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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
3.08.2005 ET
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Baxter And Its Foundation Contribute More Than $14 Million In 2004 To Communities In Need
(CSRwire) DEERFIELD, Ill. - Baxter International Inc. and The Baxter
International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter, today announced
their combined 2004 charitable giving, focused on increasing access to
healthcare, helping underdeveloped nations and countries in crisis, and
addressing other critical community needs. In 2004, the company and the
foundation combined gave more than $14 million:- $2.6 million from
the foundation, including $1.9 million in worldwide grants, and more than
$675,000 from the foundation's Dollars for Doers and Matching
Gifts programs;
- $7.5 million from Baxter product donations to underdeveloped nations
and countries in crisis; and
- $4 million from Baxter's businesses and facilities to address critical
local needs.
"Baxter's charitable giving activities are an important
part of who we are and what we stand for as a company," said Robert L.
Parkinson, Jr., Baxter's chairman and chief executive officer. "By helping
address the financial and human resource needs of organizations around the
world, we are able to make a meaningful impact where the need is
greatest."
Foundation Aims to Improve Healthcare Worldwide
In 2004, The Baxter International Foundation awarded grants totaling $1.9
million to 50 organizations in 17 countries on four continents. Through
its grant program, the foundation funds initiatives that improve global
access to quality and cost-effective healthcare. Specifically, the grants
awarded in 2004 will help improve access to healthcare for children, the
uninsured and the elderly, prevent child abuse and neglect, promote health
education, expand specialized training opportunities for healthcare
providers and aid victims of global disasters.
Through one of the grants, the foundation partnered with the Dominican
Association of Rehabilitation, Inc. (ADR) to expand and strengthen
community-based physical rehabilitation services in San Cristobal and
Haina, both in the Dominican Republic. This foundation grant enables ADR
to offer an occupational therapy program in San Cristobal and continue
needed physiatric consultations in Haina. The grant also helps to improve
and increase the quality of services throughout the program by enhancing
the professional training of assistants and technologists in physiotherapy
and occupational therapy, and modernizing outdated therapeutic
equipment.
Additional organizations that received grants in 2004 from the foundation
include:- Gemeinnutziger Frauenverein Zurich, to support the
addition of a specially trained staff member to identify and work with
special-needs children in Zurich, Switzerland.
- Mission Kamarata, to support the salaries and transportation of a
rural doctor, nurse and physician assistant to serve children and adult
native Pemones living in the region of Kamarata in the Bolivar state of
Venezuela.
- Hospice of Northeastern Illinois, for the development of a
comprehensive palliative care and hospice program for children with a
life-threatening or terminal illness.
- Medicins du Monde Belgique, to support the hiring of a program
coordinator and initiate a mobile healthcare for the homeless program in
Belgium.
- Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross, to aid victims of
Hurricane Charley in Sarasota, Fla.
A full listing of The Baxter
International Foundation grants awarded in 2004 can be found at: www.baxter.com/grants.
Foundation Supports Philanthropic Efforts of Baxter Employees
In addition to grants, the foundation also supports employees in their
personal philanthropic efforts. Through the Dollars for Doers
program, which awards grants to organizations in the United States where
employees volunteer, the foundation contributed a total of $36,700 in
2004. Through the Matching Gifts program, the foundation also
matched more than $639,000 in employee donations to qualified cultural,
health and educational organizations.
Baxter Helps Underdeveloped Nations and Countries in Crisis
Baxter International Inc. donated more than $7.5 million in vital medical
products in 2004, primarily through the international disaster relief and
humanitarian aid organization AmeriCares. These products were distributed
to more than 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America,
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean that experienced crisis
or disaster in 2004. The majority of the donated products contributed to
sustainable initiatives that AmeriCares has in place in these countries,
including the regions in South Asia affected by the tsunami in
December.
The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter
International Inc., helps organizations expand access to healthcare in the
United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981,
began to focus exclusively on increasing access to care in 2002 -
particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved communities where
Baxter employees live and work.
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), through its subsidiaries, assists
health-care professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex
medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney
disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices,
pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in
patients' lives. For more information, please visit www.baxter.com.
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