VALLEY FORGE, Pa. – The AmerisourceBergen Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable giving organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich the global community, has committed $1 million to support communities, individuals and nonprofits impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). In alignment with the Foundation’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of patient populations, the grant donations will be deployed to regional, national and global organizations focused on combatting the economic, psychosocial and health challenges resulting from the global pandemic.
“Our most complex and pressing healthcare challenges require solutions that are as multi-faceted as the issues themselves. At the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, we believe philanthropic organizations play a critical role in addressing global health emergencies at a local level, which is why we have partnered with like-minded nonprofits to share resources and positively impact communities across the globe during this unprecedented time,” said Gina Clark, President of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation. “Working hand-in-hand with organizations embedded in our communities will ultimately allow us to act quickly by expanding access to quality care and implementing targeted programs that will lead to change and sustained impact.”
To address some of the most immediate impacts from COVID-19, the Foundation has provided donations to the following organizations dedicated to building healthy communities, improving patient outcomes and ensuring the timely delivery of critical medications:
- Direct Relief ($250,000 grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation): Direct Relief provides essential medical resources for people affected by poverty and for communities impacted by emergencies. In the context of the coronavirus, Direct Relief has allocated emergency support to U.S. community health centers, which serve those among the most vulnerable populations. Direct Relief has also shipped protective gear to health organizations globally.
- Americares ($250,000 grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation): As a health-focused relief and development organization, Americares will be providing mental health and psychosocial support training to build the capacity of health professionals to identify and address patients’ mental health needs and help them manage their own stress and wellbeing. Given the current pressures on healthcare workers, Americares is developing interactive training webinars on COVID-19 specific mental health and psychosocial support topics to be disseminated across its network of 4,000 health centers and other health facilities. Americares is also providing personal protective equipment to frontline health workers and continues to provide essential primary care services at its clinics in Connecticut, Colombia and El Salvador.
- Healthcare Ready ($150,000 grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation): Healthcare Ready helps to strengthen healthcare supply chains through collaboration with public health and private sectors by addressing pressing issues before, during, and after disasters. The grant from the Foundation will help enable Healthcare Ready to offer its proprietary service, Rx Open Map, for free to the general public to track the status of pharmacies and dialysis centers across the country so that patients have information on possible closures before leaving their homes.
The Foundation has committed to match AmerisourceBergen associate donations made to Direct Relief, Americares and Healthcare Ready through the Foundation’s matching gift program, myCommunityImpact, by 200 percent. They will also be matching associate donations made to the AmerisourceBergen Associate Assistance Fund (AAF), an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to associates and their families who are facing severe financial hardships due to catastrophic events. To support associates across the organization, who are the front lines of caring for patients, delivering critical medications and working with providers every day, the AAF will now also offer funding for those most severely impacted by COVID-19 related events.
To assist the regions where AmerisourceBergen’s 22,000 associates live and work, the Foundation has also identified a number of regional organizations across the U.S. that will provide immediate grants to those disproportionally affected by COVID-19, and address longer-term challenges that will impact education, income and health outcomes across communities. Global donations will also be made to targeted organizations focused on helping countries prevent, detect and manage the novel coronavirus by providing best practice guidance on how to keep people safe and coordinating scientists around the world to develop vaccines, better diagnostic tests and potential treatments.
The Foundation also recognizes that nonprofit organizations, like many industries, will face unprecedented challenges in the coming days and months. To help existing partners ensure they can stay in operation and continue to serve their communities, the Foundation will be extending its current grant periods and opening grant funding to include operational expenses. Additionally, the Foundation will be providing individual grants to select current partner organizations that are combatting COVID-19.
As the philanthropic arm of AmerisourceBergen Corporation, the Foundation is aligned in its mission to support efficient and safe access to pharmaceutical care around the globe. In the midst of global crises, and during these times of need, it is the collection of AmerisourceBergen, its associates and the Foundation that come together united in a responsibility to create healthier futures to effectively support relief efforts. Together, these organizations work tirelessly around the clock to expand access to quality healthcare, improve patient outcomes and ensure that healthcare providers are able to receive the products they rely on to treat those who are immediately impacted.
About the AmerisourceBergen Foundation
The AmerisourceBergen Foundation is an independent not-for-profit charitable giving organization established by AmerisourceBergen Corporation to support health-related causes that enrich that global community. The Foundation aims to improve the health and well-being of its patient populations – both human and animal – by investing in its communities. Through strategic partnerships and community collaboration, the Foundation works to expand access to quality healthcare and provide resources to ensure prescription drug safety. For more information, visit www.amerisourcebergenfoundation.org.