launch of non-profit foundation

Building Healthier Communities

Owens & Minor announces launch of non-profit foundation

Owens & Minor, Inc. announced it is launching a non-profit foundation to build healthier communities through

engagement and financial support of trusted charitable and civic organizations. The Owens & Minor Foundation will be focused on healthcare, environment and diversity and inclusion. After an initial endowment of $10 million, The Foundation will continue to pursue these efforts through grants, charitable contributions, volunteer activities and donations.

Owens & Minor is a global healthcare solutions company that incorporates product manufacturing, distribution support, and technology services to deliver value from acute care to telemedicine. They provide a wide variety of solutions that cover everything from challenges in the current clinical system to improving and optimizing the healthcare supply chain. The Foundation would exist as yet another arm in their approach to improving healthcare processes for the industry.

Advancing access

In a media release, Owens & Minor said that the Owens & Minor Foundation is dedicated to impacting and empowering local communities through a series of different initiatives. The Foundation will look to advance healthcare access in all communities and supporting opportunities for people to lead healthier lives, while improving established operational sustainability initiatives that help improve the health of the environment around us. They also propose to build a diverse and inclusive culture where the team can openly share ideas and learn from each other. Additionally, they aim to increase support of supplier diversity initiatives, something that the healthcare industry could truly benefit from.

As for the push to improve sustainability for the local environment, Owens & Minor recently launched the Environmental, Social and Governance Report that details many of the sustainability initiatives its locations currently undertake. A representative for Owens & Minor said “Environmental, social, and governance initiatives are integral to the fabric of Owens & Minor for years, and the inaugural ESG Report reinforces the great work already underway while taking our efforts to the next level. We are actively recruiting for Environmental Stewards to spearhead our own initiatives and initiate programs with leading recycling operations in the U.S. focused on supporting healthcare and converting waste product into durable goods that are returned to the healthcare field for further use.”

Healthcare accessibility is a hot button issue these days, and many communities desperately need better options for healthcare. The COVID19 pandemic only made that more apparent, laying bare issues in the infrastructure of the U.S. healthcare system. The Foundation isn’t a direct response to the pandemic – Owens & Minor’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance initiatives predates COVID-19 – it could prove to be a solution for the healthcare sector, whether it’s optimizing supply chain processes, pushing for sustainable practices in medicine, or working to improve patient care outcomes.

“The Foundation will allow Owens & Minor to reinforce and prioritize its support of important initiatives in the communities in which it operates,” said Shana Neal, president of the Foundation and executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Owens & Minor, in a statement. “The creation and funding of the Foundation will build on the strong legacy of service which Owens & Minor has established itself and will provide a solid grounding for continued support long into the future.”