Direct Relief's Activities in United States

For information about Direct Relief's response to the Southern California fires, please click here.

More than 46 million Americans lack health insurance. For these people, accessing medical care and medicine is both difficult and costly. Safety-net clinics, community health centers, local public health clinics, and hospital emergency rooms are often the only options for those who lack insurance.

Direct Relief’s safety-net clinic program works to deliver medicine and supplies to this growing group of uninsured through supporting clinics and health centers treating working-poor patients who would otherwise go without care or pay high, non-negotiated rates for their medicine.

Since the inception of the program in 2004, Direct Relief has provided over $125 million (wholesale) in medicines and supplies to more than 1,000 healthcare partners. Direct Relief’s domestic partner network now comprises more than 200 ongoing relationships with health centers and clinics throughout Alabama, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

The program has increased assistance to clinics that Direct Relief has had longstanding relationships in its local community and has expanded to other areas of high need. Working directly with the national, regional, and local health center and clinic associations, Direct Relief identifies and supports clinics and health centers treating patients in need. Partners in Direct Relief’s program are required to meet strict federal, state, and local guidelines which require tight controls on donations.

Applying lessons learned from two-years of statewide efforts in California, Direct Relief expanded its support to centers and clinics serving hurricane-affected patients along the Gulf Coast. Direct Relief leveraged state and regional contacts to locate providers treating high numbers of hurricane evacuees and aligned targeted shipments from corporate medical supporters. In total, Direct Relief has provided more than $42.4 million in medical aid and $4.5 million in financial assistance to providers treating evacuees and victims of the hurricanes. Clinics that typically function as a safety-net for the uninsured also served as an essential component of the emergency medical response.

Direct Relief has been licensed by the California Board of Pharmacy for 45 years and is a licensed pharmacy distributor and wholesaler in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas. These licenses allow Direct Relief to assist resource-strapped clinics and develop efficient channels for emergency response. Direct Relief is planning to expand its assistance and has applications pending in other states.

Featured Work

Beyond the California Wildfires
When Damon Taugher, Direct Relief’s Director of Domestic Initiatives, delivered a presentation to the National Association of Community Health Centers’ (NACHC) annual Policy & Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. this past March, he had two purposes.  More »

Action Before an Emergency: Direct Relief Assists Nonprofit Safety-Net Clinics Prepare for the Hurricane Season
The National Weather Service predicts an active 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. In preparation, Direct Relief has strengthened ties with the network of nonprofit safety-net clinics along the Gulf Coast that proved to be essential points of access for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita two years ago.  More »

Local Support: Santa Barbara County Programs
Supporting our home community has always been a priority for Direct Relief, from addressing unmet dental health needs, assisting the homeless, and helping our local schools prepare for a natural disaster.  More »

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Response and Ongoing Support
Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast, Direct Relief continues to support clinics in the region, providing more than $31 million in direct aid to healthcare partners comprised of $26.8 million (wholesale) in medical material aid and $4.5 million in targeted cash investments.  More »