Area hospitals to be honored (AJC)

Mark Bixler - Staff
Wednesday, April 5, 2006

MedShare International in Decatur plans to recognize the Hospital Corporation of America and several local hospitals Friday, designated by the World Health Organization as World Health Day.

MedShare and the hospitals to be honored also will load medical supplies and equipment onto two 40-foot containers bound for Ecuador and Kenya, the organization said in a statement.

Founded in 1998, MedShare ships surplus medical supplies and equipment from hospitals in the United States to the developing world. It sent $8.6 million worth of goods last year.

The hospitals MedShare plans to honor Friday include Atlanta Medical Center, North Fulton Medical Center, Northside Hospital, Piedmont Hospital and St. Joseph's Medical Center.

MedShare announced recently that the UPS Foundation awarded it a $100,000 grant. The foundation previously gave $132,000 that helped ship medical goods to Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Uruguay, Burkina Faso, Guatemala and Haiti.