Hurricane relief: Preferred Homecare, Apria Healthcare step up

Phoenix-based Preferred Homecare has donated medical equipment, including wheelchairs and ambulatory aids, to the Rehabilitation Services Volunteer Project in Houston. The equipment will be used in shelters to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey, which flooded the city in August. Employees at Preferred Homecare also raised money for the American Red Cross Hurricane Harvey relief fund, with the company donating a matching amount. “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Harvey and we are proud to make this donation in support of the relief efforts there,” said Robert Fahlman, CEO of Preferred Homecare. Preferred Homecare offers a full range of infusion, nutrition, respiratory and HME therapies and services across the West and Southwest…Lake Forest, Calif.-based Apria Healthcare says it has activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan to prepare local branches in Texas and Florida to serve hundreds of critical respiratory patients impacted in the wake of hurricanes. The company has been dispensing oxygen to patients, evacuees in shelters and others in need. Nationally, Apria has also initiated a company-wide effort to provide emergency assistance for employees who live and work in affected areas. The company says all donations raised through two GoFundMe campaigns, one for each state, will be directly distributed to affected employees. Apria has already contributed $25,000 to each campaign and has pledged to match employee donations up to $50,000 for both campaigns. So far, employees have donated almost $31,000.