By Ellen Rafferty, Senior Manager, Social Investing

Community Health is one of the four pillars in our environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, Together We Advance. Through this work, we collaborate with communities and NGOs throughout the world to invest our resources to do what’s right – especially when it comes to serving the most vulnerable. While many of these social investments focus on programs that are national or international in scope, we also focus philanthropic dollars on local programs that seek to strengthen communities where our associates live and work.

A great example is our long-term partnership with the BVMI Healthcare Center in Bergen County, N.J., where our U.S. headquarters is located. At BVMI, a team of more than 75 volunteer healthcare professionals provides quality care to a diverse population of more than 1,200 patients – many of whom may not otherwise have healthcare access. BD has donated more than $715,000 to BVMI over the past 11 years.

“Long-term partners can be hard to come by in the nonprofit world. When a major donor stands by you and really listens to your needs, it’s special. For the last 11 years, BD’s support to BVMI has spanned our operations, fundraising events, Women’s Health Initiative, and Diabetes Prevention, Care and Education Program,” said Amanda Missey, BVMI’s President and CEO. “They even donate medical supplies to us. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of BD’s generosity as we serve our patients.”

Community health centers like BVMI are a perfect match to our philanthropic giving strategy, which focuses on expanding healthcare access, advancing human potential and supporting resilient communities.  BVMI checks each one of those boxes.

BD’s latest grant to BVMI is a three-year commitment, totaling $250,000, to further the work of the BVMI Women’s Health Initiative, which provides specialized healthcare services for nearly 800 women, who comprise two-thirds of BVMI’s patient census.  Amit Limaye, Director Sustainability, BD Enterprise R&D, also volunteers his time and expertise serving as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, overseeing Strategic Planning for BVMI.

“Free clinics are the true heroes on the frontlines of healthcare – caring for the most vulnerable patients, many of whom have not had consistent access to care,” said Amit. “When women come to BVMI seeking primary care, their medical teams often find that many have never seen a gynecologist or women’s health practitioner. This program helps ensure they have access to high-quality, compassionate women’s healthcare services.”

To learn more about the BVMI Women’s Health Initiative, check out this video: