BD awards $1.2 million in grants to community health centers that help vulnerable patients more effectively manage medications

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Aug 29, 2019, 13:32 ET

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, along with Direct Relief and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently honored six community health centers in the U.S. with the "Innovations in Care" award in recognition of their success in low-resource areas identifying and assisting vulnerable people to better manage complex chronic diseases and improve their health.

“Without the support of BD and Direct Relief I wouldn’t be able to spend so much time with the patients and provide this type of practice model,” said Lisa Tackett, a clinical pharmacist at Neighborhood Health in Nashville Tennessee, a 2018 Innovations in Care award winner. (Photo: Donnie Hedden for Direct Relief)

The award-winning programs each also received a $200,000 grant award to build upon their successful innovations, which include a common element of holistic, team-based care, and the close involvement of pharmacists in educating and counseling patients.

The total of $1.2 million in grant awards was provided through the BD Helping Build Healthy Communities™ initiative, which is funded by BD and implemented jointly by Direct Relief and NACHC. The initiative seeks to identify, highlight, and provide financial awards to build upon successful approaches developed in community health centers in their mission to provide quality, accessible health care to underserved populations throughout the U.S.

This year's awardees were announced during NACHC's annual Community Health Institute in Chicago, which brings together more than 2,200 community health leaders who collectively provide care to more than 28 million people throughout the country.

"Every day, community health centers are on the front lines providing compassionate, quality health care to the most vulnerable patients in neighborhoods across the U.S.," said Vince Forlenza, chairman and CEO of BD. "Each of this year's Innovations in Care award winners has already implemented proven strategies for helping patients better manage chronic disease. This funding will help expand these successful programs, allowing care givers to reach more patients in their communities."

The following Innovations in Care Award winners were selected with guidance from a national expert panel of clinical pharmacists in the field of Medication Therapy Management:

Cornell Scott - Hill Health Corporation, New Haven, Connecticut
Henry J. Austin Health Center, Inc., Trenton, New Jersey
Maple City Health Center, Inc., Goshen, Indiana
Mountain Park Health Center, Phoenix, Arizona
North County Health Services, San Marcos, California
Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, New York

"It's privilege for Direct Relief to work with NACHC and be part of this extraordinary example of leadership by BD to find, recognize, and award these terrific efforts developed by community health centers that improve the health and lives of people with challenging health conditions," said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief president and CEO.

"Health centers are expected to serve a record 29 million patients in the next year. Partnerships with Direct Relief and BD are critical to our mission of solving public health problems with innovation and technology," said Malvise A. Scott, Senior Vice President for Partnership and Resource Development at NACHC. "Collaborations like these are an additional source of support for the groundbreaking work health centers perform when it comes to reducing chronic disease and promoting wellness in some of America's most challenged communities."

Since the launch of the BD Helping Build Healthy Communities™ Program in 2013, BD has invested $5.8 million in grants, which have been presented to 39 health centers in 20 states. In addition, BD has donated more than 33 million insulin syringes and 713,00 pen needles to more than 1,272 community health centers, free clinics and community clinics in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Island with a wholesale value of $9.5million. This program's cash and product donations are estimated to have impacted 450,000 patients across the United States.

For more information about the 2019 Helping build Healthy Communities' awardees, visit www.directrelief.org/bdhbhc.

About BD

BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help improve patient outcomes, improve the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to better diagnose disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. In 2017, BD welcomed C. R. Bard and its products into the BD family. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.

About Direct Relief

Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a California-based nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian medical aid in all 50 states and more than 100 countries, with a stated mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief has been named among the world's ten most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, received the CECP Directors' Award, the President's Award from Esri for excellence in GIS mapping, and the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. For more information, please visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.

About NACHC

The National Association of Community Health Centers was founded in 1971, with a mission to promote the provision of high quality, comprehensive and affordable health care that is coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent, and community directed for all medically underserved populations. NACHC is the membership organization for community health centers nationwide, which provide primary and preventive health care to over to 28 million people from more than 10,000 sites. www.nachc.org.

SOURCE Direct Relief