GE and GE Foundation Target Access to Health Care

While the health insurance debate rages, some people are getting on with trying to provide more people access to primary care. The GE company, the GE Foundation and the GE Corporate Diversity Council are launching a three-year, $25 million program aimed at getting underserved people around the nation the attention they need, according to a GE press release.

The program will bring the principles of GE's developing-world-focused initiative, called Developing Health Globally, to the US’s own shores. Launched in 2004, the initiative is based on improving access to care, and in the US will assist nonprofit health centers via grants and GE employee engagement programs. Grants will be disbursed on the basis of need, community impact, leadership, transparency and accountability.

New York City is the program’s first target area, where the group has awarded grants totaling $1 million to the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Urban Health Plan, the Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center and the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center. Other places with concentrations of GE employees, especially those with active GE Affinity Networks, will attract the next rounds of grant money.

"Our aim here is to combine Foundation resources with our human capital to improve access to quality healthcare in America, beginning in New York City," said Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation.

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