Pfizer Supports Florida Residents with Hurricane Ian Relief Efforts

When a natural disaster strikes, the stability of a community can change in an instant. In September, Hurricane Ian sustained powerful winds and heavy rainfall, causing floods that wiped away infrastructure, homes and displaced many residents in Florida. Pfizer and The Pfizer Foundation recognize the critical need of those seeking relief from the effects of one of the most devastating storms in U.S. history. Florida also is home to many Pfizer colleagues.

The Pfizer Foundation^[1] dedicated $200,000 in charitable funding to support Hurricane Ian relief efforts in Florida and affected areas. The Foundation contributed $100,000 to Project Hope and $100,000 to the International Medical Corps. Project HOPE and the International Medical Corps are mobilizing to support regional health clinics and special needs shelters for affected residents, including elderly people and individuals with disabilities.

Pfizer recognizes the power of collective action. Pfizer colleagues based in the U.S. and Puerto Rico also received a 1:1 donation match from The Pfizer Foundation for any personal charitable contributions to American National Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Save the Children, United Way of Suncoast, and Direct Relief, all of which provide critical assistance to affected communities.

Following Hurricane Ian, Florida confronts a critical shortage of emergency medications. The majority supplier of EMS systems in Florida contacted Pfizer Hospital, a unit of the company that offers sterile injectable medications, about the urgent need for lifesaving prescription medications. In line with Pfizer’s drive to help ensure those in need have access to its medicines, the company offered the state’s medical providers immediate support.

“Once Pfizer received notice about the patient need following Hurricane Ian, it was ‘all hands on deck,’” said Chris McNett, customer service director at Pfizer Hospital. “Pfizer Hospital cross-functional teams worked expeditiously to release and overnight orders, urgently delivering a total of 13,000 doses of critical medication to Florida emergency responders.”

Pfizer’s Hurricane Ian relief efforts are only part of the company’s ongoing involvement in Florida. Florida is home to one of Pfizer’s most recent investments. In March 2021, Pfizer opened a Global Capability Hub in Tampa, integrating its multi-disciplinary professional service divisions into a single, dynamic full-service campus to support Pfizer’s innovative biopharmaceuticals business.

Pfizer’s facility, located just north of downtown Tampa in Heights Union, occupies one of Tampa’s first Class-A office buildings in decades. The hub has been a transformative project for the Tampa community, attracting key talent to a vibrant work environment and positively impacting local businesses and charities. As the latest global biopharmaceutical company to open offices in Tampa, Pfizer follows a significant trend of life sciences and healthcare investment in the region. Pfizer plans to grow its presence to 500 employees in the coming years.

Pfizer’s relief efforts, community initiatives, and economic development work are a reflection of its commitment to Tampa. Between Pfizer’s support for Hurricane Ian relief and its operations in Tampa, the company and foundation hope to be strong partners to the State of Florida in coming years