FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE:BDX), a leading global medical technology company - together with Direct Relief and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) - has announced the winners of the 2014 "Innovations in Care" awards to seven community health centers as part of the BD Helping Build Healthy Communities(SM) initiative. The announcement was made at the 2014 National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Community Health Institute and EXPO held in San Diego, CA.

BD Helping Build Healthy Communities is a four-year initiative to expand access and improve care for underserved and vulnerable populations in the U.S. The initiative, first announced in 2012 with a founding pledge at the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, includes a BD commitment of approximately $5 million in cash and product to clinics and community health centers (CHCs) across the US. The initiative has two components, including:



    1. A pledge to donate at least 20 million insulin needles and syringes to
       community health centers across the country to support diabetes care
       management for uninsured and under-insured Americans. To date, BD has
       donated 9.1 million syringes to community health centers.
    2. Innovation in Care awards of up $100,000 to CHCs that are addressing the
       prevention and treatment of diseases that disproportionately affect
       vulnerable populations. Awards are based on CHC proposals for innovative
       approaches to diabetes, cervical cancer and HIV prevention and
       management.  BD has a long history of developing tools to help diagnose
       and manage these conditions and is committed to improving care for those
       who lack access.  Decisions on innovation award winners are guided by a
       panel of reviewers with expertise in clinical and community healthcare in
       each of the three disease areas.

The winners of the 2014 awards include seven CHCs, which will receive cash awards of $100,000 to support their innovative programs:

Diabetes Prevention and Management
Santa Rosa Community Health Center - Santa Rosa, CA
Asian Health Services - Oakland, CA
Utah Navaho Health System - Montezuma Creek, UT
Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center - Ahoskie, NC

HIV Prevention and Management
Morris Heights Health Center - Bronx, NY
Housing Works Health Services III - Brooklyn, NY

Cervical Cancer Prevention
Charles Drew Health Center - Omaha, NE

"Clinics and community health centers all over the country provide critical services for millions of uninsured and under-insured Americans. The dedicated professionals who work in these clinics are developing innovative approaches to care that address the specific needs and circumstances of the communities they serve," said Vincent A. Forlenza, Chairman, CEO and President of BD. "We are excited and proud to be providing support to initiate and scale-up these new models of care. In the coming years, we will be working with Direct Relief and NACHC to broadly communicate the successes of these local programs to community health centers nationwide so that they can be replicated where appropriate."

"The BD Helping Build Healthy Communities initiative recognizes a huge and typically unrecognized fact: clinics and community health centers are America's healthcare safety net and provide quality, affordable preventive and primary care to those who wouldn't otherwise have access," said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. "Direct Relief is delighted to once again work with BD on this new and unique initiative to support these providers."

Community health centers serve 23 million people - one in 15 people living in the United States. People who use a health center as their healthcare home have lower rates of emergency department visits and fewer hospital admissions. Demand for affordable primary care is expected to climb in the coming years as more people gain access to insurance coverage. Yet, there are still 62 million people living in America who are struggling with little or no access to a primary care provider.

"This multi-year initiative brings together resources that make a difference in the lives of the medically underserved," said Malvise A. Scott, Senior Vice President of Partnership and Resource Development at NACHC. "We appreciate this partnership and the recognition of the important work of community health centers across the country."

Visit http://www.bd.com/responsibility/community/healthy_communities/ to learn more about the BD Helping Build Healthy Communities initiative, the current awardees or apply for a future award.

About BD
 BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs nearly 30,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

About Direct Relief
 The only U.S. nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor© (VAWD) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Direct Relief is among the largest medical suppliers to safety-net facilities throughout the U.S. and the world. A winner of the CECP Director's Award, the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation and the 2013 ESRI President's Award for GIS Mapping, Direct Relief maintains a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, and a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes magazine. For more information, visit www.DirectRelief.org .

About National Association of Community Health Centers
 Founded in 1970, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and expand access to quality, community-responsive health care for America's medically underserved and uninsured. NACHC represents the nation's network of over 1,200 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which serve over 22 million people through over 9,000 sites located in all of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. For more information, please visit www.nachc.com.



    Contacts:

    BD             Direct Relief            NACHC

    Ed Cook        Kerri Murray             Amy Simmons

    (201) 847-7176 (805) 452-7599           (301) 347-0476

    ed_cook@bd.com kmurray@directrelief.org asimmons@nachc.org

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)