Stakeholder Engagement

As a global healthcare company, Baxter interacts with a range of stakeholders worldwide (see table), and engages them to better understand their needs, to determine opportunities for collaboration and to reach common goals. Baxter appreciates the important role that each of its stakeholders plays in its continued success, and strives to take into account their varied and sometimes conflicting needs.

Baxter engages with its stakeholders around the world. Examples of stakeholder engagement are referenced in the final column of the table and included throughout this report.

BAXTER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS
GROUP DESCRIPTION CHANNELS OF ENGAGEMENT

Communities

Baxter conducts business in more than 100 countries and operates more than 60 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Customers

Includes hospitals/clinics, medical research centers, kidney dialysis centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and healthcare professionals.
  • Ongoing customer training and continuing education programs
  • Participation in professional societies and advisory boards
  • Customer service and clinical helplines
  • Customer publications and presentations
  • Customer advisory councils
  • Customer satisfaction surveys
  • Attendance at conferences, such as CleanMed, to understand customer purchasing preferences and trends

Employees

As of July 2007, approximately 45,000 employees worldwide.1

Government,
regulatory, health
authorities

Includes organizations such as Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products, European Medicines Valuation Agency, European Parliament, Ministries of Health and environment, health and safety agencies worldwide, U.S. Center for Medicare/Medicaid, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  • Representation on advisory committees
  • Meetings, conferences and collaborations

Industry
organizations

Includes Advamed, BIOTECanada, Biotechnology Industry Organization,
Eucomed, EuropaBio, MEDEC, Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association and numerous physician organizations.
  • Board and committee meetings
  • Educational campaigns
  • Industry events
  • Collaborative lobbying on issues of mutual concern

Investors

Eighty-four percent of Baxter’s shares are held by institutional investors and 16 percent by individual investors.

Non-governmental and other
organizations

Organizations such as The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, Ceres, Chicago Climate Exchange, Climate Leaders, The Conference Board Council on Global Business Conduct, Ethics & Compliance Officer Association, Global Reporting Initiative, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, and World Health Organization.

Patients and
patient-advocacy
groups

Patients worldwide with cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other conditions, as well as patient safety groups.
  • Sponsorships
  • Grants
  • Fundraising
  • Patient websites

Suppliers

Although Baxter manufactures nearly 90 percent of its products, it works with a broad network of suppliers to provide product inputs and goods and services not used in products.

1 At the end of 2006, Baxter employed approximately 48,000 employees worldwide, but sold its Transfusion Therapies business in February 2007.

Affiliations and Memberships

Baxter has relationships with a range of organizations that focus on various aspects of sustainability. See a list and detail about each organization on the Affiliations and Memberships page.