Boston Scientific Opens Institute for Advancing Science in Johannesburg
Official cutting of the ribbon at the launch of the Boston Scientific In…
JOHANNESBURG (November 12, 2015) – Deepening its commitment to the African healthcare sector, Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today officially opened the South Africa branch of the Boston Scientific Institute for Advancing Science (IAS) in Johannesburg. The state-of-the-art facility will help train and further develop the skills and knowledge base of local healthcare professionals. With local thought leaders and experts as faculty, the facility will also help meet training needs of the other African nations.
The opening marks the seventh Boston Scientific IAS globally, including sites in the United States, France, Japan and China. Another Institute is slated to open next month in Istanbul.
“Boston Scientific is privileged to be able to play a part in the development and growth of the African healthcare sector,” said Mike Mahoney, president and chief executive officer, Boston Scientific. “We believe that the training healthcare professionals will receive at the Johannesburg IAS will help broaden the understanding of life-saving medical device technologies and ultimately benefit more patients. South Africa is an important market in our ongoing global expansion, and a key focus area for investment in the region.”
IAS Simlab
Facilitators at the new IAS will run clinical education programs in interventional cardiology, radiology, cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, peripheral interventions, endoscopy, urology, stone management and pelvic health. Courses will focus on raising awareness of the latest industry trends while allowing hands-on training with current medical devices.
The Institute will provide educational programs from EDUCARE, Boston Scientific’s comprehensive suite of education programs that support healthcare professionals in the delivery of patient care worldwide.
“This institute will have a great impact by affording healthcare professionals the opportunity to train in various forms of both diagnostic and interventional endoscopy procedures,” said Professor Zach Koto, chief specialist and head of the Department of Surgery, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and the Dr. George Mukhari Academic Hospital. “In endoscopy, technology has advanced to such levels that the procedural skills required have placed a burden on many facilities with regards to caseloads. The IAS moves skills training from the operating or procedure rooms to the laboratory. Besides potentially decreasing overall training costs with less time needed for training, this may also help improve operating room performance, enhance patient care and advance the techniques of both experienced and new physicians.”
“At Boston Scientific, we recognize the crucial importance of healthcare professional skills development, training and experience in improving health outcomes and quality of care,” said Ruwaida Shaikh, country director, South Africa, Boston Scientific. “We are confident that the opening of the IAS aligns with the South African National Department of Health’s objectives of increasing training and education for healthcare professionals and supporting the healthcare working environment. We also plan to have a strong African outreach as many other countries share this need for training opportunities.”
In addition, Boston Scientific announced a collaboration with Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, to assist with the screening of South Africans for diabetes and hypertension. Project HOPE is one of the largest non-governmental organizations providing screenings as part of the National Department of Health’s goal of screening eight million South Africans for non-communicable diseases by March, 2016. The country is second only to Nigeria among African nations with the highest rates of adult diabetes[1] and the world’s highest rate of high blood pressure among people over 50[2].
About Boston Scientific
Headquartered in Johannesburg, Boston Scientific has been operating in South Africa since 1997. Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 30 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like “anticipate,” “expect,” “project,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding our business plans, the impact of the Johannesburg IAS, and markets for our products. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.
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[1] Viswanathan Mohan, “The Rising Burden of Diabetes and Hypertension in Southeast Asian and African Regions: Need for Effective Strategies for Prevention and Control in Primary Health Care Settings,” International Journal of Hypertension, no. 2013 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/409083.
[2] Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, “Hypertension among older adults in low- and middle-income countries: prevalence, awareness and control.” International Journal of Epidemiology, 43, no. 1 (Feb 2014):116-28. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt215.
