DEERFIELD, Ill.- Joy A. Thomas, senior director of business planning and development for the Renal business of Baxter Healthcare Corporation, has been named the 2006 "National Working Mother of the Year" by the Moms in Business Network and the International Association of Working Mothers. The award is presented annually to a woman who balances career, family and motherhood and is a leader in business, the arts and the community. Thomas will receive the award at a gala awards dinner on May 6 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

"There are more than 80 million mothers in the United States and approximately three-quarters of them work," said Gina Robison-Billups, president and founder of the Moms in Business Network and its sister association, the International Association of Working Mothers. "We are the only associations that represent the interests of the nearly 60 million working mothers in the United States."

Thomas is a 12-year veteran of Baxter, whose Renal business is a leading provider of products and services used to treat kidney disease. Before her current position, she was director of strategy for a unit of Baxter's Medication Delivery business, a leading manufacturer of intravenous solutions and other products used to deliver fluids and drugs to patients. In 2002, she served on an executive task force focused on bringing much-needed healthcare to developing nations.

In addition to her business success, Thomas devotes significant time to her three children, ages 7, 6 and 3, volunteering for a range of activities at their schools and playing an active role in their many extracurricular activities. She also is an active member of her local PTA and volunteers for a variety of fund-raising events in and around her community of Glenview, Illinois. A professional musician, Thomas is the principal harpist for the Northwest Symphony Orchestra in metropolitan Chicago and has played professionally with such artists as Rosemary Clooney, Dave Brubeck, Roberta Flack and other famous performers. She shares her interest in music with her children and their classmates as well, believing in exposing children to the arts at an early age.

"I'm honored to receive this recognition, which could have gone to any number of working mothers who place importance on balancing work and family," Thomas said. "I am fortunate to have a solid family support system and an understanding employer to enable me to excel both at home and at the workplace."

For more than 15 years, Baxter has provided support to employees and their families to help them address work/life issues. The company's values-based approach includes assistance for child and elder care, financial and educational support, flexible work arrangements and aid for those in crisis situations.

"Joy was chosen as National Working Mother of the Year because she has made a life for herself that many other working mothers dream of," Robison-Billups said. "Through the support of her family and Baxter's flexible options, she is able to make the choice to put her family's health and well-being first while maintaining executive-level achievement in her career, and still find time to pursue her passion for music."

Robison-Billups adds that too often, mothers and fathers feel they must deny their family's basic needs to maintain a professional image or even just to keep their job. "Joy has proven that people can put family first while excelling in their careers and making a difference in their community."

Proceeds from the "Create Your Dreams" gala awards dinner will support The Shade Tree shelter for homeless and abused women and children, the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed to meet the needs of woman and children in crisis in southern Nevada. Reservations may be made online at www.mibn.org or by calling 702-310-3202.

The Moms in Business Network, along with its sister association, the International Association of Working Mothers, is a national association dedicated to supporting and actively promoting working mothers and their businesses. Its mission is to help women achieve balance, enjoyment and success in their personal and professional lives.

Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX). Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with 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 about Baxter, please visit www.baxter.com.

Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc.

At Baxter, sustainability means creating lasting social, environmental and economic value by addressing the needs of the company’s wide-ranging stakeholder base. The company's sustainability efforts support Baxter's mission to apply innovative science in the development of products and therapies that save and sustain patients' lives.

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