Funding supports organizations seeking to improve community health equity

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medline has awarded 11 grants to nonprofit organizations providing housing, meals, prison healthcare monitoring, education, job training, breast cancer support, and other programs addressing the barriers to optimal healthcare. These grants are administered through the company's Community Impact Grant program, which seeks to improve community health by addressing social determinants of health.

This year's Community Impact Grants total $250,000. Since 2018, Medline has donated more than $2 million to 236 nonprofit organizations, all addressing social determinants of health—the economic and social conditions that impact disparities in health status and care, as well as life expectancy.

"Medline is honored to support these nonprofit organizations working tirelessly to support communities disproportionately impacted by the economic and social conditions that influence life expectancy," said Karen Frey, Medline senior philanthropy manager. "The challenges facing our communities are never-ending and, in some, growing exponentially.  We hope to have a direct impact on improving health equity and population health in low-resource communities."

The 2022 Community Impact Grant recipients, and how they will utilize their funding, are as follows:

• Ann's Place (Danbury, CT) will continue to provide and expand their breast cancer and other cancer support programs, including the organization's Health Equity Initiative (HEI), serving Spanish-speaking patients and their families. The HEI program provides additional support for members of the community that face language, economic and cultural barriers, or have limited access to healthcare, education and transportation.
• Chicago Urban League (Chicago, IL) will conduct focus groups on chronic disease, childhood obesity, mental health, substance abuse, additions and infections, to ensure that barriers to basic healthcare are identified, understood and properly linked to available resources.
• Covenant House Illinois (Chicago, IL) will support the organization's youth program, focused on moving young people from the street into stable and permanent housing while reducing violence and future adverse health outcomes.
• Cradles to Crayons (Chicago, IL) will provide at least 210,000 packages of goods to children from low-income families across the Chicago area, helping to close the health and education equity gaps that are disproportionately affecting individuals experiencing poverty.
• Hospitality Homes, Inc. (Boston, MA) will support immune-safe lodging for low-income patients and families seeking healthcare in Boston.
• John Howard Association (Chicago, IL) will fund the organization's Prison Monitoring & Advocacy program, monitoring access to and the quality of prison healthcare for incarcerated adults and juveniles.
• Lake County Haven (Libertyville, IL) will provide women and children experiencing homelessness with direct, professional services designed to help them develop the tools and resources needed to secure healthy, safe and stable housing.
• Project Angel Heart (Denver, CO) will prepare and home deliver nearly 400,000 "medically-tailored meals" to more than 2,400 low-income Coloradans living with severe illness.
• Regional East Texas Food Bank (Tyler, TX) will support the organization's Mobile Pantry Program, benefitting individuals and families in targeted census tracts and rural East Texas communities with high levels of need.
• The Ellie Fund (Needham, MA) will support the organization's Equitable Pathways program, helping to support the growing need for "lifesaving support services that women – and particularly women of color – need to survive and health from breast cancer."
• YMCA of Asheville and Western North Carolina, Inc. (Asheville, NC) will support pregnant and parenting teens, ages 13 to 19, through the organization's MotherLove program.

The Community Impact Grant program is just one of the many ways that Medline is helping to address social determinants of health in the U.S. and throughout the world. In 2020, the company launched the Medline Cares (Community, Action, Resources, Education and Solutions) program, to stimulate health equity and improve population health in the communities where Medline employees live and work.

Medline also partners with humanitarian relief organizations throughout the world to identify and deliver much-needed medical supplies to clinics and communities. Between 2018 and 2021, Medline donated nearly 1,000 metric tons of medical supplies, valued at approximately $13 million, to support healthcare in more than 80 countries. More recently, the company resumed international global health trips, helping to create medical supply inventory and supply chain solutions.

Learn more about the many ways that Medline is working to create positive social and environmental change, here and around the world at https://www.medline.com/about-us/social-responsibility/. 

Medline is a healthcare company; a manufacturer, distributor, and solutions provider focused on improving the overall operating performance of healthcare. Partnering with healthcare systems and facilities across the continuum of care, Medline provides the clinical and supply chain resources required for long-term financial viability in delivering high-quality care. With the scale of one of the country's largest companies and the agility of a family-led business, Medline is able to invest in its customers for the future and rapidly respond to a dynamically changing market with customized solutions. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill., Medline has 30,000+ employees worldwide and does business in more than 125 countries and territories. Learn more about Medline at www.medline.com.

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SOURCE Medline