IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 — Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, announced at a 60th anniversary educational event that the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative has exceeded the goal to impact the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people by 2020. With the support of grants from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation and donations of Edwards heart valve technologies, the initiative is now expected to reach a total of 1.5 million underserved people globally by the 2020 target through the cumulative effort of 60 non-profit partners.
"In 2014, we convened dozens of dedicated non-profit partners to build a community focused on working collaboratively to tackle the global health issue of heart valve disease for people with significant health disparities," said Amanda Fowler, executive director, global corporate giving, Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. "Bringing this community together has resulted in meaningful connections that elevate the work being done to help meet the needs of underserved patients. We have, and will continue to invest the majority of our charitable giving to support this community and to lead this charge in making an impact for at-risk heart valve patients around the world."
"Millions of underserved people suffer from life-threatening heart valve disease, with rheumatic heart disease and low-income patients at the epicenter," said David H. Adams, M.D., cardiac surgeon-in-chief, Mount Sinai Health System; president, American Association for Thoracic Surgery; president, Mitral Foundation. "The Every Heartbeat Matters initiative is so much more than financial support. This community is instrumental in helping us solve problems together, find new approaches to care for underserved patients and learn from one another."
Reporting and analytics of this initiative are measured with rigor to ensure data are conservative and accurately reflect only the impact in underserved populations. Since 2014, because of Every Heartbeat Matters:
- 60 non-profit partners joined the initiative
- Approximately 900,000 underserved people have been impacted by public health education
- More than 17,000 clinicians caring for underserved patients have received training
- More than 80,000 underserved people have been screened for heart valve disease
- Nearly 5,000 underserved people have received heart valve treatment
- The initiative has reached underserved people in 36 countries
By 2020, the company and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation expect to invest approximately $30 million in this initiative. Partnerships are crucial to the continued success of Every Heartbeat Matters. For more information on how new potential partners can contribute to this initiative, please visit EveryHeartbeatMatters.org.
Visit the Edwards YouTube site to learn more about the impact of Every Heartbeat Matters and the journey of one patient, Berthony Bertrand, who received the transformative care he needed.
About Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation
Edwards Lifesciences, based in Irvine, Calif., is the global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring. Driven by a passion to help patients, the company collaborates with the world's leading clinicians and researchers to address unmet healthcare needs, working to improve patient outcomes and enhance lives. For more information, visit www.edwards.com and follow us on Twitter @EdwardsLifesci. In 2004, the company established what is now Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. The foundation focuses on supporting underserved heart valve and critically ill patients, as well as strengthening the communities in which Edwards employees live and work. Since its inception, the foundation has gifted more than $60 million to non-profit organizations. Additional information can be found at Edwards.com/CorporateGiving.