Hill-Rom Announces Hospital Beds for Humanity™ Program

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