Two community health centers receive GE grant to provide increased access to healthcare in the US

Feb 9 2011

The GE Foundation - the philanthropic organization of GE - announced today the award of $500,000 to two Erie-based community health centers in an effort to help increase access to quality healthcare across the United States. As part of the GE Developing Health^TM program, these grants will support the Community Health Net (CHN) centers - The Daniel S. Snow, MD Health Center and Harborcreek Health Services in providing increased access to healthcare in their respective communities.

Developing Health is a three-year, $50 million GE program that aims to improve access to primary care in targeted underserved communities across the United States. The program aligns with GE's healthymagination initiative, a commitment to reduce costs, improve quality and increase access in healthcare.

"We are pleased to partner and engage with Community Health Net centers - The Daniel S. Snow, MD Health Center and Harborcreek Health Services to help drive community access to quality healthcare in Erie," said Bob Corcoran, President of the GE Foundation. "A staggering number of 47 million people in the United States are uninsured or lack access to basic healthcare, and we are committed to providing services to the uninsured and underserved through grants and GE volunteering in the communities. Both The Daniel S. Snow, MD Health Center and Harborcreek Health Services are well equipped to provide the necessary services and make a difference in their communities."

"We are also looking forward to partnering with Community Health Net on a series of volunteer opportunities over the next three years," said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. "GE's charitable giving goes hand in hand with ongoing employee engagement in the communities in which we live and work."

The grants to both centers will expand access to primary care for residents in the area. "We pride ourselves in providing medical care to those who cannot afford it, regardless of their income or their insurance status," said John Schultz, CEO of Community Health Net. "We are honored to be recognized by the GE Foundation for our efforts, and are excited about the prospect of providing increased access to care with the help of the Developing Health program."

Dr. Snow continued by stating, "I am so delighted by the generous three year commitment of General Electric of its resources, expertise and dedication to improving lives in the Erie Community, and to help Community Health Net maintain its excellent care, while increasing the efficiency of our systems, improving service to our patients, and expanding access to our services."

"Today, access to quality healthcare is one of the biggest challenges facing communities across the U.S.," said Mike Barber, Vice President of GE healthymagination. "The city of Erie fares worse than the rest of the state of Pennsylvania on almost every major health indicator, including heart disease, infant mortality and asthma. The Daniel S. Snow, MD Health Center and Harborcreek Health Services exemplify the type of community centers who strive to help those in need of health care services, and we want to support those committed to delivering quality care through the Developing Health program. At GE, we aim to change the approach to healthcare by improving the quality, reduce the cost and increase access to care."

Developing Health is a partnership between GE Corporate Citizenship and the GE Corporate Diversity Council. Modeled after GE's successful philanthropic program Developing Health Globally™, the program was launched in New York City in October 2009, and has since expanded to Atlanta, Milwaukee, Houston, Cincinnati, Louisville, New Orleans, Baltimore, Fairfield County, Schenectady, and now Erie.

The Developing Health program builds on the success of GE's existing Developing Health Globally (DHG) program. Launched in Africa in 2004, this philanthropic program now extends to 14 countries across Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. DHG aims to improve healthcare for some of the world's most vulnerable populations. DHG uses GE core competencies including technology, expertise and employee engagement to provide sustainable "enterprise solutions" that address some of the critical gaps that exist in developing-world healthcare facilities.