San Francisco, CA., August 31, 2017— Today, McKesson Corporation and the McKesson Foundation announced a commitment of $100,000 in financial support to nonprofit Direct Relief and $150,000 in-kind donation of medical supplies to World Vision. The donations will be used by the two organizations to provide disaster response to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in the Houston, TX area. In addition, McKesson is matching donations made by its employees through the company’s donation matching program. Altogether, McKesson’s donations currently total more than $300,000.
“The current devastation in Houston is heartbreaking and it is clear that it will take a significant amount of leadership, compassion and teamwork to rebuild,” said John Hammergren, chairman and CEO, McKesson. “With millions of individuals impacted by the storm and tens of thousands of residents still without shelter, it is our hope that McKesson’s donations will help on-the-ground organizations and first-responders as they care for those in need.”
As a primary distributor of medications and medical surgical supplies, McKesson has significant operations in the Houston area, including warehouses in Conroe and Houston, TX. With deep experience supporting healthcare organizations and first-responders during natural disasters, McKesson took proactive steps to prepare for Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. McKesson positioned extra employees at the company’s neighboring facilities in anticipation of customer orders being shifted due to pending operational challenges in Conroe and Houston. McKesson also stocked extra inventory of key medications that are frequently in short supply during a crisis at the Texas warehouses and neighboring facilities.
Many of McKesson’s employees have gone above and beyond to respond to customer needs, such as driving six hours through the night to deliver life-saving medications for premature babies in a local hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or personally delivering a new type of cancer medication to a hospitalized patient whose body was rejecting the current course of treatment. McKesson’s pharmacy customers have also demonstrated incredible compassion and commitment, including one pharmacist who accessed his flooded pharmacy and delivered salvageable medications by boat to patients in need.
In addition to the contributions to Direct Relief and World Vision, McKesson has partnered with the Red Cross, providing them with access to McKesson’s warehouse space in Corpus Christi to use as a staging location for their relief efforts in the area. The company has also provided general and medical supplies for temporary shelters in the Houston area, including diapers, baby food, insulin, drinks, and other food items, as well as food, drinks and miscellaneous supplies to the National Guard members stationed at Katy High School in Katy, TX. McKesson’s RelayHealth Pharmacy Solutions’ business is also a participant in the Rx Open network, which helps patients find nearby open pharmacies in areas impacted by disaster.
McKesson and the McKesson Foundation’s $100,000 cash donation is to Direct Relief, a nonprofit that provides essential medical assistance services to those affected by natural and manmade disasters. Direct Relief is providing medical aid to individuals who have suffered from the flooding and unstable conditions in the Houston area.
“Direct Relief is deeply grateful for the generous act of McKesson and the McKesson Foundation to assist the people who have had their lives upended and the communities that have been slammed so hard by Hurricane Harvey,” said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe. “We share McKesson’s keen sensitivity to and focus on the serious health risks that exist in Harvey’s wake, and this support will translate directly into people having access to medications and health services needed now in the weeks and months ahead.”
McKesson’s $150,000 in-kind donation of supplies is to World Vision, a humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide. The supplies include items such as bandages, diapers, nebulizer kits, coolers, blankets, tissues, shampoo/body wash, antiseptic gel, latex gloves and more.
About The McKesson Foundation
Founded in 1943, the McKesson Foundation is dedicated to supporting our employees' community involvement efforts and cancer care. To maximize our impact, the Foundation invests in organizations that provide cancer support programs, providing care packages for cancer patients through McKesson Foundation’s Giving Comfort program, and growing and diversifying the international bone marrow registry through the McKesson Marrow Drive. Each year, the McKesson Foundation contributes more than $4.5 million to nonprofit organizations working to improve the health of our communities. Over the past three years, the Foundation has matched more than $3.4 million in employee donations to charitable organizations. For more information, please contact us at McKessonFoundation@McKesson.com.
About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 5th on the FORTUNE 500, is a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information technology. McKesson partners with pharmaceutical manufacturers, providers, pharmacies, governments and other organizations in healthcare to help provide the right medicines, medical products and healthcare services to the right patients at the right time, safely and cost-effectively. United by our ICARE shared principles, our employees work every day to innovate and deliver opportunities that make our customers and partners more successful — all for the better health of patients. McKesson has been named the “Most Admired Company” in the healthcare wholesaler category by FORTUNE, a “Best Place to Work” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and a top military-friendly company by Military Friendly. For more information, visit www.McKesson.com.