Latest News

Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program Officer James Reid joined Jayasree Iyer on the Access to Medicine Foundation’s Health Equity Podcast to talk about closing the gap in type 1 diabetes care for people in low- and middle-income countries.   As James puts it, “What really matters is how we align our resources, our will, and our efforts to make sure…

It’s time for philanthropies to invest and build roots in rural America. Studies have shown that a decade ago, rural areas received just 6-to-7% of grant dollars from large foundations, even though rural Americans make up nearly 20% of the population. Now, preliminary findings suggest that number may have dropped to just 3%. “If philanthropy wants rural insight at the…

Hadassah Medical Organization in partnership with the Helmsley Charitable Trust has opened Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot, a new medical center intended to bring advanced diagnostics, treatment, and care close to home for communities in southern Israel. The Jerusalem Post recently reported on the medical center’s opening ceremony, which featured leaders in government, science, philanthropy, and health.   Helmsley is committed to improving healthcare…

  Patricia “Patsy” Hudkins has watched the workplace video of her sudden cardiac arrest countless times, trying to find clues about what made that day different from any other shortly before her 39th birthday. One moment, she was reaching to get something for a customer at Finish Line Burgers & Brew in Velva, N.D. The next,…

GARAPAN, Saipan, CNMI, March 23, 2026 — The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) announces the award of more than $8.6 million in grant funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand and modernize the islands’ sole hospital-based surgical department. The Helmsley grant will allow CHCC to improve operational efficiency, strengthen its ability to deliver safe, high-quality…

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $6 million to Kahuku Medical Center (KMC) to expand the hospital’s emergency department and upgrade its electronic health record system. 

In a recent piece for The Daily Yonder, Madeline de Figueiredo reported on Helmsley-funded Virtual Crisis Care (VCC) programs in South Dakota and Wyoming, which provide immediate behavioral health support for individuals in crisis. By connecting law enforcement officers with virtual behavioral health professionals on an as-needed basis, VCC is reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and confinements in jail for rural communities…

Patients treated in their own communities, surrounded by support networks and local practitioners heal and recover faster. This belief has driven Helmsley’s long-term commitment to expanding rural healthcare access and fostering community grown workforce development.  Marianas Variety has covered the latest efforts towards this goal, featuring a recent Helmsley grant to the Northern Marianas College nursing program, supporting the development…

When Patsy Hudkins of Velva, North Dakota, went into cardiac arrest while mid-conversation at work, her community instantly acted to save her life—calling for an ambulance and beginning CPR. Within minutes, Sheriff’s Deputy Adam McTaggart was on the scene with an automated external defibrillator (AED) that helped to save her life.  Patsy’s story represents just one of the estimated 90…

NETIVOT, Israel, February 12, 2026 — Hadassah Medical Organization has opened Hadassah–Helmsley Netivot, a new, innovative medical center designed to provide residents of Netivot and surrounding communities with advanced diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing medical care close to home. According to the framework agreement, which was signed prior to the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” war, Hadassah’s expert medical teams…

Miles City, MT, February 6, 2026 — One Health announced today the opening of the Milligan Building, a newly rehabilitated Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) in downtown Miles City. The project received significant support from a $2.5 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, helping expand access to high-quality healthcare services in eastern Montana….

Northern Marianas College students will now have enhanced access to modern nursing education, high-fidelity simulation labs, and critical allied health training pathways through a landmark $2,309,193 grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a dangerous complication of type 1 diabetes. It can lead to shakiness or confusion and in extreme cases, seizures, loss of consciousness, or even death. Frustratingly, too much insulin — the drug that people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) rely on daily to manage their blood sugar — can cause hypoglycemia. Diet and exercise…

About 70,000 students and patients in the Mumbwa District of Zambia now have access to reliable drinking water every day, following the successful piloting of a results-based contracting model to address long-standing water supply challenges in rural schools and health facilities. As highlighted in a recent article for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), following the success of this pilot,…

We interviewed Scott B. Snapper, M.D., Ph.D., the Chief in the Division of Gastroenterology at Boston Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who is one of the principal leaders of the Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD) Consortium. The Consortium — supported in part by Helmsley — unites leading pediatric gastroenterologists and scientists from…