Published 01-17-06
Submitted by Baxter International Inc.
Each year, this $100,000 award is presented to a health care organization that provides innovative programs that help improve the health and well-being of the community. The Foster G. McGaw Prize is sponsored by the American Hospital Association (AHA), The Baxter International Foundation and the Cardinal Health Foundation.
Named as finalists and receiving $10,000 each were Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, Maine, Healthy Communities Initiative of Bartholomew County in Columbus, Ind., and Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, N.C.
"The Foster G. McGaw Prize recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate a passion and commitment to making their communities healthier and more vital," said Susan Manilow, chair of the Foster G. McGaw Prize Committee. "The truly inspiring work of the 2005 winner and finalists is a testament to this commitment in improving the health and quality of life of their communities. They provide excellent examples for others to follow."
Launched in 1970 by volunteer physicians Philip Rossman, M.D., founder, and Mayer B. Davidson, M.D., co-founder, Venice Family Clinic first operated at night out of a borrowed dental office. Today, Venice Family Clinic is the largest free clinic in the nation, with a staff of 250 and more than 2,300 volunteers who help fund and deliver comprehensive primary health care as well as specialty and supportive services benefiting 22,000 men, women and children at seven community locations during the nearly 106,000 patient visits they receive annually.
"Venice Family Clinic is unique in the breadth and depth of primary health care and supportive services offered to those with the least access to health care," said Manilow. "The Clinic has responded to and sustained programs that address the real needs of the people it serves, and it works every day to improve the health and quality of life of the most vulnerable members of its community."
The many people served by Venice Family Clinic include uninsured working-class and homeless individuals and families, many of them immigrants with little education. The Clinic collaborates with more than 70 health and social service providers, including local hospitals, professional organizations, governmental agencies and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and California.
"The Venice Family Clinic has close to 500 volunteer doctors who provide primary or specialty care at one of the Clinic's seven sites or at their private offices," said Clinic CEO Elizabeth Benson Forer. "Our extensive community partnerships with the Los Angeles hospital community mean that someone who is gravely ill and might otherwise die can receive treatment - at times even surgery - at no cost."
"Most of our patients are hard-working people. Many hold more than one job and are struggling to keep their families safe and healthy but they have no access to health care, so the Clinic has become their family doctor," added Forer. "But we do more than heal - we also educate our patients on how to manage their own care, as well as provide mental health services to handle the stress of what it means to be poor and uninsured."
In addition to its strong leadership and partnerships, Venice Family Clinic was recognized for a wide array of responsive, high quality programs and services, including:
About The Foster G. McGaw Prize Sponsors
The American Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes almost 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 37,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA Web site at www.aha.org.
As the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. (www.baxter.com), The Baxter International Foundation helps organizations increase access to health care in the United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981, began to focus exclusively on increasing access to health care in 2002 - particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved - in and near communities where Baxter employees live and work. Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists health care professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients'lives.
Supported by the global resources of Cardinal Health (www.cardinalhealth.com), including more than 55,000 employees around the world, the Cardinal Health Foundation is the focal point of the company's community relations efforts. The Foundation's mission is to advance and fund regional and national programs that improve access to and delivery of quality health care services. With annual revenues of nearly $75 billion and operations on six continents, Cardinal Health is the leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry.
Media contacts:
David Allen, American Hospital Association, (202) 626-2313
Amy Cynkar, The Baxter International Foundation, (847) 940-5166
Angela Gardner Meleca, Cardinal Health, (614) 757-6250
Linda Feldman, Venice Family Clinic, (310) 664-7918
At Baxter, sustainability means creating lasting social, environmental and economic value by addressing the needs of the company’s wide-ranging stakeholder base. The company's sustainability efforts support Baxter's mission to apply innovative science in the development of products and therapies that save and sustain patients' lives.
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