HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reliant announced today a $130,000 donation to Houston Methodist to create the “Reliant Innovation Fund,” enabling critical care innovations that will drive the future of healthcare in a post COVID-19 world. The Fund will be used to empower students from the Engineering Medicine (EnMed) program to create ground-breaking solutions for critically ill patients. Reliant’s donation will also expand patient-centric communication through the CareSense mobile app.
“Houston Methodist’s focus on solving healthcare’s greatest challenges makes a real difference here in our community and beyond,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president, Reliant. “In our hometown of Houston, Reliant is thrilled to partner with Houston Methodist to help them light the way as they continue providing outstanding care for our neighbors while planning for the future of medicine in this new era.”
“The challenges that we have and will continue to face with the COVID-19 pandemic amplifies the need for fresh ideas to combat this disease and treat those who have been affected,” said Faisal Masud, M.D., Medical Director of the Center for Critical Care at Houston Methodist Hospital. “Innovating is at the core of what we do at Houston Methodist, and this generous gift from Reliant will make a difference for patients both now and for years to come.”
Designing the future of critical care
As part of Reliant’s donation, $100,000 will be dedicated to students of the EnMed program, a collaborative endeavor between Houston Methodist and Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine and College of Engineering. The EnMed program is like no other, and the first class began in the summer of 2019 consisting of 25 students who are currently earning a medical degree and master’s in engineering in four years. The program’s students are immersed in the process of developing transformational technology to solve for medicine’s most pressing problems.
To be better prepared for the next critical event, EnMed students and faculty are working to help Houston Methodist and the larger healthcare community streamline care, improve or design new safety measures and create innovative technology for critical care settings in intensive care units.
“The EnMed program is educating a new type of physician – one with an engineering background and a forward-thinking, innovative medical mindset. Reliant’s partnership and donation will allow our students to innovate for the dynamic needs on today’s clinical front lines,” said Timothy Boone, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Houston Methodist Education Institute and Associate Texas A&M Dean. “I’m incredibly proud of the work these students and faculty have accomplished so far and am eager to see what creative solutions are brought to the healthcare community by this group.”
Keeping physicians and COVID-patients connected
The remaining $30,000 from Reliant is dedicated to the support and expansion of the hospital’s patient-centric mobile app, CareSense. This digital platform allows Houston Methodist to continue caring for COVID-19 patients after they leave the hospital through a thoughtful communications journey. The tool aids in patient education, health recovery, risk-factor monitoring, goal setting, care coordination and medication adherence. It also provides answers to frequently asked questions, tips to enhance physical and mental recovery after COVID-19 and support to patient caregivers.
Reliant’s donation is a part of the company’s continued COVID-19 support across the state of Texas and parent company, NRG Energy, Inc.’s, $2 million donation to pandemic relief efforts. In addition to the donation, Reliant is working with customers across Texas to ensure they have the power they need, regardless of hardships endured from this crisis. Visit reliant.com/care for more information.
About Reliant
Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity, security and related services to homes and businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the core of what we do, and the company is recognized nationally for outstanding customer experience. Reliant is part of NRG, a Fortune 500 company that creates value by generating electricity and providing energy solutions to more than 3.7 million residential, small business and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada. NRG’s competitive residential electricity business, which includes Reliant, is one of the largest in the country. For more information about Reliant, visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007.
About Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Texas for patient care. Houston Methodist consists of seven hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the Texas Medical Center, and six community hospitals throughout the Greater Houston metropolitan area. As a consistently recognized leader in patient-centered clinical care, medical research and education, Houston Methodist is committed to using technology to advance patient care.
