,"
said de Maynadier. "And, the opportunity we have is uniquely
Hill-Rom…that's exciting."
About Hill-Rom
Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of
medical technologies and related services for the health care
industry, including patient support systems, safe mobility and
handling solutions, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety
of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals,
and information technology solutions. Hill-Rom's
comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care
providers across the health care continuum in hospitals, extended
care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and
quality of patient care.
Hill-Rom…enhancing outcomes for patients and their
caregivers.
www.hill-rom.com
About Project C.U.R.E.
The registered trademark of the Benevolent Healthcare
Foundation, Project C.U.R.E. is a nonprofit, humanitarian relief
organization that delivers donated medical supplies, equipment and
services to medical professionals and the patients under their care
in developing countries. Currently, Project C.U.R.E. is the world's
largest organization of its kind, delivering on average two 40-ft.
cargo containers of medical relief every week. Founded in
1987 to help meet the endless need for medical supplies and
services in the developing world, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered
medical relief to people in more than 120 countries. Project
C.U.R.E. is headquartered in Centennial,
Colo., outside of Denver.
Distribution centers are located in Centennial, Colo., Phoenix, Ariz.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Houston, Texas. Project C.U.R.E. collection
centers are located in Albuquerque,
N.M.; Austin, Texas;
Basalt, Colo., Brooklyn, N.Y., Grand Junction, Colo., Harrisburg, Pa.; Ithaca, N.Y., Lexington, Ky.; Portland, Ore., Sarasota, Fla., Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit
www.projectcure.org.
SOURCE Hill-Rom