Medline Celebrates Volunteers Going Above And Beyond

“Never pass up an opportunity to help someone.” Those words, spoken by the late Jim Mills, Medline’s co-founder, are still alive today through the volunteer efforts of employees. Each year Medline employees donate hundreds of hours of their time to local communities and to help people all around the world. In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week, the Medline Newsroom is taking a moment to recognize just a few of the amazing ways they’re giving back:

Global Health Service

Through Medline’s Global Health Initiative, employees volunteer to help healthcare facilities in developing regions overcome barriers to care. Leveraging their supply chain and perioperative expertise, volunteers start by making “discovery trips” to local facilities to assess their needs, then develop a working plan to address them. They then work with nonprofit and local health leaders to implement the plan during an on-the-ground service trip.

More than 50 employees have participated in the service program over the past two years. Their volunteer efforts have, among other things, helped clear over 1,000 square feet of space, and enabled facilities to order products more efficiently and forecast demand more accurately.

Annual Heart Walk

Every year since 2014, hundreds of Medline employees participate in the annual Heart Walk organized by the American Heart Association (AHA). Medline has hosted the north suburban event at its headquarters in Northfield, Ill. for the past four years. Attendees walk, run or jog, in support of the AHA campaign to raise awareness around heart health, and to support scientists working to develop life-saving breakthroughs to prevent heart disease and stroke, the number one and number five causes of death, respectively, in the United States. In total, the company and employees have donated $430,000 since 2014.

Employee Recognition Program

Outside of work, employees continually give their time and effort to make a difference for worthy causes in their community. Medline acknowledges these efforts through its Employee Recognition Program (ERP), which awards employees who volunteer by making a donation to their chosen charities on their behalf.

At its launch in 2018, Medline received over 60 applications and awarded 10 employees. The Medline Foundation donated a total of $30,000 on behalf of employees. Each charity received a $3,000 donation which ranged from food banks and animal shelters to counseling centers and cancer foundations.

Blood Drive

For over 30 years, Medline has partnered with Vitalant, formerly LifeSource, to host blood donation drives and encourage employees to donate blood to help thousands of patients in Chicago-area hospitals. Hundreds of employees have responded to the call each year. In 2019 alone, employees donated nearly 700 pints of blood; one pint alone can save up to three lives.

Learn more about how Medline’s volunteers are making a positive impact.