BOSTON, Mass. - Philips Medical Systems of Andover, Massachusetts, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, will be presented with the American Heart Association’s prestigious Cor Vitae Award at the Boston Heart Ball on Saturday, May 13, at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.
The Cor Vitae Award is given each year to a member of the corporate community who enhances the quality of life in their community through innovation, philanthropy, vision and leadership. Philips is being honored for their support of the Boston Heart Ball and Boston Heart Walk, as well as their commitment to Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Philips has generously supported the Boston Heart Walk since 1997, both as the presenting or Red Cap sponsor, and by recruiting individual walkers. For the 2005 Boston Heart Walk, Philips fielded 48 teams and a total of 293 walkers. Their individual effort raised over $104,000 for heart disease and stroke research, advocacy, and education programs. Philips has raised more than $100,000 at each of the past three Heart Walks.
In addition, Philips has been the presenting sponsor of the Boston Heart Ball for the past four years. This year, Philips initiated an incentive challenge to corporate sponsors of the Boston Heart Ball, offering a free HeartStart automated external defibrillator (AED) and training for up to eight employees to any company that increases its sponsorship to $25,000 or signs on as a first-time sponsor for $25,0000 or more.
“Philips has been a true and longstanding corporate leader in the community and shares the American Heart Association’s commitment to strengthening the chain of survival for actual and potential victims of heart disease and stroke,” said Patrick T. Clendenen, Esq., Chairman of the American Heart Association’s Greater Boston Division Board of Directors and an attorney with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo PC. “We’re especially proud to recognize the company, its leadership, and its employees in this groundbreaking year, and we’re thrilled with their ongoing support of the American Heart Association.”
“Philips has worked closely with and sponsored the American Heart Association for almost ten years because their mission to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and strokes has a positive impact on the lives of our employees.” said Deborah DiSanzo, senior vice president and general manager of Cardiac Systems for Philips Medical Systems. “In addition, the AHA has supported Philips in our efforts to make defibrillators more widely accessible where people live, work, and play. Early access to defibrillation combined with CPR and AED training will save more lives from cardiac arrest.”
More than 340,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. Survival from sudden cardiac arrest is directly linked to time to defibrillation. Survival rates drop by about 10 percent for every minute that defibrillation is delayed. Widespread deployment of AEDs is the only feasible method of achieving early defibrillation, and public access proponents estimate that the broad deployment of AEDs among trained responders could prevent as many as 40,000 unnecessary deaths each year in the United States.