WEST WARWICK – (August 12, 2020) – Care New England today announced that Cox Communications is donating close to $200,000 in face masks to help Care New England protect its healthcare professionals, hospital staff, and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic across its hospital sites.

 In response to the growing strain on hospitals as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb, Cox Communications announced that a nationwide mask donation valued at more than $2.2 million will be distributed across 12 hospitals in the markets Cox serves. Locally, approximately 62,500 filtered and 70,000 surgical N95 and KN-95 masks will be donated to Care New England to support its Coronavirus response efforts, representing $198,575 in protective equipment.

“Care New England is grateful for this incredibly generous donation, which will be welcomed by our many doctors, nurses and staff in our hospitals, who are braving COVID-19, in order to accomplish their mission of bringing quality and safe healthcare to our patient population. This donation will bring increased safety to our staff, who selflessly show up to work every day, not knowing what to expect, and essentially putting their own lives on the line for others,” said James E. Fanale, President and CEO, Care New England Health System.

“With Coronavirus cases rising in many parts of the nation, we deeply appreciate the selfless efforts and sacrifices that our hospital partners and their staff are making to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” said Jay Allbaugh, senior vice president and region manager, Cox Communications.

“The face mask donation is part of our ongoing efforts to support healthcare heroes and their communities during the pandemic.”

Recognizing that local healthcare workers are among the hardest hit by this health emergency, both in terms of incredible workloads and the risks posed by COVID-19, Cox is eager to leverage its supply chain network to put masks into the hands of the workers that need them the most.

For more information about Care England, visit https://www.carenewengland.org.

About Care New England
Care New England Health System is a trusted organization that fuels the latest advances in medical research, attracts the nation’s top specialty-trained doctors, hones renowned services and innovative programs, and engages in the important discussions people need to have about their health and end-of-life wishes. Care New England is helping to transform the future of health care, providing a leading voice in the ongoing effort to ensure the health of the individuals and communities we serve. CNE was founded in 1996, and today it is the parent organization of Butler Hospital, Kent Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Care New England Medical Group, the VNA of Care New England, The Providence Center, and Integra, a certified accountable care organization (ACO). Care New England includes 970 licensed beds and 216 infant bassinets. Through Butler, Kent, and Women & Infants hospitals, Care New England has a teaching and research affiliation with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Kent is also a teaching affiliate of The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About The James M. Cox Foundation 
The James M. Cox Foundation is named in honor of Cox Enterprises' founder and provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where the company operates. James M. Cox was Ohio's first three-term governor and the 1920 Democratic nominee for president of the United States. The Foundation concentrates its community support in several areas, including: conservation and environment; early childhood education; empowering families and individuals for success; and health.