SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct Relief, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) today announced $125,000 in funding for five clinics through the Continuity in Care Grant Program, a three-year initiative, now in its final year, to help NAFC member organizations sustain and expand diabetes care in medically underserved areas. 

Free and Charitable Clinics provide care for low-income individuals who often lack insurance, are underinsured or have limited or no other access to health care. These clinics typically receive little or no government funding, rely heavily on volunteer medical staff, and provide services for free, or in some cases for a voluntary donation. 
 
"Free and charitable clinics are a key pillar of the healthcare safety net in the U.S.," said Damon Taugher, Vice President of Global Programs for Direct Relief. "Direct Relief is grateful for the opportunity to join with NAFC and BD in recognizing the free and charitable clinics and the critical role they play nationwide."  

The five clinics, each of which received $25,000, were selected by Direct Relief from 175 applicants across 38 states for innovative approaches to diabetes care among vulnerable populations. 

"On behalf of the medically underserved and our network of charitable health care providers, we thank Direct Relief and BD for their continued support and commitment to bringing needed access to health care in the United States," said Nicole Lamoureux, President and CEO of the NAFC. "Diabetes is one of the most commonly reported diagnoses among our patient population. This funding will allow grantees to address this chronic disease, focus on improving their patients' health outcomes and, consequently, improving the health of their communities."

The 2020 grant recipients are:  

• Center for Healing & Hope, Goshen, Indiana
• Delivering Equal Access to Care Clinic, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Hope Clinic of McKinney, McKinney, Texas
• Luke's House: A Clinic for Healing and Hope, New Orleans, Louisiana
• SLO Noor Foundation, San Luis Obispo, California

Since launching three years ago, the Continuity in Care Grant Program has provided more than $475,000 in cash to more than 30 free and charitable clinics, charitable pharmacies and state associations. 

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 enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect 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. 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 90 countries. 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 National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics 

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all. 

For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at @NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics. 

SOURCE Direct Relief

Related Links

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