Deep-seated inequities affect millions of people every day. The problem is bigger than any one person, company, or movement can tackle alone. Nevertheless, Medtronic's Mission motivates the company to do its part to do more — to amplify its impact beyond the walls of its business and to create meaningful change.
Medronic's unwavering commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity means that it strives for zero barriers to equity. Through community partnerships, Medtronic builds stronger solutions than it could build alone — solutions that promote long-term education, health, and economic opportunities for people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and other underrepresented groups.
“We’re leaning into unique new opportunities in community partnerships with other leading employers to change the way we all think of talent and to address systemic inequities that continue to persist. We believe that these efforts will help reduce barriers and advance equity," says Dr. Sally Saba, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Medtronic.
Partnerships advance health equity in Medtronic communities
The Medtronic Foundation, funded by Medtronic, focuses on improving lives for underserved communities and actively works with community partners to understand and address their needs. During COVID-19, the Medtronic Foundation asked what it could do to support our local communities and, specifically, ease disparities in care around the world.
Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation donated $56 million during the pandemic, but Medtronic's tailored, community-centered approaches extended its health equity impact beyond that obtainable through financial giving alone.
"Grantmaking is a fraction of what we do — it’s our subject-matter experts, network of partners, and on-the-ground support that drive meaningful change," explains Heidi Jedlicka Halvarson, Senior Philanthropy Specialist, Medtronic Foundation.
Helping communities during COVID-19
Working with established partners on the ground, such as AmeriCares and Direct Relief, the Medtronic Foundation supported temporary COVID-19 treatment sites and quarantine facilities, trained frontline health workers, and addressed vaccine hesitancy around the world.
In India and Brazil, the Medtronic Foundation combined financial support, donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), and employee volunteerism to help the underserved. Employees led a virtual volunteer “power hour,” during which they sent messages of support to colleagues in India and raised funds for India Association of Minnesota (IAM) and Goonj — two nonprofits working on relief efforts.
Partnerships around the world
Medtronic's partner, Pavee Point, leveraged the Medtronic Foundation grant to support the Travellers, an indigenous, nomadic minority group in Ireland. Pavee Point gives the community access to health and financial services in hopes of driving more equitable change across the country.
Medtronic Australia is committed to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples, thus has implemented an official action plan to strengthen relations, respect, and health outcomes. In addition, Medtronic grants have supported native people’s organizations by providing self-contained, mobile dialysis units and increasing congenital rheumatic heart disease screenings for children.
Partnerships diversify the future of STEM
Medtronic strives to increase the number of women and Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) educational programs to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in the healthcare technology industry’s future workforce.
The Medtronic Foundation collaborated with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to create the Medtronic STEM Scholars Program. This scholarship program supports the next generation of doctors, engineers, and healthcare workers by offering scholarships to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the undergraduate and graduate levels. But the partnership is more than just money.
Medtronic employees go above and beyond to ensure that students have everything they need to earn and make the most of a STEM degree. Many of Medtronic employees have signed up to mentor TMCF scholars, create developmental curricula, and host career event showcases. In addition to supporting access to education through the Medtronic Foundation scholarships, Medtronic also has a partnership with TMCF for interns focused on creating an early career pipeline of diverse talent.
Forge a career with Medtronic
A culture of belonging encourages speaking up with a different perspective or new creative ideas. Medtronic's culture of belonging reminds employees to stop worrying about fitting in and to embrace standing out.
Medtronic understands that only when employees feel free to be themselves can the company harness the true power of its diversity and direct it to what matters most: living up to its true potential and to the advancement of its Mission.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.