Every Heartbeat Matters Initiative Could Impact 1.5 Million Underserved People by 2020

Although Edwards Lifesciences has long considered philanthropy to be an important part of its company philosophy, several years ago the company began to consider taking a more proactive stance in its giving. “We began to think about how we can bring the time and the talent of our employees, and our connections to having a meaningful impact on an issue, and positively influence and inspire others to join us,” said Amanda C. Fowler, executive director, global corporate giving, Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, in an interview with MD+DI. Her team and the foundation board searched for a cause where they could also donate the company’s medical technology. “We quickly decided that helping underserved heart valve patients seems like a very personal and important place for us to spend our time, talent, and influence,” she said. “So in 2014 we set out to impact the global burden of heart valve disease, supporting education, screening, and treatment of 1 million underserved people.” The result was the Every Heartbeat Matters Initiative, which is supported by grants from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, donations of Edwards heart valve technologies (although other products and technologies may also be used in treating patients), volunteer support, and the dedicated work of 60 nonprofit partn...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Cardiovascular Source Type: news