Medtronic teams have been supporting their communities.
For example, teams in Italy have been supporting their communities in creative ways — from sports challenges and food drop-offs, to volunteer events and blood donations.
Meanwhile, as production of ventilators ramped up by 5x to keep up with COVID-19 demand, local Medtronic employees in Galway, Ireland, still found time to deliver care packages to the isolated elderly in their community.
Find out how Medtronic employees from around the world make a global impact.
Creating opportunities to use skills as a force for good
To support and amplify passions for giving back, Medtronic creates opportunities for employees to use their unique skills as a force for good. These programs, combined with individual efforts, help create long-term solutions to some of healthcare and society’s biggest challenges.
As the leading global healthcare technology company, Medtronic employees’ specialized health technology expertise can dramatically change health outcomes in communities.
Helping HealthFinders improve virtual care delivery
When the global pandemic struck Rice County, MN, HealthFinders Collaborative looked for new ways to care for the more than 5,000 underserved people supported by the non-profit. This was especially challenging, as many of those patients didn’t trust or were unfamiliar with virtual care offerings.
With the help of the Medtronic Foundation and employee volunteers, the HealthFinders team improved their virtual care delivery and coordination method. Together, they analyzed their existing digital visit systems, the needs of patients, and the needs of community health workers. In just one year since the HealthFinders COVID-19 response project was completed, more than 29 percent of the HealthFinders patient population transitioned to virtual video visits.
“When we worked with HealthFinders, we helped them unlock a new, human-centered approach focused on collaboration and rapid iterations of concepts and solutions. As Medtronic volunteers, we have a baseline knowledge of the healthcare space that made it even easier for us to move quickly," explains Lizz Wright, Senior Human-Centered Design Strategist, Medtronic Innovation Lab.
The Medtronic Foundation's work on COVID-19 response is just one of the many ways Medtronic partners with HealthFinders.
Ensuring better health outcomes for the community
With the rise of virtual care accelerated by the pandemic, Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) saw both a need and an opportunity to modernize its tech systems. The goal? Reducing HIV prevalence and improving public health in KHPT’s region of India. KHPT’s key change agents, community health workers, needed a dashboard and monitoring system to ensure that they reached the right people with care at the right time. Working in partnership with the Medtronic Foundation, Medtronic engineering and IT teams volunteered for a three-month project to assess the KHPT mobile app interface and recommended comprehensive changes to the user experience, data visualization, and support for community healthcare workers.
"Our efforts will help the Community Health Workers at KHPT in putting their best foot forward and ensuring better health outcomes for the community," says Dr. Kumar Anshul, Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications ＆ Commercial Excellence at Medtronic.
Addressing health access issues
In addition to Medtronic's skills-based volunteering program, the Medtronic Foundation addresses health access issues through community engagement, grant funding, and disaster relief efforts. Through a virtual train-the-trainer COVID-19 response program with Project HOPE and the American Heart Association, the Medtronic Foundation and employee volunteers helped 3,000+ people learn how to better care for themselves and patients through a pandemic.
Beyond COVID-19, natural disasters also exacerbate healthcare disparities. Whether Medtronic is creating donation drives for flood victims in Indonesia or helping communities rebuild health infrastructure after hurricanes, Medtronic employees answer the call.
Championing multiple causes
Within the organization, there are as many causes to champion as there are employees. The Medtronic Foundation supports them through community engagement programs like:
- Community Impact Champions: Employees go through intensive training to become Medtronic Foundation Community Impact Champions. These peer leaders spearhead volunteering efforts and rally others to join by using their own stories to convey the true impact and meaning of community engagement.
- Matched Giving: The Medtronic Foundation matches Medtronic employee and retiree donations made to any eligible nonprofit up to $5,000 USD annually.
- Volunteer Grants: For every 10 volunteer hours, employees can earn $200 volunteer grants (up to $1,000 per calendar year, per employee) to give to eligible nonprofits of their choice.
- Project 6: A company-wide kick-off of programming, volunteering resources, and events to start 365 days of giving back to causes that mean the most to Medtronic employees.
Ensuring long-lasting change
As a mission-led company, Medtronic knows that developing extraordinary healthcare technologies isn't enough. Through skills-based volunteering and community engagements beyond day-to-day jobs, Medtronic employees can drive even greater improvement in healthcare outcomes.
That is why Medtronic supports and will continue to support the extraordinary volunteering efforts of its employees. Medtronic is not just helping individuals, NGOs, and communities through a moment in time; it is helping them secure better futures.
Make a meaningful impact in your career at Medtronic
Medtronic focuses on improving health outcomes for underserved populations worldwide, as well as supporting communities where Medtronic employees live and give.
Want to be part of this force for good? Start by researching the latest career vacancies with Medtronic.
Find out more
Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.