OREANDA-NEWS. April 01, 2015. Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) is improving access to healthcare through financial and in-kind donations to address critical community needs globally. The company recently announced a public-private collaboration with Singapore's Changi General Hospital to meet the growing demand for compounded sterile products and received recognition for organizational excellence, inclusion and diversity and corporate social responsibility efforts.

Baxter Launches Public-Private Partnership to Improve Healthcare Delivery

Baxter and Changi General Hospital, an award-winning public hospital with more than 800 beds serving a community of 1.4 million people in eastern Singapore, have announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Compounding Sciences to develop a new model of care delivery that extends beyond the hospital into the community and a patient's home. The Centre, planned for launch in 2017 on the Changi General Hospital premises, will be the first center of its kind in Asia Pacific to drive process and clinical innovations to meet the growing demand for compounded sterile products.

Compounding is the preparation of customized medication prescribed by a physician for a specific patient. Medication compounding is an important part of individual patient care because certain medications must be compounded into their final form before being administered to a patient.

The collaboration will develop clinical protocols and care pathways to enable certain patients to receive their compounded medications at home rather than be admitted to the hospital for treatment or regularly commute to the hospital. Additionally, the Centre will develop and deploy a fully-integrated system to track customized medications throughout the process - from prescription to compounding to delivery and administration - to optimize safety and efficiency.
An area of focus for Baxter is collaborating with local governments and public institutions in new ways to achieve common goals. This and other healthcare business models are helping expand access to leading technologies, scientific knowledge and economic opportunity while enabling governments to control costs.

Baxter and its Foundation Invest in Local Communities

Baxter and its philanthropic arm, The Baxter International Foundation, make financial and in-kind donations to address critical community needs globally, including increasing access to healthcare, improving education and helping developing nations and countries in crisis. In 2014, combined giving from Baxter and its Foundation totaled nearly \\$51 million, composed of:

  • More than \\$18 million from donations of Baxter products through donor partners and the company's U.S. patient assistance programs. Product donations helped 71 countries in need. Baxter works primarily with its humanitarian aid partners, AmeriCares and Direct Relief, to pre-position products for emergencies as well as ongoing needs in underserved communities. Through this proactive, strategic approach to product donations, both organizations supplied intravenous fluids donated by Baxter for patients in Sierra Leone and Liberia to assist with medical needs surrounding the Ebola outbreak.

  • Nearly \\$30 million from Baxter's businesses and facilities to address critical local needs in more than 42 countries. For example, employees in the United States volunteered and donated funds to Habitat for Humanity in Lake County to build the 10th house sponsored by Baxter for families in need of affordable housing.

  • Nearly \\$3 million from The Baxter International Foundation, including grants to increase access to healthcare worldwide, prize programs that recognize excellence in community service and healthcare research, a scholarship program that contributes to the education of Baxter employees' children, and support of employees' philanthropic efforts through the Foundation's Dollars for Doers and Matching Gifts programs.


A full listing of The Baxter International Foundation grants awarded in 2014 is available at www.baxter.com/grants.


Baxter Mexico receives the National Quality Award

Baxter Mexico received the Mexican Government's National Quality Award on the Health Sector for creating a high-performing, competitive and innovative culture. The award is based on organizational management excellence including continuous improvement systems, employee engagement and social responsibility initiatives. Baxter Mexico was recognized for its manufacturing leadership and environmental stewardship, as well as supporting patient access to the company's life-saving therapies and educational efforts aimed at increasing the capabilities of physicians and other healthcare professionals in Mexico to meet the needs of current and future patients.

For more than 65 years Baxter Mexico has contributed to the social, economic and environmental well-being of its community. Baxter Mexico employs approximately 2,600, the majority at facilities in Atlacomulco and Cuernavaca.

Baxter Asia Pacific Recognized for Commitment to Employees and Social Responsibility
 
Baxter received recognition from several organizations for its commitment to providing a great place for its employees worldwide to work and develop, and to providing sustainable social, environmental, and economic value for all stakeholders as a core element of the company's vision to build a truly great company.

  • Baxter China was named the Most Socially Responsible Enterprise of the Year for the second consecutive year by the People's Medicine Safety Study published by Health News. The Study noted Baxter's product donations and community support activities, as well as commitment to patient access to Baxter's products.

  • Baxter Japan was named as a Diversity Management Selection 100 company by the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for its inclusion and diversity management programs.

  • Baxter Korea was named among the Best Employers in Korea 2015 by Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business. Baxter was recognized for inspiring strong commitment and superior performance from its people, driving business results through effective people practices and managing its business to build long-term success and sustainability.


About Baxter

Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans more than three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and has been recognized by Corporate Responsibility magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens and by Points of Light and Bloomberg for community engagement in the Civic 50. The company endorses the Ceres principles and is an Organizational Stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative. Further information about Baxter's sustainability programs and performance can be found at www.sustainability.baxter.com.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.