In today’s volatile healthcare environment, access to quality care is at even greater risk—especially for the most vulnerable among us. Charitable healthcare providers across the U.S. are under intense pressure: facing funding cuts, uncertainty around Medicaid distributions, and surging demand from patients in crisis. As these providers fight to do more with less, organizations like MedShare exist to ensure that their front-line efforts are backed by the medical supplies, equipment, and strategic support they so urgently need.
But we cannot do it alone.
That’s why public/private partnerships are not only valuable, but they are also essential. At MedShare, we’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that meaningful corporate collaboration can have—not just in the form of financial support or donated products, but through the co-creation of innovative, sustainable solutions to real-world community and public health challenges. In a time when government funding is uncertain, partnerships with corporations enable organizations like MedShare to continue providing critical resources without compromising mission or reach. This is a chance for corporations to make a tangible difference in healthcare and to align their brand with a cause that resonates with their stakeholder.
Three recent initiatives beautifully illustrate how corporate partnerships are helping us scale our impact, improve health equity, and build resilient healthcare systems across the U.S. and beyond.
Collaboration promotes equitable access to technology for clinics across the country serving underinsured and uninsured individuals and families
Earlier this year, MedShare partnered with longtime partner BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to distribute 92 brand-new ultrasound machines to 80 free and charitable clinics in 30 states throughout our country – the largest single donation of medical equipment in the U.S. in MedShare’s history. In collaboration with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC), this project is already transforming care delivery for countless underserved patients. These ultrasound units—coupled with comprehensive training and support—are helping clinics expand their diagnostic capabilities and improve patient outcomes in cardiac, obstetric, vascular, and gynecological care.
Beyond this generous equipment donation and financial support, BD once again invited MedShare to participate in its annual “BD Difference in a Day” Marathon. This is a collaboration with the Taproot Foundation. In 2025, in addition to building skills-based volunteer opportunities, Taproot facilitated the event where our teams collaborated on building a custom database tool to streamline MedShare’s patient impact reporting. This easy-to-use but difficult-to-create tool will enable us to more efficiently track and communicate how every piece of donated equipment translates into patient care. A definite improvement from our previous calculation approach based on the weight of co-mingled medical products. Now we can make distinctions between single use medical supplies, durable medical equipment and biomed tools plus factor the type of charitable recipient (free clinic/medteam/hospital system) — giving our supporters a clearer view of the lives their generosity touches.
Preparing for the Worst: A New Model for Disaster Readiness with Philips and Philips Foundation
When disaster strikes, every second matters—and access to care can become a matter of life or death. In partnership with Philips North America and the Philips Foundation, MedShare recently launched a forward-thinking disaster-preparedness initiative that prioritizes proactive staging of medical equipment and supplies to ensure rapid deployment when natural disasters disrupt care delivery.
Prompted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene in 2024, this two-year pilot aims to establish a scalable model for emergency response that ensures continuity of care during crises. Philips has donated life-saving equipment—such as ultrasound systems and essential mother-and-child care products—backed by a team of field service engineers to support installation and maintenance in challenging environments.
Just this week, MedShare welcomed 40 Philips employees from around the country to our Decatur headquarters to officially launch the pilot and assemble BabySafe Emergency Kits—care packages that include Philips products designed to provide a measure of support for mothers and infants affected by natural disasters. These kits will be deployed alongside the medical equipment, ensuring we address both clinical and personal needs in disaster-stricken communities.
This model goes beyond charity—it’s about leadership, sustainability and resilience. All donated equipment will be reprocessed and reused after each emergency, reducing waste and ensuring a long-term impact.
Hands-On Hope: Building a Culture of Giving with athenahealth
One of the most inspiring aspects of corporate partnerships is the human connection they foster. Our long-standing partnership with athenahealth is a shining example. Beyond financial and technical support, athenahealth empowers its employees – lovingly called athenistas – to get directly involved in MedShare’s mission.
Last week, to support athenaGives September for Service, we joined over 60 athenistas on their beautiful campus in Belfast, Maine, where cross-functional remote colleagues assembled hundreds of Clean Birthing Kits — life-saving care packages containing 13 essential items to help ensure safe deliveries in remote and underserved communities around the world. To date, athenahealth employees have assembled nearly 15,000 of these kits, helping thousands of mothers safely give birth with dignity and care.
The spirit of volunteerism at athenahealth goes far beyond corporate responsibility—it’s a deep, values-driven partnership that has been instrumental in expanding our reach within the U.S. – particularly in our support for free and charitable clinics. We value this robust relationship and share many partners, including NAFC, in the collective effort to improve equitable healthcare access,
Why These Partnerships Matter More Than Ever
At a time when access to healthcare is being tested, these partnerships are not just philanthropic gestures, they are lifelines.
Corporations bring scale, innovation, and expertise. Non-profits like MedShare bring networks, mission alignment, and trusted access to vulnerable communities. Together, we contribute to something far greater than the sum of our parts: a healthcare safety net built with purpose, compassion and kindness.
Every dollar we can help a clinic save on supplies and equipment is a dollar that can go directly to patient care. But the real human impact goes even deeper: it’s the diagnosis caught early because a clinic in Macon, Georgia finally had an ultrasound; the mother in rural Ghana who gave birth safely because a Clean Birthing Kit was made available to her; the community in Texas that continued receiving care in the aftermath of a hurricane because we were fully prepared to respond.
We are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our corporate partners. And as we look ahead to an uncertain future, these partnerships give us all reason to hope—and the tools to act.
