CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, announced the establishment of its philanthropic entity, the GE HealthCare Foundation. The Foundation will operate as a charitable organization, incorporated separately from GE HealthCare, focused on advancing equitable access to precision healthcare.

The GE HealthCare Foundation supports nonprofit organizations aimed at making healthcare more accessible, personal, human, and flexible – and ultimately, strive to remove barriers that separate underserved communities from equitable healthcare. With an initial focus on improving maternal health outcomes globally, the Foundation addresses a critical need: Every two minutesi, a woman dies due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, compounded by a severe shortageii in primary care and midwifery professionals worldwide.

“The GE HealthCare Foundation was born out of GE HealthCare’s legacy of delivering access to care, and a desire to advance health equity by reducing the limits and barriers faced by those in underserved communities,” said Danielle Halstrom, President of the GE HealthCare Foundation. “When we looked at where we could focus the Foundation’s first programs, the lack of resources and care for moms and babies around the world clearly indicated where we should start. Beginning our Foundation’s work, we look forward to continuing to expand that impact across other issue areas as an extension of our company’s mission striving for equitable healthcare access.”

Through grants to nonprofit organizations with proven track records, the Foundation is dedicating its philanthropic efforts to bolster access to specialized maternal care. Simultaneously, it is investing in training a workforce to provide critical support and save lives throughout the stages of pregnancy and childbirth. The Foundation’s inaugural grantees are:

The Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. The Foundation is funding the creation of a public knowledge base of United States Medicaid policies and practices related to the use of AI and algorithmic methods to help reduce maternal health disparities.
The Lwala Community Alliance, a community-led initiative tackling maternal and infant mortality in Kenya. Through this partnership, the Foundation is funding training, technology, and longstanding educational resources for nurses and clinical officers in Kenya on obstetric ultrasound – detecting need early.

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