WHIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today awarded its Annual Citizens Award in the “Best Health & Wellness” category to Bayer U.S. for the company’s industry leading efforts with Kits4Life, a program that repurposes non-used clinical trial supplies to help people in need.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Citizens Awards program recognizes the most innovative and impactful corporate citizenship initiatives raising the bar on social responsibility and accelerating momentum for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future. The Citizens Awards is a long-standing program that honors businesses for the positive impact they make in communities around the world.
Since 2019, Bayer has partnered with Kits4Life to donate clinical trial supplies such as lab kits, diabetic socks, ice packs, tote bags, cooler bags, pedometers and other items for humanitarian purposes. These are items that are often wasted and thrown away, but thanks to industry’s efforts more than 14,000 people throughout the world have benefitted from receiving these supplies.
Kits4Life is run by MedSurplus Alliance, a program within the Task Force for Global Health. Bayer’s donation partner is Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach of Springfield, Ill.
“We are proud that Bayer was among the first companies to be involved with Kits4Life and implement this within the clinical trial setting,” said Mark Ryan, vice president and head of site management for Bayer-Americas Region. “Being involved in this program really contributes to our vision of ‘Health for All, Hunger for None.’ We are excited to be recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation with this award.”
For more than 20 years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Citizens Awards have showcased how businesses lead in solving the world’s biggest challenges and leverage their resources, expertise, and talent to make a positive impact. What is unique about the award process is that other companies, NGOs or non-profits have the ability to nominate companies for their social impact programs. This makes the Citizens Awards one of the most prestigious honors in corporate citizenship. Bayer’s partner, MedSurplus Alliance, nominated Bayer, which signifies the strength and vibrancy of this unique partnership in delivering on this humanitarian cause.
From creating the world’s largest STEM program for girls to meeting critical sustainability targets, to donating life-changing supplies to vulnerable populations around the world, this year’s Citizens Award winners demonstrate how businesses serve as a powerful force for good – in times of crisis and every day.
“Bayer’s groundbreaking partnership with Kits4Life is increasing access to critical medical supplies and helping close the healthcare gap worldwide,” said Marc DeCourcey, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Their program demonstrates the power of strategic, innovative collaboration to make a significant, sustained impact.”
Ryan said his vision is to expand the current embedded model in the U.S. Kits4Life program to the company’s organizations outside the U.S. The ultimate vision is to see this become an industry standard across all pharmaceutical companies’ practices when it comes to clinical trials. This award will certainly help leverage this goal.
“Our immediate next steps are to redistribute unused lab kits and clinical supplies for humanitarian aid in all our global studies conducted in countries around the world,” he said. “I can also see potential for this program going beyond unused clinical trial supplies.”
The award was announced during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Citizenship Conference, which explored how the private sector brings innovative solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. Discussions at the conference covered topics such as how the business community is responding to both new and persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, how far we have come in achieving racial equity, and how businesses can rethink their purpose to deliver greater impact.
To learn more about Bayer’s involvement, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=TEIrFQVHum8
To learn more about Kits4Life and MedSurplus Alliance, please visit: https://www.medsurplusalliance.org/clinical-research-programs
To learn more about The Task Force for Global Health, please visit: https://taskforce.org
To learn more about Bayer’s donation partner, Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, please visit: https://mission-outreach.org
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.
About U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness. We educate the public on the conditions necessary for business and communities to thrive, how business positively impacts communities, and emerging issues and creative solutions that will shape the future.
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