Septmeber 29, 2022 – BD, in conjunction with Heart to Heart International (HHI), the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) and Henry Schein Cares, today announced that six U.S. free and charitable clinics will be awarded product-based grants worth a total of $360,000 to support point-of-care diagnostic testing in communities with underserved and at-risk patient populations.
The BD Point-of-Care, Enhancing Clinical Effectiveness (PoCECE) initiative will provide the clinics with laboratory equipment to evaluate patients and receive diagnostic test results while still onsite. The initiative focuses on diagnosing the most common health issues faced by vulnerable patients in underserved populations, including high cholesterol, diabetes, urinary tract infections, kidney disease, blood clotting disorders, liver disease, strep A, HIV, hepatitis C, flu A & B, RSV and pregnancy tests.
Recipients of the 2022 PoCECE grant are:
- Agape Medical Clinic, Inc. – Weatherford, Oklahoma
- Esperanza Center – Associated Catholic Charities, Inc. – Baltimore, Maryland
- La Clinica Gratis of Community Initiatives, Inc – Greenwood, South Carolina
- Viola Startzman Clinic – Wooster, Ohio
- Premier Mobile Health Services – Fort Meyers, Florida
- The Free Clinics – Hendersonville, North Carolina
The grants include a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA)-waived point-of-care test system consisting of instruments and tests, as well as clinician training and technical support provided by BD employee volunteers to help ensure proper setup and use of equipment.
The PoCECE initiative launched in 2017 and has supported 27 U.S. clinics in 20 states with product and cash donations totaling $2.6 million. With this year’s grant, more than 16,500 patient visits are expected to be positively impacted through enhanced diagnostic capabilities.
Ellen Rafferty, senior manager of Social Investing at BD said, “The recipients of this year’s grant are actively working to advance the health of their communities – most notably for those patients facing health and social challenges that may not otherwise have reliable access to health care services. This partnership with HHI, NAFC and Henry Schein helps further BD’s commitment to advancing access to quality, equitable health care, and continues to be an essential means of providing funding and resources to these hard-working clinics.”
The BD Point-of-Care, Enhancing Clinical Effectiveness initiative is funded by BD and implemented by HHI in conjunction with the NAFC and Henry Schein. For more information about the 2022 winners of BD Point-of-Care, Enhancing Clinical Effectiveness grant, visit Heart to Heart International.