New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health is sending 22 palettes of medical and disaster relief to regions in Turkey and Syria devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in February.
The health system has previously sent medical aid to Ukraine after Russia invaded the country. As with the aid sent to Ukraine, Northwell is partnering with Medshare to send the supplies from New York to affected regions, according to a March 3 Northwell news release.
The health system's Center for Global Health is partnering with local Syrian and Turkish medical leaders to coordinate relief on the ground.
"We have an obligation and responsibility. It's part of the culture of Northwell: Any time anyone is in trouble — whether it's domestic or overseas — we do our best to help," Northwell President and CEO Michael Dowling said in the release. "If we have the ability and the resources to help — and we obviously have the will — then we should help. That's why we're in the healthcare business. We can't always be looking internal; we have to look external. It's something we've always done, it's something we always do."