AmeriCares has been awarded a $650,000 grant to expand its domestic medical assistance services to more than 250 health clinics serving the uninsured and underinsured throughout the nation.
The funds were donated by the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of General Electric, and are a part of its Developing Health program, a three-year, $25 million commitment that provides grant funding and employee engagement to selected healthcare centers. Funding will be focused on delivering primary care and expanding access to quality healthcare.
“We are proud to be a part of the Developing Health initiative as it is in perfect alignment with our vision to help more people live longer, healthier lives,” said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares. “AmeriCares is committed to supporting free clinics and their critical role in our country’s healthcare system, providing underserved patients with access to healthcare in addition to easing the pressure on over-burdened emergency rooms for primary care services.”
In 2009, AmeriCares delivered more than $20 million in medical assistance to 160 health clinics across the country and plans to double that commitment to $40 million over the next two years. The GE grant will enable AmeriCares to broaden the support it provides to clinics, including best practices research and guidelines to stretching limited resources to increase patient treatment capacity.
”Recognizing a critical need in the U.S. healthcare system, the Developing Health program seeks to fill the gap in access to quality care for underserved communities. Our partnership with AmeriCares is a great illustration of the positive impact that the Developing Health program can make by combining funding with the volunteer support of GE’s people,” said Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation.