Delta pledges $2 million for Grady

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday that it will give the Grady Health Foundation more than $2 million over five years to help support Grady Memorial Hospital.

The money will go to capital improvements such as ICU patient monitoring equipment at the downtown Atlanta hospital.

“Supporting the communities in which we live and work – particularly our hometown – is a core part of who we are at Delta,” said Delta CEO Richard Anderson. “We’re honored to do our part for Grady, which is an Atlanta institution that shares Delta’s focus on customer service and caring for our community.”

Grady Health Foundation President Lisa Borders said, “Delta’s donation to Grady is ‘on-time,’ and demonstrates its commitment to Atlanta and surrounding communities.”

Grady has achieved a financial turnaround recently. Earlier this year, the safety-net hospital reported a profit for 2009 after many years of losing money. The turnaround was aided by more than $300 million in donations, including a four-year commitment of $200 million from the Woodruff Foundation to modernize equipment in the hospital.

Delta also is hosting a fundraising event Tuesday night at the Delta Heritage Museum. The event, called Travel in Pink, will help fund breast cancer research. Money raised through the event will help purchase equipment and replenish patient financial assistance funds for Grady’s Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center.

“This event is an extension of our commitment to find a cure for breast cancer,” Anderson said.  “We are all proud to call Georgia home, and we must work together to find a cure and make our home state healthier and disease-free.”