National partnerships
We're proud to partner with and support the efforts of the following non-profit organizations.
Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation
In 2006 and 2007, the Cardinal Health Foundation provided grants totaling $300,000 to the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) for its patient safety research program. This award is granted to an investigator(s) who submits a proposal for a research project relative to patient safety that is selected by the APSF Committee on Scientific Evaluation. APSF's mission is to assure that no patient shall be harmed by anesthesia.
To read more about APSF and the Cardinal Health Foundation Research Award, visit www.apsf.org/resource_center/newsletter/2007/winter/03_grant.htm.
Disaster relief and recovery
Cardinal Health and the Cardinal Health Foundation have responded to the immediate needs of communities when disaster strikes and lives are changed. Beginning with 9/11, the company and the Foundation were responsive in providing medical products and cash contributions in the wake of the disaster. Natural tragedies such as wildfires in California, the December 26, 2004 tsunami that destroyed thousands of lives in Southeast Asia and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2005 that overwhelmed the Gulf Coast region, were all responded to by Cardinal Health and the Cardinal Health Foundation. Cardinal Health employees have also contributed significantly to disaster relief efforts. Employee donations are matched through the Cardinal Health Employees CARE Program to relief agencies including the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, CARE USA , MAP International, Oxfam America, UNICEF and World Vision.
In total, the Cardinal Health Foundation has granted nearly $5 million to disaster relief and recovery efforts since 2001.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
The Cardinal Health Foundation became a lead sponsor of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign in Spring 2005 with a $500,000 commitment. The campaign focused on the implementation of six key interventions that were scientifically proven to save lives. Thousands of people are harmed in U.S. hospitals every day and IHI estimates that nearly 15 million instances of medical harm occur in the U.S. each year – a rate of 40,000 per day. IHI estimated that the 100,000 Lives Campaign partners saved over 120,000 lives over the 18-months of the campaign which ended in June 2006.
IHI has followed up this highly successful campaign with the 5 Million Lives Campaign which challenges American hospitals to adopt 12 changes in care that will save lives and reduce patient injuries. The Cardinal Health Foundation is also a leading sponsor of this two-year campaign with a commitment of $1 million.
For more information about IHI’s 5 Million Lives Campaign, visit http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/Campaign/Campaign.htm?TabId=1.
MAP International
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005, the Cardinal Health Foundation responded to the communities' immediate needs. Recognizing the need for longer-term solutions, MAP International understood that many people in the hurricane-affected areas had limited access to healthcare services. As a result, with a $250,000 grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation, two permanent mobile medical units were brought to Southern Louisiana and Mississippi to provide basic healthcare services to area residents.
Read more about the mobile health clinic on MAP's website http://www.map.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mobilehealth_news.
Maryland Patient Safety Center
The Maryland Patient Safety Center was created by in 2004 to develop and implement strategies to improve the safety of patient care in Maryland. The organization brings together healthcare providers to study the causes of unsafe practices and put practical improvements in place to prevent errors.The Cardinal Health Foundation partnered with the Maryland Patient Safety Center to offer two Cardinal Health Patient Safety Solutions Grants at $50,000 apiece. The grants were awarded in June 2006 to:
- Atlantic General Hospital for the development and evaluation of an electronic medication and allergy reconciliation system linking primary care physicians’ practices with the Atlantic General Hospital’s inpatient data system.
- Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for the development, evaluation and dissemination of a tool for computerized prescribing of controlled substances to children, with decision support for improving patient safety.
To learn more about the Cardinal Health Patient Safety Solution Grants, visit http://www.marylandpatientsafety.org/html/news/060506.html.
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is the largest humanitarian organization dedicated solely to providing direct treatment to children and young adults with cleft palates and other facial deformities. The Cardinal Health Foundation has been a proud supporter of Operation Smile for three years, providing $100,000 annually toward the organization's investment of a new advanced technology system. In 2007, the Foundation pledged an additional $300,000 over three years toward IT initiatives associated with improvements in patient safety. Cardinal Health has also provided significant in-kind donations of latex gloves.
To learn more about Operation Smile, please visit their website at www.operationsmile.org.
Pharmacy Leadership Institute at Boston University
In partnership with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Boston University School of Management, Cardinal Health helped to develop a leadership program for directors of pharmacy at hospitals and health systems. Funded by the Cardinal Health Foundation, this weeklong program is designed to broaden business skills, managerial versatility and the extraordinary leadership demanded of today's directors of pharmacy. More than 200 directors of pharmacy have completed the program to learn how to provide better care for patients.
To learn more about the executive education programs and the Pharmacy Leadership Institute at Boston University, visit http://www.management.bu.edu/exec/elc/CustomPrograms.shtml.
