BD and Heart to Heart International Continue Ongoing Collaboration to Help Improve Healthcare in Haiti with Third Volunteer Service Trip

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Jun 04, 2013, 08:00 ET

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. and OLATHE, Kan., June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE:BDX), a leading global medical technology company, and Heart to Heart International, a nonprofit humanitarian medical aid organization, are collaborating on their third joint volunteer initiative to strengthen healthcare in Haiti. A team of 14 BD employees from around the world will build upon the progress made by their colleagues in 2012. This year the volunteers will visit Haiti for three weeks to continue BD's work with Heart to Heart to improve the country's ability to provide community healthcare services by training lab technicians and healthcare workers, building infrastructure and treating patients at medical clinics.

"BD's purpose of Helping all people live healthy lives drives our ongoing commitment to Haiti's recovery. Our volunteers are helping rebuild and strengthen the country's healthcare infrastructure by building upon the progress made by the first two volunteer teams," said Vincent A. Forlenza, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, BD. "We value our collaboration with Heart to Heart because their tremendous in-country knowledge helps us optimize delivery of services and expertise sharing."

BD volunteers and Heart to Heart International medical staff are improving existing patient care services by:

training local laboratory techs and healthcare workers
training local nurses on mobile laboratory tests
constructing a new product depot at the volunteer center and completing plumbing and electrical work at a Heart to Heart International clinic in Leogane
supporting medical outreach at clinics
upgrading laboratory capabilities
raising awareness about ongoing needs in Haiti

BD also assists the recovery effort by providing product donations. To date, BD has sent more than $4.1 million in product donations to Haiti. In the three years since the earthquake, Heart to Heart International has deployed nearly 1,000 medical and non-medical volunteers in Haiti, delivered medical aid worth $52 million, established more than a dozen urban and rural clinics, and continues to lead an anti-cholera campaign in the remote southeast of Haiti, all while working side-by-side with Haitians to help move the country's health system from survivability to sustainability.

"With partners like BD, Heart to Heart is able to make more of a difference in the lives of the people we serve," said Krystal Barr, interim Chief Executive Officer, Heart to Heart International. "Our in-country expertise, paired with BD's investment of people and resources, is having a powerfully positive impact on the healthcare capacity in Haiti. We look forward to what the future holds for Haiti, knowing that both BD and Heart to Heart are helping people in need."

This is the eighth BD-sponsored Volunteer Service Trip providing opportunities for its employees to improve sustainable healthcare capacity in medically underserved regions; earlier trips served regions of sub-Saharan Africa. BD and Heart to Heart have worked together since 2003, helping people in developing countries and disaster-ravaged areas, supplying and delivering specifically requested medical supplies to communities in greatest need.

About BD
BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs nearly 30,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

About Heart to Heart International
Heart to Heart International is a non-profit humanitarian medical aid, training and disaster relief non-governmental organization (NGO) that is committed to connecting people and resources to a world in need. Since its founding in 1992, Heart to Heart International has delivered medical aid and supplies worth more than $1 billion to more than 150 countries, including the U.S. Heart to Heart responds to crises and natural disasters both domestically and internationally by supplying medical relief and mobilizing volunteers. Heart to Heart International broadens access to healthcare by providing continuing medical education opportunities and lab standards training around the U.S. and the globe, and works with U.S. safety-net clinics to help increase their capacity by providing medical equipment, supplies and volunteers that are vital to operations. The organization has been named to Forbes magazine's prestigious list of "America's 200 Largest Charities" and is recognized as one of the top nonprofits in the categories of donor efficiency and charitable commitment. For more information on its programs and ways to get involved, visit hearttoheart.org and find Heart to Heart on Facebook.

Contact:
Colleen T. White, Corporate Communications – 201-847-5369

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)