August 28, 2007 — To support initiatives that enhance patient safety and quality of care, Cardinal Health announced it is granting up to $1 million to fund new and innovative programs at hospitals, health systems and community health clinics across the country.
This grant is the largest and first of its kind given by a health-care company. Grants of up to $50,000 will provide funding for programs that establish or implement creative and replicable methods to address challenges in providing quality patient care and to help drive improvements.
According to reports and research published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthcare in the United States is not as safe as it should be. At least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many as 98,000 people, die in hospitals each year as a result of preventable medical errors.
“The healthcare community is keenly aware of the need to improve quality and patient safety,” said R. Kerry Clark, Cardinal Health’s CEO. "We see these grants as an opportunity to provide healthcare organizations with additional resources to drive measurable improvements. We hope that our efforts will help hospitals make meaningful progress in this important endeavor.”
In addition to the primary award criteria related to patient safety, programs can also be intended for operational or performance improvement, providing there is a strong impact on patient safety measures. Cardinal Health’s selection committee will look for: Projects that respond to a clearly identified, high priority safety issue; projects that apply new thinking and approaches to development of solutions; collaborative programs; demonstrable and sustainable measures to assure that improvements hold up over time; and model programs that can be replicated at other organizations.
To be eligible for funding, facilities must be designated as 501(c)(3) by the IRS and submit a letter of intent to submit a proposal by Friday, Oct. 12, 2007. Applicants are encouraged to be financially invested in the program through either operating support or in-kind contributions of time and materials. Grants will be awarded in March 2008.
In addition to the corporate commitment to patient safety, the Cardinal Health Foundation has provided more than $10 million for significant healthcare initiatives since its inception in 2002. Many of these have a special focus on patient safety.
Headquartered in Dublin, OH, Cardinal Health Inc. is an $87 billion, global company serving the healthcare industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients.
For more information: www.cardinalhealth.com