Stryker gets medical equipment to regions in need with Project C.U.R.E. partnership

For under-resourced countries around the world, healthcare professionals and caregivers are faced with daily equipment and supply shortfalls that cause delays in providing care to patients.¹ Everyday needs from consumables to surgical equipment are lacking, forcing critical decisions by care teams. In the United States, the shortages during the COVID pandemic were a glimpse into the challenges facing healthcare providers on a regular basis.

Project C.U.R.E. is the world’s largest distributor of donated medical equipment and supplies to resource-limited communities, touching the lives of patients, families and children in more than 135 countries.³ Each week, on average, Project C.U.R.E. delivers three to five semi-truck-sized containers packed with medical equipment and supplies from seven large U.S. warehouses to local hospitals and clinics in desperate need. In addition, Project C.U.R.E. provides essential supplies and equipment in times of crisis. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Project C.U.R.E. has successfully accomplished over 172 shipments worth over $48 million.²

“I do think our containers bring hope. It’s not just the healthcare; it’s the message that the world is listening and on your side. To Ukrainians, that is almost as helpful as the supplies themselves,” said Laura Conti, Director of Client Relations at Project C.U.R.E.

Since 2007, Stryker and Project C.U.R.E. have been working together to deliver medical relief to communities experiencing incredible poverty and to provide essential supplies and equipment in times of crisis. “We started with Stryker in the orthopedic tools division, receiving drills, saws and other essential items for surgical procedures. That original relationship continues, and it has grown to include beds, sterilization equipment, gurneys, supplies and other items,” says Dr. Douglas Jackson, CEO of Project C.U.R.E. “Going forward, we look forward to continuing our partnership by incorporating other product lines and divisions."

In recent years, Stryker elevated Project C.U.R.E. to "signature partner" status, which means that Stryker provides monetary donations to support their efforts in addition to product donations. Stryker’s portfolio of signature partners help advance access to healthcare and healthcare technology globally. We collaborate with Project C.U.R.E. to provide products where needed, including opportunities to support survivors of natural disasters.

This isn’t because the need is less. “They just don’t have the tools,” says Janet Thomason, Director of National Procurement at Project C.U.R.E. “In the United States, laying people on the floor on a tarp seems inhumane, but in many countries, there aren’t better options. A Stryker bed is a life changing donation.” This is what drives the relationship between Stryker and Project C.U.R.E. “And it’s not just better for the patient,” adds Dr. Douglas Jackson, CEO of Project C.U.R.E. “We change the entire world for a nurse. You don’t have a 100- pound nurse moving a 250-pound man. It’s a miserable day for someone working a 10-hour shift. That equipment revolutionizes healthcare, not only for the patient, but the provider, too.” Similarly, the impact of Stryker’s surgical instruments significantly changes healthcare. “Where Project C.U.R.E. works, the tools are not there, but on the flipside, the talent is there,” says Janet. “There are surgeons and healthcare professionals who just need these tools to take care of their communities.”

Stryker’s recent impact with Project C.U.R.E.

Together, Stryker collaborated with Project C.U.R.E. on record numbers of product shipments across a wide range of Stryker specialties. In 2024, Project C.U.R.E. delivered 161 semi-truck sized cargo shipments around the world to 36 different countries.² “Seventy percent of shipments that go out include supplies from Stryker,” says Janet. Thousands of people were impacted and countless lives saved.