In the News

Digestive Disease Week 2026 convened clinicians, researchers, and industry partners with the aim of accelerating the translation of new evidence into clinical practice, featuring key insights into inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois from May 2-5th, 2026 and Helmsley’s Crohn’s Disease Team was on hand to connect with grantees and other leaders in IBD.

In an article for Healthcare Brew, Cassie McGrath reports on Helmsley and the Civica Foundation’s new pilot program to make generic medications more affordable and accessible for rural and critical access hospitals.  Read the full article.  

As reported by Zablon Oyugi for Farmers Review Africa, a new initiative by Nuru, backed by a $7.5 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, aims to demonstrate that economic opportunity can become a powerful pathway to stability and resilience.  Read the full article.  

Local news plays a critical role in keeping communities informed about the issues and policies that matter to their health and wellbeing. But with local news outlets on the decline, rural communities are at risk of being cut out of important conversations.  A recent Inside Philanthropy article by Martha Ramirez details how philanthropies like the Helmsley Charitable Trust support journalism…

In philanthropy, innovation is sometimes thought of as investing in new technologies or breakthrough medical procedures. While less visible, however, investments in systems that coordinate people, protocols, and institutions already in place can yield significant and measurable improvements in outcomes.  “For philanthropic organizations, this work underscores an important lesson: meaningful improvements in health outcomes often depend less on new interventions and more…

Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y., May 14, 2026 — The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is proud to announce new funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to strengthen clinician and health plan accountability for delivering high‑quality diabetes care. The three‑year initiative will advance quality of care for people living with type 1 and…

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…

WASHINGTON, DC, April 3, 2026 — Nuru is pleased to announce a new $7.5 million, three-year grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to launch a cross-border initiative designed to strengthen cooperative agribusinesses and unlock economic potential in marginalized rural communities in Burkina Faso and Ghana. “We are deeply grateful for the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s investment,…

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…

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…

WINIFRED, MT, March 13, 2026 — The Montana State Parks Foundation announced today that it has received a $186,000 grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support a major research and interpretive planning initiative at Judith Landing State Park, Montana’s newest state park along the Missouri River. The funding will support interdisciplinary research and interpretation…

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…

The 2026 Crohn’s and Colitis Congress convened clinicians, researchers, and industry partners with the aim to accelerate the translation of new evidence into clinical practice for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Las Vegas, NV from January 22-24th, 2026. Crohn’s and Colitis Congress (CCCongress) offers opportunities for connection and collaboration — which we know are essential for success in driving research…