Business Roundtable Joins Forces with Project HOPE and Healthcare Ready to Deliver Protective Gear to America's Frontline Health Workers

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Business Roundtable, Project HOPE, and Healthcare Ready announced they have joined forces to deliver lifesaving protective gear and equipment to America's frontline health workers.

Together with the leadership of chief executive officers of America's leading companies, Project HOPE is rapidly mobilizing protective gear and other vital equipment from manufacturers worldwide and delivering these lifesaving supplies to America's nurses, doctors, and others working to treat patients and stop the spread of COVID-19. These critically needed supplies will be allocated to health facilities in coordination with Healthcare Ready, which is already working in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help allocate protective gear donations.

"America's health workers need support now more than ever, and we are proud to partner with Business Roundtable and Healthcare Ready to deliver lifesaving supplies and equipment to the frontlines of the outbreak in the U.S.," said Rabih Torbay, President and CEO of Project HOPE. "Working together, we will quickly purchase, transport, and deliver protective gear and equipment to the health facilities that need it most." 

"These contributions are the latest example of a concerted effort by Business Roundtable CEOs to address health care supply shortages during the COVID-19 epidemic," said Joshua Bolten, Business Roundtable President & CEO. "We are grateful for the infrastructure Project HOPE and Healthcare Ready have in place that will procure and distribute these supplies to help Americans who need them most."

"Healthcare Ready is pleased to join Project Hope and Business Roundtable in this unique public/private partnership, which will enable swift delivery of essential and critically-needed supplies to our nation's brave healthcare workforce," said Dr. Nicolette Louissaint, executive director of Healthcare Ready. "By leveraging the strengths of each organization to combat COVID-19, together we can help increase the safety and security of those serving on the frontlines, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives."

Project HOPE has more than 60 years' experience responding to some of the world's greatest health crises, including being one of the only international humanitarian relief organizations on the ground in Wuhan since the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since early this year, Project HOPE has been providing critical support to frontline health workers who were treating patients and working to contain the spread of the virus. Project HOPE has delivered nearly 5 million facemasks and other protective gear as well as lifesaving medical equipment, including ventilators, to hospitals that cared for tens of thousands of patients in China. In addition, Project HOPE quickly ramped up its global response to provide live, online training on COVID-19 prevention and treatment, protective gear, and other support for health workers in high-risk countries like North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Colombia. Project HOPE is also providing protective equipment and medical surge staff to help support America's COVID-19 response efforts as well.

Healthcare Ready is a national nonprofit organization, which has spent more than a decade strengthening healthcare supply chains through collaboration with public health and private sectors to build and enhance the resiliency of communities before, during and after disasters.

About Project HOPE

Project HOPE operates around the world wherever the need is greatest, working side-by-side with local health workers and addressing the greatest public health challenges to enable people to live their best lives. We respond to disasters and health crises, staying on in communities after the emergency subsides to help find durable solutions to epidemics and any other neglected health needs. For more information on Project HOPE and its response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit www.projecthope.org and follow @projecthopeorg.

About Business Roundtable

Business Roundtable CEO members lead companies with more than 15 million employees and $7.5 trillion in revenues. The combined market capitalization of Business Roundtable member companies is the equivalent of over 27 percent of total U.S. stock market capitalization, and Business Roundtable members invest nearly $147 billion in research and development – equal to over 40 percent of total U.S. private R&D spending. Our companies pay $296 billion in dividends to shareholders and generate $488 billion in revenues for small and medium-sized businesses. Business Roundtable companies also make more than $8 billion in charitable contributions. Learn more at businessroundtable.org and follow @BizRoundtable.

About Healthcare Ready

Healthcare Ready is a preparedness and response nonprofit organization that helps to strengthen healthcare supply chains through collaboration with public health and private sectors by addressing pressing issues before, during, and after disasters. As a convener of industry and government, the organization safeguards patient health by providing solutions to critical problems and best practices for healthcare preparedness and response. Learn more at HealthcareReady.org and follow @HC_Ready.

Project HOPE Contact:
Rebecca Gustafson
+1-202-602-8312
rgustafson@projecthope.org

Business Roundtable Contact:
Jennifer Cummings
jcummings@brt.org 

Healthcare Ready Contact:
Mindy Wright
+1-619-376-5505
mindy@intesacom.com

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SOURCE Project HOPE