Microsoft word - baxter and its foundation expand access to healthcare and education through 2009 contributions.doc

Baxter International Inc. One Baxter Parkway
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BAXTER AND ITS FOUNDATION EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION
THROUGH 2009 CONTRIBUTIONS
Company Recognised for its Sustainability Efforts
DEERFIELD, Ill., March 18, 2010 – Baxter International Inc., its employees and The Baxter International Foundation are committed to supporting global and local communities through financial contributions; product donations; employee volunteerism, including support of education; and other initiatives. In 2009, charitable giving exceeded $52 million to address critical needs locally Recent initiatives include supporting relief efforts in Haiti due to the devastating earthquake, and building Baxter’s talent pipeline through a partnership with Howard University. In recognition of the company’s continued commitment to community support and progress in its many sustainability efforts, Baxter was recently recognized among leading sustainability rankings including the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations and 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter and its Foundation Contribute More Than $52 Million in 2009
In 2009, combined giving from Baxter and The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter, totaled more than $52 million. Employees recorded 159,000 hours volunteering within their communities, such as at a hospital or food pantry, participating in community park clean-up days, or joining a local nonprofit board or committee. Employees at each Baxter site select local volunteer activities to undertake and organizations to support that are the most relevant and have the highest impact on the community. BAXTER AND ITS FOUNDATION EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION THROUGH 2009 CONTRIBUTIONS – Page 2 Financial giving focused on increasing access to healthcare, helping developing nations and countries in crisis, and addressing other critical community needs globally, comprised of:  $30.4 million from Baxter's businesses and facilities to address critical local needs in more than 52 countries. For example, Baxter Malaysia helped the indigenous community of Orang Asli start a crop farming program and recover from flooding and landslides by providing assistance in the form of cash, gardening tools, provisions and clothing. Also, Baxter United Kingdom supported healthcare organizations Against Breast Cancer and Children with Leukemia through cash donations and employee participation in benefit  $18.9 million from donations of Baxter products to 76 countries in need, including donating 6,000 bags of ciprofloxacin (1,000 courses) to treat leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water, in the aftermath of the floods caused by Typhoon Ketsana  $3.6 million from The Baxter International Foundation, including nearly $1.21 million in grants to organizations outside of the U.S. and $755,000 to 826 organizations through the Foundation's Dollars for Doers and Matching Gifts programs that support employees' philanthropic efforts. Grants awarded in 2009 fulfilled needs in local communities to increase access to dental care, mental health, and other healthcare services for children, the uninsured, veterans, and the elderly. A full listing of The Baxter International Foundation grants awarded in 2009 is available at www.baxter.com/grants. Baxter’s Support of Haiti Relief Efforts Exceeds $2.5 Million
In response to the January 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, Baxter International Inc. and The Baxter International Foundation have committed more than $2.5 million to support disaster relief efforts. Baxter’s long-standing relationships with global humanitarian aid organisations, such as AmeriCares and Direct Relief International, helped to facilitate timely, targeted support. Collaboration with these organizations and others yielded shipments of more than 330,000 units of critical intravenous (IV) solutions, antibiotics and other vital drugs valued at more than $2 million. By providing access to these products, Baxter has helped to facilitate the organisations' relief efforts to address the significant demands of the region. Working with product donation partners allows Baxter greater understanding of their supply needs to help make critical products available where and when needed, as well as extend the company’s reach to areas where the need is BAXTER AND ITS FOUNDATION EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION THROUGH 2009 CONTRIBUTIONS – Page 3 Additionally, The Baxter International Foundation approved $350,000 in grants to support both immediate, acute-care and longer-term needs of the region with a focus on health-related efforts. Grant recipients include The American Red Cross International Response Fund, CARE and Project Hope. While The Baxter International Foundation's grant program focuses on funding programs or projects that improve access to direct healthcare services, the Foundation's disaster relief funding provides immediate, acute humanitarian disaster response and helps with longer-term healthcare rebuilding needs. The Baxter International Foundation activated its Employee Disaster Relief Matching Gift Program that matched $150,000 in employee contributions, allowing employees to easily contribute financial resources to help with relief efforts. Baxter Builds Relationship with Howard University to Attract Diverse Talent
As part of Baxter’s commitment to building a globally inclusive organization of individuals from various backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, for the second year Baxter has sponsored a team of Howard University business students in support of the university’s 21st Century Advantage Program (CAP). Baxter’s work with 21st CAP helps prepare students for professional careers and enhance their leadership skills through tours, presentations and connections with Baxter leaders. Some of the participating students have received scholarships from Baxter, and others have been hired as interns and full-time employees in areas such as supply chain, manufacturing, engineering and finance. Creating and sustaining an inclusive culture is one of the company’s nine sustainability priorities and is driven by the company’s global inclusion strategy that includes partnering with organizations that embrace inclusion and working with diverse suppliers. Strengthening Baxter’s commitment to education is also one of the company’s nine sustainability priorities. More information about Baxter’s sustainability priorities can be found at Baxter Recognised Among Leading Sustainability Rankings
For the sixth consecutive year, Baxter has been recognised as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World by Corporate Knights, an independent Canadian-based media company focused on prompting and reinforcing sustainable development. Baxter is one of two healthcare companies globally, and the only U.S. healthcare company, to have been recognized in the Global 100 each year since the list was first published in 2005. In addition to social indicators such as CEO-to-average worker pay and diversity of board directors, the 2010 Global 100 established and measured companies against an objective “sustainable path” standard for energy, carbon, water, and waste ratios. The Global 100 was announced on January 27, 2010 during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. For more information, see BAXTER AND ITS FOUNDATION EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION THROUGH 2009 CONTRIBUTIONS – Page 4 -more- Based on its corporate social responsibility performance, Baxter has been ranked 20th in Corporate Responsibility magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens list. Released in March, the annual survey draws from U.S. firms in the Russell 1000 Index and is based on more than 360 data points of publicly-available information in seven categories: environment, climate change, human rights, philanthropy, employee relations, financial performance, and governance. This is the ninth year Baxter has been included on the list. The list has gained national recognition as an indicator of best practices in the area of corporate responsibility since it was developed in 2000 by Business Ethics magazine. For more information, see http://www.thecro.com. Additionally, Baxter is included in the Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, created in collaboration with Bloomberg, as one of the 100 top performers in carbon proficiency and resilience in the United States. Launched in January 2010, the Indexes provide investors and stakeholders with insight into activities that enable leading U.S. companies to manage climate change risk, innovate and generate competitive advantage. The Indexes were created with the belief that companies that successfully innovate and manage risks are better equipped to operate in changing policy environments; to deal with increased investor scrutiny regarding future growth environments; and, adapt to the physical impacts of climate change on their operations and markets. For more information, see http://www.maplecroft.com. About Baxter
Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognised by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and by Corporate Responsibility magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter was also ranked first in the healthcare category of Newsweek’s inaugural Green Rankings in 2009. Baxter is a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders, and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative. Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with haemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance

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