Medline corporate social responsibility program expands its global footprint

Medline’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program has grown significantly in the past two years, expanding its footprint across the U.S. and internationally. The program focuses on alleviating and solving issues facing the healthcare industry and patients today through global health, sustainability and community health initiatives

One pillar of the program is global health. Medline’s global health initiative seeks to lower barriers to care in every corner of the world by improving OR efficiency, supply chain management and education. Since it launched two years ago, Medline employees have traveled to multiple resource-challenged regions of the world, including Honduras, Nicaragua, and Argentina, and have co-created solutions there that enable better care. At one facility in Honduras, Medline’s expertise helped the facility reclaim over 1000 square feet of underutilized space, remove and redistribute five truckloads of excess product, and establish an inventory management system.

Another focus of Medline’s CSR program is community impact. In the past year alone, Medline and the Medline Foundation  have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations working to improve health outcomes within communities through its Community Impact Grant Programs for Breast Cancer Awareness and Community Health Centers. Employees have also volunteered their time and donated supplies, including 1,000 pounds of food, to improve the communities in which they live and work.

The third pillar of Medline’s CSR program focuses on increasing sustainability. Since Medline built its first geothermal plant in 2009, its renewable energy portfolio has expand considerably. The company now has three geothermal buildings and multiple distribution centers that use solar panels. In addition, more than 12.1 million square feet of distribution space is LEED-certified.

Because of these achievements and others, CSR Program Director Francesca Olivier has been named among the most influential CSR leaders in the nation, according to new list published by Assent Compliance. The list recognizes the 100 most influential people in the CSR space. Along with Medline, a variety of leading companies are represented, from Google, to Starbucks and McDonalds.

“Medline’s mission is to make healthcare run better, and through our CSR program we bring this mission to communities across the nation and around the world,” said Olivier. “It’s an honor for us to be recognized for the success we’ve had so far in supporting communities and the health systems they rely on.”

Learn more about the positive impact Medline is making in communities here and around the world.