GlaxoSmithKline Awards Eight Philadelphia-Area Healthcare Nonprofits with $40,000 Each in Funding

Philadelphia, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/27/2008 -- GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, has announced the recipients of the GlaxoSmithKline 11th Annual IMPACT Awards. Nonprofits from five area counties will each receive $40,000 in unrestricted funding. They include the Center for Families and Relationships of Philadelphia, the Clinic for Special Children, Inc., of Lancaster County, Community Medical and Dental Center of Montgomery County, Health Quality Partners of Bucks County, the Hepatitis B Foundation of Bucks County, the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation of Philadelphia, the Supportive Older Women’s Network of Philadelphia and the Western Berks Free Medical Clinic, Inc., of Berks County. An award ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 20 at the GlaxoSmithKline headquarters in Philadelphia.

“These organizations have committed themselves to promoting health and well-being. Their missions focus on outcomes that improve the quality of human life despite the numerous challenges they face as they help those who are less fortunate. All of the winners are committed to the idea that everyone should have better access to healthcare – that no one should be left behind,” said Mary Linda Andrews, GlaxoSmithKline Director, Community Partnerships.

The Center for Families and Relationships serves the needs of single parents, children at risk, couples, families and individuals through comprehensive family and art therapy services. The organization’s warm and welcoming setting in Northeast Philadelphia provides a safe place where troubled families can feel at home.

The Clinic for Special Children, located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, provides the Amish and Mennonite communities with medical services for children with genetic disorders including diagnoses, comprehensive medical care and education about heritable diseases.

Community Medical and Dental Center addresses the dental needs at low cost for low-income, underinsured and uninsured residents of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas.

Health Quality Partners focuses on improving the quality and experience of healthcare for patients, their families and healthcare providers in the Eastern Pennsylvania region. Headquartered in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the organization aims to improve health outcomes, quality of care and life, patient experience and costs.

The Hepatitis B Foundation’s mission is to find a cure and improve the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Headquartered in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the Foundation’s commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunization and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community and the general public.

The Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation promotes breast health, fosters the healing process and focuses on a public agenda for the prevention and cure of breast cancer. Founded in 1987 and named in honor of Philadelphian and world-renowned songwriter Linda Creed Epstein, the Foundation was the first free-standing breast cancer organization in Pennsylvania.

The Supportive Older Women’s Network serves to help women over the age of 60 survive and manage the complex issues associated with aging. The Network helps older women improve their quality of life and enhance their ability to live independently.

The Western Berks Free Medical Clinic, housed at St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, serves to meet the minor acute needs of individuals of Western Berks County, Pennsylvania, who do not have access to the healthcare system. Established in 2002 by Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Heintzelman, the Clinic is the only free clinic in the county serving uninsured and underinsured patients within the community.

About the GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards
To qualify for a GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Award, applicants must provide access to community healthcare services (primary mission) in the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery or Philadelphia; have a total annual operating budget of less than $2.5 million; and have been in existence as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for at least five years. A panel of local and national healthcare delivery experts and GlaxoSmithKline representatives determined the winners based on a strong demonstration of ongoing success in providing access to healthcare; commitment to serving people in need; facilitation of healthcare delivery, education, creative partnerships and policy development; and a solid record of achievement, management and leadership. For more details on the GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards, visit www.gsk-us.com and click “Our work with communities,” then click “Health programs,” then click “Awards,” or call the GlaxoSmithKline Office of Community Partnerships at 215-751-5171.

About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline on the World Wide Web at http://www.gsk-us.com.