From Siemens Foundation to Support COVID-19 Response
The New Orleans-based community health center is one of 12 receiving financial support from the non-profit organization
The Siemens Foundation today announced it is committing $150,000 to New Orleans-based Marillac Community Health Centers/DePaul Community Health Centers in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The community healthcare organization is one of 12 receiving financial support from the non-profit organization established by Siemens USA. Aligning with its dedication to social equity, the Siemens Foundation is committing a total of $1.5 million to upporting these critical healthcare providers so they can continue serving their communities when they are needed most. The center is free to use the funding as it deems necessary in response to the crisis.
“Health care centers and medical professionals in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana have been providing the best possible care for our citizens under these unprecedented circumstances,” said Govenor of Lousiana John Bel Edwards. “We are grateful for the Siemens Foundation and their support of the DePaul Community Health Centers, formerly Daughters of Charity Health Centers, as we continue to deliver quality care to people and battle COVID-19 as a state.”
“Garnering this kind of support from the Siemens Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic greatly aids our mission of providing quality, affordable and compassionate care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Michael G. Griffin, president and CEO of Marillac Community Health Centers/DePaul Community Health Centers. “Vulnerable communities are being devastated by this virus, and this funding will increase our capacity to serve them. This grant award also assists us with addressing some of the unanticipated costs of quickly adapting to some of the financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic like securing additional PPE and testing materials, expanding mental and behavioral health services, and treating an influx of new patients. We thank the Siemens Foundation for its contributions during these challenging times.”
“The legacy of DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC) demonstrates both a willingness and effectiveness in serving the most vulnerable members of the greater New Orleans community during challenging times,” said U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond. “I thank the Siemens Foundation for recognizing DCHC’s mission of improving health outcomes for the underserved community, especially as we work to alleviate the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 virus on the citizens of Louisiana.”
"The City of New Orleans needs to leverage every partnership to aid in our
response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Every day it seems we see our local, state and national partners coming together to help us in our fight to protect our people, flatten the curve, and improve the health of our residents. We are incredibly grateful to the Siemens Foundation for the $150,000 commitment to the DePaul Community Health Centers, formerly Daughters of Charity Health Centers," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "We recognize Siemens' commitment to social equity, especially in light of the vulnerable residents affected by this outbreak."
Marillac Community Health Centers/DePaul Community Health Centers, which serves more than 50,000 patients, tests both current and new patients for the COVID-19 virus. It now offers TeleHealth appointments for patients, in an effort to increase safety for everyone, and continues offering in-person visits at six of its ten health centers. Patients may simply drive-up to the health centers to pick up prescriptions. Dental services, offered on an emergency basis due to mandates by the state of Louisiana, are available Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Similar to pharmacy services, clients of DCHC’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program may drive-up to receive EBT cards to shop for much-needed items for their families. DCHC plans to increase its efforts to assist patients with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and hypertension, given that African Americans comprise 70% of deaths from the COVID-19 virus.
Marillac Community Health Centers/DePaul Community Health Centers was selected in consultation with the National Association of Community Health Centers, the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, and Siemens. In determining the 12 centers to receive funding, they prioritized centers that serve the most underserved populations, including those in poverty, the homeless, the elderly and veterans. In addition, they looked at the quality of the centers, those serving the most vulnerable to COVID-19, financial stability, need, and number of patients served overall.
“As the COVID-19 crisis disproportionately threatens lower-income and medically underserved communities, it’s important for us to support the institutions that sustain our social compact,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation.
“Community health centers and their staff are on the front lines providing basic primary care every day and they now play an especially critical role in our medical services infrastructure when emergency services and hospital settings are overwhelmed. Vital services like these are paramount to supporting equity across America.”
The $1.5 million total commitment is funded, in part, by the Healthineers Fund of the Siemens Foundation, supported by Siemens Healthineers business in the United
States.
“It is a critical time to ensure that all patients and families are able to access the care they need,” said Dave Pacitti, Siemens Foundation Board of Directors member, President of Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. and Head of Siemens Healthineers North America. “The nation’s community health centers are a vital safety net for millions of patients, and these investments will help them to continue providing affordable care that strengthens the entire U.S. healthcare system in combatting the pandemic.”
For more information on the Siemens Foundation, follow @SFoundation on Twitter
or visit www.siemens-foundation.org.
Contact for journalists
Annie Satow
Phone: (202) 316-0219
E-mail: annie.seiple@siemens.com
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About the Siemens Foundation
The Siemens Foundation has invested more than $122 million in the United States to advance workforce development and education initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math. Our mission is inspired by the culture of innovation, research and continuous learning that is the hallmark of Siemens’ companies. Together, the programs at the Siemens Foundation are narrowing the opportunity gap for young people in the U.S. in STEM careers and igniting and sustaining today’s STEM workforce and tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.
