Agency Details:

MedShare

Delivering Health and Hope to the World.

MedShare, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides vital medical supplies and equipment to clinics in our local community and to economically developing countries. We recycle unneeded surplus from local hospitals. Shipments go to qualified health care facilities providing care to the underserved. This process offers U.S. health care providers an environmentally and socially responsible alternative to throwing away medical materials.

Description:
Each year, millions of people in economically developing countries, and in our own communities, go without proper medical care due to a lack of medical resources. Because of this, many injuries and diseases that should not be life threatening, or even serious, cause death, disability and suffering.

At the same time, the U.S. health care system discards over $6.5 billion worth of medical supplies and equipment each year because of procedural excess, regulatory requirements or production overages. A large portion of these items could be used to save lives. However, the vast majority of this surplus, more than two million tons of medical products, goes into landfills or is incinerated.

History:
In 1998, a group of community leaders came together around this common concern of excessive waste and overwhelming need.

In less than ten years, MedShare has:
• Brought life-saving supplies and equipment to health care facilities in 80 countries.
• Recycled more than $50 million worth of medical surplus.
• Supplied roughly 515 medical mission teams for both international and local relief work.
• Kept over 1,000,000 cubic feet of medical waste from ending up in U.S. landfills.
• Responded to natural disasters, including U.S. needs in the wake of the tsunami in American Samoa by providing new medical supplies to the hospitals and clinics.

In a typical week, more than 50,000 pounds of medical materials are processed through MedShare’s innovative recycling system at its warehouses in San Leandro and Atlanta. This is accomplished through the utilization of an extremely large volunteer corps.

While many have benefited from MedShare’s work, millions are still suffering and dying due to their lack of basic medical supplies and equipment such as sutures and incubators. As a result, MedShare continues to expand its service offerings and reach thus requiring additional resources, both monetary and in-kind.

Contact people:

Chuck Haupt, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Terry Monday, Volunteer Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (510) 567-7071

Address:

2937 Alvarado St San Leandro, CA 94577 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.MedShare.org

Directions:

Conveniently located off I-880, exit at Marina Blvd East, travel east to Alvarado St, turn right and head south for three blocks.

Last updated on November 3, 2009