478 Community Clinics in 49 States to Receive Needed H1N1 Protective Supplies from Direct Relief USA
Largest medical product support program for America’s safety-net clinics and health centers responds to shortage
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (November 20, 2009) Direct Relief USA, a program of humanitarian medical aid group Direct Relief International, is providing 478 clinics in 49 states needed H1N1 protective items to help clinic workers stay healthy and on the job through flu season. This morning staff at Direct Relief International’s 60,000 square-foot headquarters and warehouse will complete the packing of nearly 500 large cartons of supplies weighing approximately five tons.
Friday’s shipments, to be delivered for free by longtime supporter FedEx, contain 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 36,000 bars of soap. These basic but important items help keep clinical staff healthy throughout the flu season allowing clinics to use their limited resources on other priorities.
This is the first of a series of cold and flu season distributions helping support the safety net clinics this winter. Future shipments will be focused on supplies for patients presenting with cold and flu symptoms, including over-the-counter cough and cold medicines appropriate for patients with seasonal colds and flu.
This support was prompted by a nationwide survey conducted by Direct Relief USA that showed that 80 percent of clinics and health centers have less than a one-month supply of key Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like hand sanitizer, gowns, goggles, and masks, which are needed to protect staff from infection. The survey represented over 30,000 healthcare workers who treat over 4 million patients annually.
“We surveyed our clinic partners on the educated ‘hunch’ that they are already hard pressed and would not have the resources to have built up the recommended stockpiles for an H1N1 surge,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief’s president and CEO.
Survey participants included nonprofit federally qualified health centers, free clinics, and unaffiliated nonprofit community health centers.
“As we introduce this kind of communication to support our country’s nonprofit safety net, we are also unifying a fragmented system so we can get doctors and healthcare workers what they need to treat the patients they care for,” said Tighe. “And in turn, we are able to most effectively channel the money and medical materials entrusted to us by people and by our product donor companies.”
Uniquely positioned to help fill the gap between government facilities and private healthcare institutions, community health centers and clinics treat the most vulnerable patients on a daily basis by playing a key role in delivering health services to medically underserved individuals and families. They also become first responders when medical emergencies and natural disasters strike. Safety-net clinics and health centers provide quality care at little or no cost to patients, a significant percentage of who are uninsured and earn less than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
Direct Relief International, best known for its 61 years of international medical relief, currently operates the largest medical product support program for America’s safety-net clinics and health centers through its Direct Relief USA program. Since its launch, Direct Relief USA has provided more than $150 million (wholesale) worth of medicines and supplies to more than 1,000 partner clinics and health centers in the U.S. This includes more than 10 million needed prescriptions.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for seven consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California’s largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.
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