Castlebar - County Mayo - Baxter Foundation

The Baxter International Foundation has donated US$230,000 to Hope House in County Mayo and The Irish Hospice Foundation in Dublin.

Baxter Ireland's Pat Gallagher presents the Baxter International Foundation's donation of US$120,000 to Foxford's Hope House Co-Directors, Sister Attraca Canny and Sister Dolores Duggan, in the presence of An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD. The grant will support expanding substance abuse counselling with the creation of a new Addiction Counsellor post in the centre. Picture: Henry Wills.

The grants, provided by the philanthropic arm of Baxter Healthcare, a global healthcare company, will support access to healthcare across the Irish Region. The grant of US$109,000 to the Irish Hospice Foundation will support a pilot programme to train healthcare specialists in palliative care to expand access to non-cancer patients in Dublin. The grant of US$120,000 to Hope House will support in expanding substance abuse counseling by funding a new Addictions Counsellor post.

Baxter International Healthcare's long association with Mayo and Ireland acknowledged the wonderful work of the Irish Hospice Foundation with the presentation of a cheque for US$109,000 from their company's International Foundation Fund. Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan,TD., was on hand to present the cheque to Irish Hospice CEO, Eugene Murray in the presence of Mayo /Roscommon Hospice CEO Cynthia Clampett. Baxter Ireland senior executives at the presentation included John Caulfield, Pat Gallagher, Executive Director of the Baxter International Foundation Celene Peurye, Baxter's European President Christian Joergensen and Managing Director of Baxter Ireland, Alton Shader. Picture: Henry Wills.

Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony today, Alton Shader, Managing Director, Baxter Ireland said, “We are delighted that The Baxter International Foundation has made these grants to support these valuable services in Ireland. It is a true recognition of the excellent level of services that both these organisations offer.” The event was also attended by Christian Joergensen. Baxter General Manager for Western Europe.

Baxter Ireland's long association and committment to Mayo and Ireland was wonderfully acknowledged with their International Foundation's combined US$230,000 donation to Foxford's Hope House and the Irish Hospice Foundation. Both recepients were delighted to receive their grants at a special ceremony attended by Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD., in the presence of Baxter International Foundation's Executive Director Celene Peurye, European President Christian Joergensen, Ireland Managing Director, Alton Slader, and Baxter Ireland's John Caulfield. Delighted to receive their grants were Irish Hospice Foundation's CEO, Eugene Murray and Hope House Co Directors, Sisters Attracta Canny and Sister Dolores Duggan and counsellor Sr Helen Barrett. Picture: Henry Wills.

Celene Peurye, Executive Director of The Baxter International Foundation added, “The ethos behind the Foundation is that we wish to help expand access to healthcare services around the world, particularly in areas that are underserved. Both of these organisations show a dedication and commitment to the causes they serve and we hope that the funding builds on the already excellent services that they offer to the community in Ireland.”

An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD., and the President of Baxter International's European Operations, Christian Joergensen, at the Foundation's presentation in Hope House Foxford. Picture: Henry Wills.

Dolores Duggan, Co-Director of Hope House said, “We are delighted to be the recipients of the Baxter grant and very grateful to the Baxter Foundation. This grant has afforded us the opportunity to expand and enhance our services to addicted people and their families.”

Attending the prestigious Baxter International Foundation presentations were from left Noel Howley, Howley Distribution, Mayo County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr., John Cribben, The American Embassy's Senior Commercial Officer, Stephen Anderson, and Baxter Ireland's John Caulfield. Picture: Henry Wills.

Mary Millea, Business Development Manager for The Irish Hospice Foundation said, “The Baxter Foundation grant is hugely important to the Irish Hospice Foundation. This grant is very much welcomed as it has enabled a very important programme to be initiated by the Foundation. The initiation of this ‘Extending Access Programme’ means that people with life-limiting conditions other than cancer will have their palliative care needs recognized and responded to in acute and primary care settings.”

The delighted CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation, Eugene Murray, receives the Baxter International Foundation's donation of US$109,000 from Alton Shader, Managing Director Baxter Ireland in the presence of An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD.. Picture: Henry Wills.

The Foundation has made a number of high-profile grants to organizations in Ireland over the past 10 years. The Family Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland, has received two grants from the Foundation. In 1994, the Foundation made a grant to the Paul Newman “Hole in the Wall” Barretstown Gang Camp in Co. Kildare for terminally ill children and continues to support the project. Other former recipients of a grant from the Foundation in Ireland include Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, Mayo Women’s Refuge Centre, and the Western Health Board.

An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan,TD., pictured at the presentation of the Baxter International Foundation's US$120,000 grant to Foxford's Hope House, for the provision of a new Addiction Councillor to combat the expansion and rise of substance abuse. Sister Dolores Duggan and Sister Attracta Canny, and their new councillor Helen Barrett, accepted the grant from Baxter's European President, Christian Joergensen, in the presence of the company's International Foundation Director Celene Peurye, Baxter's Ireland MD, Alan Shader, and Baxter Ireland's Pat Gallagher and John Caulfield. Picture: Henry Wills.

An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlin, TD., pictured at the Baxter International Foundation's grants presentations ceremony with from left, Mayo Co Engineer Joe Beirne, and Engineer colleague Noel Burke, Baxter's Simone Harney, John Doherty, Mary Caulfield, and Bishop of Achonry, Dr. Brendan Kelly. Picture: Henry Wills.

The Baxter International Foundation
The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc., helps organizations expand access to healthcare in the United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981, began to focus exclusively on increasing access to healthcare in 2002 - particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved - in communities where Baxter employees live and work.

Beyond its charitable giving, Baxter’s commitment to advancing environmental stewardship and social responsibility spans three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognized by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter is a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative. To learn more about Baxter’s sustainability initiatives, please visit www.baxter.com/sustainability.

About Baxter
Baxter Healthcare Ltd. is the primary domestic operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX). Baxter is a global, diversified healthcare company that develops products and therapies to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with life-threatening conditions such as haemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute conditions.

Baxter in Ireland
Baxter Ireland has been established for over 40 years. Facilities include business centres in Dublin and Belfast, a state-of-the-art compounding facility in Dublin and Belfast and renal care centres in Antrim and Dublin. Manufacturing facilities are located in Castlebar and Swinford. In total, Baxter Ireland employs in excess of 1300 people.

About Hope House
Hope House is a Rehabilitation Centre specialising in the treatment of alcohol, drugs, gambling and other dependencies. The environment of Hope House is reflective, respectful, warm and welcoming. The programme at Hope House is designed so that residents learn to become responsible for their own recovery.

About The Irish Hospice Foundation
The Irish Hospice Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes the hospice philosophy and supports the development of hospice/palliative care. The vision of the Irish Hospice Foundation is that no one should have to face death or bereavement without appropriate care and support. Its aim is to facilitate the practice of hospice care in all its aspects by working independently as well as in partnership with the statutory, voluntary and professional bodies concerned with hospice and palliative care in Ireland.