General Electric’s philanthropic wing has announced that it is developing a new program to provide grant funding and "employee engagement" to healthcare centers across the country.
The "Developing Health" program, which will be headed by the GE Foundation, will utilize $25 million in funding over the course of the next three years to help and improve the ability for selected healthcare centers to provide primary care as well as access to quality healthcare.
It will be accomplished by improving access to primary care for underserved populations through grants and volunteering from GE employees, a similar model that has been used previously by the organization for its "Developing Health Globally" program.
According to GE vice chairman John Rice, the new initiative will be addressing a very important issue in healthcare, especially given the recent prioritization by President Barack Obama to reform the process.
"While the nation wrestles with the tough issues of healthcare reform for the country, the tens of millions of people who don`t have access today can`t wait," he said. "We can make a real, positive difference by supporting health centers like Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center in the work that they do to serve the needs of their community."
The program will initially be launched in New York City at four health centers: the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Urban Health Plan Inc., Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center, and Charles B. Wang Community Health Center.
Saying that healthcare was a "priority" for all Americans, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg credited GE with its decision to help aid communities in need
"At a time when the topic of healthcare is such a priority for all Americans, the GE Foundation continues to improve the lives of others through their generosity," he added.
Since its founding in 1953, the GE Foundation had aided a number of non-profit organizations for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, ranging from the United Negro College Fund to the Twin Towers Fund.
