Philips Partners with Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Payne Center for Social Justice

Cambridge, Mass. – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced a partnership with The Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice, a national think tank and research center rooted in the African American community, to support research and innovative health-related programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In addition to a financial contribution, Philips will provide in-kind efforts such as capacity building for grant and proposal opportunities and additional support services in this progressive partnership. The Payne Center is an initiative of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College community.

HBCUs have traditionally been underfunded, creating a key challenge in addressing health equity and health issues with the African American community. 80% of Black doctors and dentists are trained at an HBCU and 56% of HBCU faculty are African American or Black, making HBCUs uniquely positioned to understand the needs of the Black community. Working together, Philips and the Payne Center will not only advocate for increased research grants and appropriations for programs that drive solutions to improve access to care in underserved communities but will also support faculty research on HBCU campuses that will inform policymakers.

Ultimately, we hope to see our HBCUs develop solutions by the Black community, for the Black community, that will drive health equity. By working with a leading health technology organization such as Philips we believe we will be able to meet our goals.

Dr. Harry L. Williams
President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund

“Partnerships, like the one announced today with Philips, provide the lifeblood for our organization and the HBCUs we support. Their financial contribution and resources will afford the Payne Center additional capacity to pursue more research opportunities for our HBCUs and move the needle when it comes to relevant legislation,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “Ultimately, we hope to see our HBCUs develop solutions by the Black community, for the Black community, that will drive health equity. By working with a leading health technology organization such as Philips we believe we will be able to meet our goals.”

There are more than 100 HBCUs across 19 States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, educating 300,000 students annually. While recent investment in HBCUs has improved, a previous study indicated that HBCUs had received less than 1% of the $18.4 billion in grants awarded to higher education by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), making support through partnership a critical element to the success of HBCUs.

“Our purpose is to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people a year by 2030, including 400 million in underserved communities, and working with leading organizations that share our commitment to improve health equity and health outcomes for underserved communities is an important part of this,” said Pamela Hall, senior executive, Philips and TMCF business liaison. “As a proud graduate of Delaware State University, I have seen first-hand the talented professionals and world-changing initiatives that come from HBCUs. Combining forces with The Payne Center will help drive much needed research that focuses on the health and well-being of the African American community.”

To view a video about the partnership, please click here.