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Nov 21, 2024
By the Philips Foundation team
Since its launch in 2014, Philips Foundation has evolved from a newly established entity into a global driver of healthcare access, prioritizing scalable healthcare solutions that are built to last. By investing in social entrepreneurs and collaborating with strategic partners, the Foundation successfully scales programs that address critical areas such as NCD care, maternal health, and emergency care.
In the Netherlands, the Foundation’s efforts are currently focused on improving access to care by reducing waiting times, reducing costs and enhancing cardiac care, one of the biggest killers in the region. “Today, the Foundation’s impact is both immediate and enduring. None of this progress would be possible without Philips employees, whose relentless commitment is key to saving lives, building healthier futures, and driving sustainable change,” says Margot Cooijmans, Director of the Philips Foundation Driving equitable cancer care One example of Philips Foundation’s work in the Netherlands is the long-term partnership with the Princess Maxima Center, aimed at improving care and quality of life for children with cancer. By centralizing treatment at this specialized center, all children with cancer in the Netherlands are now treated here, thereby avoiding the impact of regional inequalities, and improving their quality of life. The partnership has resulted in impactful initiatives, including a training MRI scanner that helps children prepare for scans without anesthesia and equipping classrooms at the Máxima School to ensure continued education for young patients. One standout initiative is the KLIK Pain Monitor app, enabling children undergoing treatment at home to report 'pain scores' and contact care providers at the center 24/7. The app was jointly developed by experts from Philips and Princess Maxima. Together, these efforts align with the Princess Máxima Center's mission to cure all children with cancer while maintaining their quality of life and with Philips' goal of improving lives through health technology.
None of this progress would be possible without Philips employees, whose relentless commitment is key to saving lives, building healthier futures, and driving sustainable change.
Margot Cooijmans
Director of the Philips Foundation
Creating a 6-minute cardiac arrest zone Speaking about the initiative, John Jorritsma, who was serving as the mayor of Eindhoven at the time, explained: "It’s wonderful to see Eindhoven residents voluntarily attend this training so they can offer help to a fellow citizen in an emergency. I sincerely hope that more cities will follow suit."
The Netherlands sees 8,000 resuscitations outside of hospital care every year. In these cases, the first six minutes are crucial to increase survival rates. Thanks to a partnership with the Philips Foundation, Eindhoven has become the first large Dutch city where help is with the victim within six minutes of a cardiac arrest. To enable this, the Foundation provided CPR training to 800 Eindhoven residents, and Philips donated 44 AEDs, which are located across the city.
Sylvia van Es, President of Philips Netherlands, added: "Eindhoven is at the heart of Philips. That is why we have worked with Eindhoven Heart Safe Foundation to make 'our' city heart safer. It is wonderful to see our AEDs save lives, not only in towns and villages around the world, but also here in our home city of Eindhoven.”
Targeting the root causes of poor access to care More recently, Philips Foundation has embarked upon a long-term partnership with Dutch NGO Stichting GelijkGezond to help drive positive change for people with limited access to care. Joris van Eijck, founder of Stichting GelijkGezond, explains: “Many people’s problems, such as a lack of (healthy) housing, unemployment, debt, mental health challenges, loneliness, or poverty, are often overlooked in the existing healthcare system. Thanks to the support of the Philips Foundation, we can provide these people with structural support by better equipping professionals with extra time, (financial) flexibility, and organizational capacity to deal with these types of problems.” Ready for the next decade The next decade holds immense potential to close healthcare gaps, improve access, and elevate the standard of care for millions. Cooijmans concludes, “Building on the success of the past ten years, Philips Foundation is ready for its next decade. But we cannot do it alone. At the heart of this endeavor are Philips employees, whose expertise in innovation, design, and sustainability can make a powerful impact on healthcare systems and the communities they serve. Thank you for your continued support.”
The challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity.
Let's take them on together.
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