Bridging The Gap Between Surplus and Need
Healthcare Organization That Benefits Locally And Overseas
Nov 7, 2009
According to Medshare, hospitals in America send millions of unused medical supplies to landfills, while thousands of patients in developing nations don't have access to medical care.
Donating Time And Resources
Hospitals such as the Atlanta Medical Center, Northside Hospital, and Gwinnett Medical Center have been generous enough to donate their surplus medical supplies to the Medshare staff who gather volunteers to sort and pack these materials. Volunteers are expected to inspect these medical supplies before packing them to make sure they are unused and have not expired. This ensures safe use for patients in hospitals in recipient countries.
Many of the volunteers come from local colleges including Emory University, University of Georgia, and Georgia State University. In fact, Medshare is an organization that Georgia State's Office of Civic Engagement refers volunteers. These volunteer groups range from members of the American Medical Association and Delta Sigma Pi to the Student Nursing Association, Finance Student Society, and Beta Alpha Psi.
Where The Medical Supplies Go
Once the sorted medical supplies are approved and packaged by Medshare staff, they are shipped to hospitals overseas that request supplies. Medshare has sent shipments to Partners in Health of Rwanda, Gerente Hospital Francisco of Colombia, and a number of other facilities.
First aid kits, surgical gloves, respiratory supplies, and syringes were among the many items that were shipped. Ever since 1998, Medshare has delivered enough medical supplies to its recipient hospitals in 72 countries to save $60 million worth of medical items and 980,000 cubic feet of space in U.S. landfills.
Recognitions
As a result of its impact on the environment and global healthcare, Medshare has been recognized by media, corporations, and nonprofit groups. For instance, they were recognized on WSB-TV for "Going Green" and Fox 5 celebrated the 400th container that they sent.
Also, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits awarded them the "Most Outstanding Nonprofit Organization for 2008." LIVE Energy Drink, a company that sells health drinks, donates 50 percent of every dollar it makes to nonprofit agencies such as Medshare.
Expansion Outside of Georgia
The organization has even expanded its operations to the state of California. Donors have already stepped in to contribute supplies ranging from hospital beds and incubators to portable X-ray units. Some of the partners of the new Medshare site in California are Toyota, Kaiser Permanente, and Cisco.
Medshare addresses the healthcare problem in developing nations by donating medical supplies that would have otherwise filled up the landfills of the United States. Organizations have donated their time and resources so that hospitals round the world receive these medical supplies. The success of this organization in Georgia has resulted in a facility opened in California.
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