Pictured above: Behind the scenes as MedStar Health associates prepare medical supplies and equipment to be shipped to Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Janet Thomason knew she had to act fast.
As director of national procurement for Project C.U.R.E., the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies and equipment, Thomason’s organization would soon be flooded with requests to aid the millions of people impacted by the war. Her job was to find partners who could help fill the requests quickly and efficiently.
MedStar Health stepped forward to help.
In its first partnership with Project C.U.R.E., MedStar Health committed to donating $2 million in medical equipment and supplies to the war-torn nation.
“Everyone on the MedStar Health team was completely invested in this project, and they all had ideas on how they could support our efforts,” Thomason says. “They came to us with a lengthy list of supplies they could provide and were tremendously generous.”
The devastation experienced by communities in Ukraine put their hospitals under immense pressure. According to Project C.U.R.E., an estimated 12 million people in Ukraine and 4 million refugees in neighboring countries needed, or will need, aid.
“As the conflict increased, we wanted to help in any way we could,” said Patrick McGovern, assistant vice president, Supply Chain Operations, MedStar Health. “We looked for ways to take our surplus resources and use them to help others globally.”
MedStar Health sent three rounds of shipments in 2022, each time filling up to four 53-foot trailers with the most critically needed medical items, including hospital beds, surgical instruments, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and other supplies.
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The trucks were sent to Project C.U.R.E. locations throughout the U.S. for sorting, then loaded onto air cargo planes and delivered to Eastern Europe. Thomason said one plane loaded with supplies landed in Ukraine just days before a major attack, making those supplies even more critical.
“The impact has been tremendous,” says Thomason. “Project C.U.R.E. is the conduit, but partners like MedStar Health make all of this possible. They’re giving the people of Ukraine the tools they need to take care of their communities and save lives.”
In addition to aid for Ukraine, McGovern says MedStar Health will continue to partner with Project C.U.R.E. to help deliver lifesaving medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in under-resourced communities worldwide.
“It helps to have a partner so committed to prioritizing global health,” Thomason says. “MedStar Health is helping to ensure that where a person lives doesn’t impact whether they live.”