Steward Health Care Donates More Than $2.9 Million In Medical Supplies

In partnership with Z5 Inventory, Steward Health Care was able to optimize supply chain operations across thirty-six facilities and, in the process, collect for donation nearly $3 Million worth of medical and surgical supplies to Project C.U.R.E. 

In the first half of 2020, Steward Health Care donated more than $2.9 Million worth of medical supplies to Project C.U.R.E., a nonprofit dedicated to distributing medical supplies to those in need around the world.

“Our most important goal as a health care provider is fighting for a healthier world,” said Michael Prokopis, SVP of Supply Chain at Steward Health Care. “These donations are one way for us to make sure that we’re improving the health not only of our local communities, but of our global community.” 

This initiative was made possible through an expansion of Steward Health Care’s existing partnership with healthcare supply chain company Z5 Inventory. The two Texas-based organizations collaborated to identify and find alternative outlets to move excess inventory from a location where it was likely to expire to one where it would be used. 

Over the course of six months, Z5 Inventory teams worked with thirty-six Steward Health Care facilities across ten states to identify and gather $2.9 Million worth of unused, unopened, and unexpired medical product. The entirety of this product was then donated to Project C.U.R.E., which distributes such supplies to vulnerable communities and local aid groups worldwide. 

This is the third such donation made possible through the partnership between Steward Health Care and Z5 Inventory. Since 2017, more than $3.5 Million worth of medical supplies – including a single shipment of 18 pallets – have been transferred from Steward Health Care facilities to Project C.U.R.E., and from there to those who might not otherwise have access to high quality medical supplies. 

“There’s a very real, very underserved need for medical supplies in aid organizations,” said Carl Natenstedt, CEO and Co-Founder of Z5 Inventory. “We’ve donated supplies to charities in communities as different as Austin, Texas and Entebbe, Uganda, and these donations went even further by taking advantage of the network of charities established throughout Steward Health Care’s and Project C.U.R.E.’s history of goodwill.” 

“It’s important for us as an organization to find partners who share our values and feel a responsibility to give back,” added Mr. Prokopis. “Because it’s rare to find a supply chain company like Z5 Inventory that prioritizes philanthropy, it’s rare to be able to donate nearly $3 Million in supplies.”