15 June 2023
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Boston Scientific Foundation Europe (BSFE), celebrating five years of support to life-changing projects from the non-profit community. Established in 2018 to enhance the company’s impact on health and well-being, BSFE provides a valuable contribution to the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance commitment.
Championing digital health
Digital health is an intrinsic part of the future of healthcare, facilitating access, reach and sustainability of health care systems. With initiatives that support the upskilling of professionals and advocates, bringing isolated patients together, and using technology as the catalyst for innovation in research, BSFE helps communities to connect to healthcare resources and education online, and elevates the potential to scale up access to care.
“The digitalisation of health care augments our ability to have an impact; to train more health workers, educate more patient advocates, and ultimately to make a difference for more people,” commented Simonetta Balbi, president, BSFE. “Thanks to the collective effort of our board, country ambassadors and project review committee, we are able to find and fund those initiatives that we believe will make a meaningful difference and pursue our mission for years to come. ”
BSFE’s five-year impact:
- Funded 20 innovative digital health initiatives
- Supported 16 European non-profit organisations
- Reached communities in over 50 countries in Europe and beyond
- Donated to humanitarian relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, Turkey and Syria
- Provided PPE equipment to 18 clinics across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking back to landmark projects
The landmark initiative and first for BSFE was the 5/5 programme, a remote mobile-learning platform created by Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. The platform is for doctors practicing in underserved countries to improve the pre-operative diagnosis and ongoing management of children with cardiac issues. It has now succeeded in training 550 doctors across 28 countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
Large or small, BSFE initiatives can make a significant impact: funding for Bator Tabor Hungary allowed them to take their children’s camps online and help 2,000 sick and isolated children through the pandemic. The Dystonia Physio Exercise Hub has given cervical dystonia patients access to bespoke training programmes, with over 200 physiotherapists registered from 20 countries, and supporting the Parkinson’s Europe podcast has meant BSFE funding has helped its 15,000 subscribers to obtain advice and support for living with Parkinson’s disease.
Announcing new grants
Looking ahead, BSFE is announcing new grants to mark its five year anniversary. Funding to the Italian League for the Fight against Tumors (LILT) will support the digitalisation of their mobile truck that tours the Lombardy region, providing free screening and integration with the National Cancer Institute to improve oncological prevention and expedite diagnosis. In the last month, BSFE has also awarded a grant to the Centre Paediatrique Côtes in France, which is utilising cutting-edge software to enable seriously disabled children to communicate through tablets.
Grant recipients
BSFE is proud to have worked with national and pan-European non-profit organisations including:
About the Boston Scientific Foundation Europe
The Boston Scientific Foundation Europe (BSFE) is a non-profit organisation that supports well-being through digital solutions. Addressing issues of public interest, the Foundation funds initiatives from European non-profit organisations that help prevent or manage diseases. Established in 2018, BSFE is a non-profit organisation headquartered in France and funded solely by Boston Scientific.
The Boston Scientific founding members are the company’s local legal entities in France, Italy, Spain, UK and Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, and the Nordic region.
For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.eu/foundation, Facebook or LinkedIn.