As the grandson of a nurse, I grew up watching my grandmother not only show deep compassion and empathy for her patients but also an unwavering commitment to improving the quality of care they received. It was this ambition to truly make a positive impact on patients that inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare.
My more than 35 years with Johnson & Johnson have provided me with an opportunity to act on this shared commitment to putting patients first and passion for delivering life-changing medical breakthroughs and advancements.
In fact, since its founding in the late 1800s, Johnson & Johnson has made great strides in helping improve healthcare around the globe, but we know there is much more work we can do to change the trajectory of health for humanity. We also know that truly impacting health outcomes for patients everywhere is not something we can do alone.
We need help from the people at the very heart of the health system—healthcare workers—who unfortunately tend to be undervalued and overlooked. That’s why I’m excited to be spotlighting the important work they do at Aspen Ideas: Health, which is part of the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Why we believe so strongly in supporting frontline healthcare workers—and how we help bring innovation to where it’s needed most
Improved healthcare for all can only be truly possible if there are strong, sustainable and inclusive healthcare systems in which nurses, midwives and community health workers play a central role.
To help assist these frontline heroes, the company has supported the training of almost 325,000 healthcare workers over the past several years, thereby helping improve the quality of care for thousands of patients around the world. The goal is to help train up to 650,000 healthcare workers by 2020.
From our very beginning in 1886, innovation has been an important part of Johnson & Johnson’s DNA—from the invention of BAND-AID® Brand adhesive bandages in 1920, custom joint replacements today or the cutting-edge research being done with robotics to find and treat lung cancer in the future, we are constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of those we serve by leveraging our own expertise and forging meaningful partnerships.
To help those on the front lines of care, this approach to innovation can mean tapping into tools and technology to connect people to each other, to new data and information, and to the health systems in which they work.
Here are just a few examples of how we are doing that:
- Through our partnership with the Health for All Alliance, we are leveraging digital tools to provide access to life-enhancing training for more than 450,000 frontline healthcare workers.
- To enable nurses to share ideas for new devices, health technologies and protocols or treatments, we are launching a series of Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenges.
- Over the next five years, our Johnson & Johnson Institute on Wheels will provide hands-on surgery training to healthcare professionals in India.
- Leveraging mobile technology through programs like MomConnect and mMitra, we have reached millions of women and families in South Africa and India with vital health information.
Our goal to advance health for humanity requires not only bold leadership, but also a culture built upon shared values and a commitment to living out those values every day. For more than 75 years, Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson’s mission statement, has provided that foundation by guiding us in our commitment to patients, doctors and nurses and all of those we serve.
Rooted in these values, we will continue to deliver products and solutions to better human health, and, like my grandmother, continue to put the patient at the heart of everything that we do.
