Critical Community Needs

Baxter helps communities worldwide address a broad range of needs, in addition to improving access to healthcare. These include improving education, building awareness of chronic diseases, supporting youth services, and protecting the environment. Baxter's business units, functions and manufacturing facilities contributed $28.9 million worldwide in 2011, with more than 55% donated outside the United States.

Education

According to the 2011 Nation’s Report Card, only 40% of U.S. fourth-graders and 35% of eighth-graders perform at or above proficiency for their grade level in math. Just 34% of fourth-graders, 30% of eighth-graders and 21% of 12th-graders perform on par for their grade level in science.¹ Advancing elementary and high school math and science education today sets the foundation for biotech discoveries for years to come. As a science- and technology-based healthcare company, Baxter has a responsibility to help provide current students as well as future generations with opportunities to thrive in these areas. The company’s commitment to education focuses on enhancing local math and science education programs to prepare students for science careers.

In 2008, Baxter launched Science@Work: Expanding Minds with Real-World Science, a multi-year commitment to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to support teacher training and student development in healthcare and biotechnology. In the 2010-2011 school year, the program reached nearly 14,000 students and 148 teachers in 55 schools through in-depth biotechnology teacher training and module lesson plans. The program’s reach decreased from the previous school year, due to administrative changes at CPS that impacted the commitment CPS teachers could make to teacher training during the 2010-2011 school year. The program has reached a total of more than 45,000 students and 530 teachers in more than 150 schools since 2008.

Baxter also supported eight events for teachers and students, including several opportunities for students to experience science first-hand through interactions with Baxter professionals. In December 2011, for example, Baxter hosted 120 Muchin College Preparatory students at the company's corporate headquarters to show how to combine interests with skills to create strong careers. Twenty professionals from Communications, Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Product Management, Research and Development and other areas shared their experiences and led interactive career exploration exercises.

Also in 2011, Baxter celebrated the grand opening of the Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy’s 100,000 square-foot educational center in Chicago. The charter school, which currently serves more than 200 freshmen and sophomores and will serve 600 students when fully enrolled, prepares students for success in healthcare careers. The school is helping to address the shortage of Latinos in healthcare careers and support Chicago's efforts to provide high-quality education options. Baxter provided start-up funding and hands-on support to open the Academy, and Baxter scientists and other employee volunteers teach, sponsor lab tours and provide career advice to students throughout the year.

In January 2012, Baxter announced its participation in Summer Jobs+, an initiative sponsored by the White House Council for Community Solutions and the U.S. Department of Labor that encourages businesses, non-profit organizations, and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for low-income youth in the summer of 2012. Through Science@Work, Baxter will provide 300-500 students the opportunity to participate in activities such as career planning and interview skill development/training with Baxter professionals and a five-week summer internship program pairing high school students with Baxter professionals.

Additional community support highlights from 2011 include:

World Hemophilia Day: In April 2011, Baxter marked the 22nd anniversary of World Hemophilia Day. This day is dedicated to promoting awareness of hemophilia and treatment availability for people living with hemophilia throughout the world. Baxter offices around the world participated through various local and regional grassroots events, scholarships, online educational efforts and roundtable discussions. The company also joined forces with the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) to launch Advocacy in Action, to help countries advocate for improved and sustained care for people with bleeding disorders. Advocacy in Action, a 5-year initiative exclusively supported by a grant from Baxter, works to strengthen WFH's national member organizations' capability to effectively lobby their governments on behalf of regional and national bleeding disorder communities. The initiative consists of interactive workshops, support tools, an individualized coaching program and a dedicated WFH staff member to assist with the implementation of advocacy and public policy action plans.

World PI Week: World PI Week, established in April 2011 with support from Baxter, aims to raise the recognition and diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies (PI). During the event, organizers around the globe encourage improved PI awareness and diagnosis among medical professionals and the general public. Activities in 2011 included government awareness initiatives, PI treatment center openings, and others. All reinforced the important message that detecting the disease early can save lives.

Primary immunodeficiencies (PI) are hereditary genetic defects in the immune system that cause increased susceptibility to a wide range of infections, which are often chronic, debilitating, and can be fatal. An estimated 10 million people suffer from PI worldwide, but experts estimate that 70-90% of PI cases remain undiagnosed. Unlike other immune system-related conditions, available treatments can help effectively manage disease symptoms.

World Kidney Day: In March 2011, Baxter organized several World Kidney Day activities worldwide, to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease detection, prevention and treatment. Baxter Brazil, for example, in partnership with the Brazilian Society of Nephrology, provided communications support for a World Kidney Day health fair targeted at high-risk patients, and coordinated a public awareness campaign focused on the benefits of early diagnosis. Two of Brazil’s leading nephrologists served as the campaign’s spokespersons, and the campaign reached more than 25 million Brazilians through newspaper articles and television and radio coverage.

Baxter Mexico employees coordinated several World Kidney Day activities, including a physician/patient advocacy organization panel that discussed ways to increase access to chronic kidney disease treatment and a public awareness campaign on chronic kidney disease prevention and early detection. In Singapore, Baxter launched an online resource, www.mykidneyplan.com, which helps Singaporeans with chronic kidney disease to take control of their condition early. Baxter worked with healthcare providers, patients and caregivers to tailor content and resources to Singaporean lifestyle needs and the country’s healthcare system.

Baxter Singapore also supported the Kidney Dialysis Foundation Public Forum 2011 on preventing kidney failure related to diabetes, and worked with Tan Tock Seng Hospital on a “Protect Your Heart, Save Your Kidneys” forum attended by nearly 200 people.

1	Based on the 2009 Nation’s Report Card assessment – the latest year that science proficiency was evaluated.