Tifft Global Health Fund to Support UH COVID-19 Response
Vicki Tifft’s work and charitable nature have taken her all over the world to help others in need, but when the medical emergency alarm sounded in her own backyard, she was first in line to offer her support.
Northeast Ohio philanthropist Vicki Tifft is no stranger to the fear a pandemic can wreak on a community. A former Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, she studied infectious disease control and spent time on the front lines in Uganda and Liberia during the Ebola outbreak— an experience that led her to a career in global health.
Vicki and her husband, Quinten, have since dedicated themselves to minimizing diseases worldwide through Clinical Research Management, a company they created to develop vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medical devices for the government and commercial sectors. The research company has assisted the U.S. military at The Walter Reed Army Institute for more than 12 years, helping to create products that protect American soldiers. Often, these products are passed on to developing countries desperately in need of medical support. The couple remain very involved in helping with Ebola prevention and surveillance overseas, as well as preparation should cases start to appear again.
In 2015, the Tifft Global Fund was established at University Hospitals by Vicki and Quinten in support of global health efforts. Since then, the fund has supported medical research and investigative trips to Africa to study and combat infectious disease outbreaks.
In March, just after the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S., Vicki contacted UH and asked to redirect any remaining funds in the Tifft Global Health Fund to the COVID-19 response effort at UH. Her quick actions made over $100,000 available immediately to UH caregivers for medical supplies and other expenses.
University Hospitals is grateful to all individuals and organizations willing to help our caregivers, patients and community during the COVID-19 crisis. Community response and caregiver support funds have been established to support the extensive patient care, medical supplies, research and education needs.