Across our company, we continue to grieve as the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine unfolds and we mourn for those who have been displaced or lost their lives. At Boston Scientific, we condemn acts of violence and discrimination and join those calling for peace. We are carefully monitoring how we can best support our employees, customers, patients and humanitarian relief efforts and are taking the following actions:
- Prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our employees around the world. We are staying in close contact with employees in affected regions and are offering support through our employee assistance programs and global security team. While we do not have direct employees in Ukraine, we do have employees in countries where Ukrainian refugees are relocating and in Russia.
- The United States Boston Scientific Foundation is donating $1,000,000 USD to Project HOPE. This donation will provide Ukraine refugee support in Poland, where we have 240 Boston Scientific employees and where more than two million Ukrainians have sought refuge, and millions more are expected to relocate. Project HOPE is a leading provider of global relief on the ground in Poland. This donation will support efforts to secure a sustainable logistics corridor to supply medicines and medical supplies into Ukraine, to procure medical supplies for a neonatal hospital in Kyiv, and to establish warehouse space and resources in Poland to address strain on the Polish heath care system.
- Our global Operations team is coordinating product donations to support Ukraine relief efforts based on the Ukraine Health Ministry needs assessment. We will also continue to monitor and provide products where we can address critical supply needs as countries receiving refuges face increased strain on healthcare systems.
- Continuing our employee match program to support humanitarian relief efforts. Boston Scientific is matching donations to the International Committee of the Red Cross and Project Hope up to $500 USD, above and beyond the annual match cap. Employees can donate and request a match through our myCommunity platform. To date, the company and employees have contributed more than $160,000 USD to support these organizations. In addition, the Boston Scientific Foundation Europe recently donated €50,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Several employees in EMEA countries are already volunteering through local associations and initiatives. Our Global Community Engagement team is also working with partners on the ground to assess volunteer opportunities on an ongoing basis.
At Boston Scientific, our mission is to transform lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. Consistent with our mission, we are supporting ongoing access to healthcare in the countries where we operate, in compliance with international sanctions. We are suspending non-essential business as well as new investment activity in Russia, as we hope for an end to the violence and a peaceful resolution in the near term.
Read about the ways we care for communities year-round through our Global Community Engagement.