Edwards Lifesciences’ work to improve employee recruitment, engagement and retention supports our aspiration of Fostering an Inclusive Culture Where all Employees Grow and Thrive.
Definition
Developing strategies for attracting, developing and retaining employees. Edwards strives to maintain and enhance a culture reflective of our Credo and Aspirations. We believe that fostering a diverse, inclusive culture is critical to our long-term success as we help more patients around the world. And, our work to promote workplace health and safety serves our aspiration of Fostering an Inclusive Culture Where all Employees Grow and Thrive, while providing Edwards employees with health resources and safe working conditions.
Edwards Lifesciences unites our employees around a common passion for improving the lives of our patients. Our top priority is to execute our work with the utmost precision and care, because we know that our therapies have the power to affect patient lives in a positive and lasting way. Edwards is a growing company, and our culture is an important factor in attracting and retaining top talent that will continue to advance our innovative technologies for the patients we serve.
Diversity is a vital part of our company culture, and also foundational to Edwards Lifesciences’ work to innovate life-saving therapies for patients. We encourage our employees worldwide to share novel ideas and to push the boundaries of traditional thinking and creativity. Diverse talent is crucial for driving innovation. We envision a company culture that actively values diversity and is inclusive of people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Edwards Lifesciences believes our mission to help patients begins with the well-being of our employees. Maintaining a strong and healthy workforce enables us to stay focused on our goals and dedicate our energies toward the development of life-saving therapies.
Governance Map
In 2018, we created a governance map to illustrate our Talent Management structure.
Corporate Governance
Environment Health & Safety
Ethics & Compliance
Product Safety & Quality
Volunteerism & Giving
Human Capital Management
Supply Chain Management
Overview
Edwards takes pride in our strong management practices that mitigate risk, ensure
accountability and enhance performance on our material
topics. Our governance maps illustrate Edwards’ internal responsibility structures for
managing a selection of our material topics. These maps underscore our commitment to transparency and
our Aspiration of Excelling as a Trusted Partner and Global Leader Through the Quality of Our Work.
Please click on any of the seven categories to review our governance structures
and practices.
Corporate Governance
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
The Edwards Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team are responsible for corporate governance at Edwards. See pages 13-19 of our 2023 Proxy Statement.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
Communication practices
We communicate Edwards’ corporate governance efforts with internal and external stakeholders through our annual Proxy Statement and other securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Shareholder engagement
The Board is presented with the status of shareholder engagement and feedback during the quarter in which the feedback was obtained. We conduct shareholder outreach on the topics of corporate governance, executive compensation, and sustainability at least twice a year. The Board reviews feedback from external stakeholders, discusses reasonable actions, and responds on behalf of the company.
Shareholders can communicate governance concerns by contacting our Investor Relations team or the office of the Corporate Secretary. They can also raise concerns during one of our semi-annual outreach campaigns. See pages 13-19 of our 2023 Proxy Statement.
Environment, Health & Safety
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
Members of the Worldwide Environmental Health and Safety (WWEHS) team annually refresh and realign Edwards’ EHS strategy by conducting a benchmarking exercise, assessing Edwards’ performance against internal targets, identifying the needs and expectations of our stakeholders and reviewing industry best practices. The WWEHS team takes those perspectives and collaborates with internal stakeholders to create a draft strategy for the upcoming year.
The draft strategy is then presented to the Corporate Vice President (CVP) of Global Supply Chain and Quality (GSC&Q), the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Each of these stakeholders provides feedback, insight and direction, which the WWEHS team incorporates into the strategy. In some cases, components of the proposed EHS strategy are shared with the Board of Directors for review, input and approval.
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
Once the corporate-level EHS strategy is approved, it is rolled out across Edwards globally. Site and regional leaders take the strategy and build it into their operating plans and budgets for the following years.
The WWEHS team reports under our CVP of GSC&Q . The WWEHS team is responsible for providing guidelines, templates and resources to drive the standardization of EHS management and continual improvement in our performance across the GSC function.
At the site and region level, Site and Region EHS Facilities teams execute projects. Each Operating Unit EHS function develops additional policies and procedures tailored to its activities and local regulations, needs and culture. The Site and Region EHS Facilities teams and the site and region leadership are responsible for ensuring adherence to the EHS policy at each facility.
Performance incentives
At Edwards, we annually measure companywide EHS performance against internal targets and objectives and incorporate these measurements into financial incentive programs for company leadership, including the VP of EHS, plant general managers and the CVP of GSC&Q.
Also, we include EHS criteria in performance reviews for relevant employees, based on role, and offer incentives such as recognition, rewards and bonus compensation.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
We use a multi-faceted approach to communicate our EHS strategy and programs with our global employees. An important component of our communication efforts is the EHS training we provide to employees to raise awareness about safe and environmentally responsible work practices. We use a variety of formats to deliver material, including instructor-led, web-based, read-and-review and on-the-job training. Training requirements vary by location and by role, based upon local EHS legal requirements and employee job assignments.
For EHS topics that are not covered in formal training courses but might require general employee awareness, we socialize content through safety communication boards, televisions onsite, electronic newsletters, EHS Incident Alerts and team huddle safety talks. We also include Edwards’ Environmental Health and Safety policy and performance commitments in the Titanium Book.
We routinely engage with external stakeholders on the topic of Edwards’ EHS strategy. Most often, this communication takes place through investor inquiries, customer bids and tenders and the stakeholder engagement stage of our materiality assessments.
Ethics & Compliance
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
Edwards’ Executive Leadership Team (ELT), with assistance by Edwards’ Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), is accountable for Edwards’ Global Compliance Program. The CCO reports directly to the Audit Committee of the Board with administrative support and oversight by the General Counsel. The CCO provides regular updates on the Global Compliance Program to the Audit Committee and ELT.
The CCO also chairs a Corporate Compliance Committee, comprising executives across multiple functions and business units. The committee meets quarterly to discuss emerging compliance risks, compliance program effectiveness, and progress on significant compliance program initiatives. Regional Compliance Officers also chair Regional Compliance Committees that roll up to the Corporate Compliance Committee.
Five teams report into the CCO: Global Compliance/Compliance Operations, U.S. Compliance/Transparency, Europe/EEMEA/LATAM/Canada Compliance, Japan/Asia Pacific Compliance, and Investigations/Monitoring. The U.S. Compliance/Transparency region, the Europe/LATAM Compliance region, and the Japan/Asia Pacific Compliance region are each overseen by a Regional Compliance Officer (RCO).
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
Edwards’ Credo and its Global Business Practices Standards, also known as the Titanium Book, serve as the foundation for Edwards’ Global Compliance Program. We consider the Titanium Book to be our Credo in action. The Titanium Book sets forth our values and expectations for all employees. The Titanium Book applies globally to all of Edwards’ businesses and subsidiaries and to all officers, members of the Board of Directors, employees, and third parties doing business with or on behalf of Edwards. We translate the Titanium Book into eight languages, and all professional employees are required to annually certify that they have read and agree to follow the Standards.
All employees at Edwards are expected to raise questions and report concerns about potential violations of the law or our policies and standards. We provide employees with several communication channels for raising questions or concerns, which we outline in the Titanium Book, on the employee intranet, on posters throughout our facilities, via wallet cards, and more. Through our Speak Up program, we maintain a third-party hosted and secure reporting channel, the Edwards Integrity Helpline, that is available to both employees and external parties and allows for anonymous reporting. The Helpline can be accessed by telephone or a web portal, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and all reports are fully investigated and tracked.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
All Edwards employees must complete training relevant to their roles, including training on applicable legal compliance requirements, our Global Business Practices Standards, and company policies and procedures. We provide appropriate education and training to our employees to help them meet their ethical and compliance obligations. We regularly review and update our training program to ensure our employees remain informed and knowledgeable about evolving compliance requirements. We supplement training with a compliance-specific communications strategy to remind employees of their responsibilities and the resources available to them when they need guidance.
Product Safety & Quality
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
As a medical technology company, Edwards must comply with strict regulations regarding the design, development, manufacturing, and distribution of our products and services. We must comply with standards set by regulatory bodies all around the world, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Competent Authorities in the European Union, and various international organizations.
With guidance from the Board of Directors, the CEO, and the Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Compliance (Chief Quality Officer) set Edwards’ Product Quality and Safety strategy, policies and targets. The Chief Quality Officer is responsible for evaluating company performance; aligning our strategy to relevant product safety regulations; assessing product quality and safety data through a company-wide dashboard; and providing quarterly updates to the Executive Leadership and Board of Directors.
The Heads of Quality for the Business Units and Regions and SVP, Corporate Quality and Regulatory, report directly to the Chief Quality Officer and support the strategy development process. The Heads of Quality for the Business Units are responsible for product-level specifications to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
Edwards’ Executive Leadership Team (ELT), with assistance by Edwards’ Chief Quality Officer (CQO), is accountable for the development, implementation and maintenance of our Quality System.
The Chief Quality Officer conducts quarterly reviews with the CEO, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), and the Board of Directors to inform them of any significant quality issues. The reviews also provide a dedicated time for company leadership to discuss opportunities to improve Edwards’ Quality System, policy, and key objectives. These ongoing assessments empower Edwards’ Heads of Quality for the Business Units to implement changes and mandate relevant corrective actions. They assist in the communication and dissemination of the strategy to employees throughout the company.
Performance Incentives
Our Quality Leadership collaborate to establish a product quality performance dashboard. All members of the Quality and Global Supply Chain teams are evaluated based on the performance of those components and reflected in the dashboard.
Corrective Action Process
If a product fails to meet safety or regulatory requirements, a cross-functional team performs an in-depth assessment to determine whether a field corrective action is needed. In the case of a product issue, the Field Corrective Action Team will reclaim the distributed product or contact the affected customer. This team includes the Chief Quality Officer; SVP of Product Safety; Head of Quality Compliance; and the Quality Management Representative of the relevant business unit.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
Employee product quality and safety training
Edwards requires every employee, regardless of department, to complete detailed quality training programs during our onboarding process. We assign additional training content and performance expectations specific to each role.
Feedback mechanisms
The Product Quality teams collaborate with our Research and Development department and Manufacturing team to monitor post-market product performance and manage a feedback loop to continually make product improvements. Additionally, we solicit feedback from physicians to better understand how we can develop our products to best meet their needs.
Communication methods
Edwards communicates our progress on product quality efforts and engages our stakeholders in the process through our annual sustainability report and our corporate website. Additionally, we report on product and service quality issues to all major regulatory bodies around the world, including the National Competent Authorities. Complete information on any Edwards’ product recalls is available through the FDA publicly available database.
Volunteerism & Giving
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
The Edwards Lifesciences Foundation is an independent, legally separate entity from Edwards Lifesciences and is a key element in funding our philanthropic strategy. The Global Corporate Giving team works with the Foundation’s Board of Directors – composed of several Edwards’ senior leaders – to set the vision, strategy and goals of the Foundation.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors annually reviews the strategic plan to assess the effectiveness of the Foundation’s activities and guide any changes in strategy. The Executive Director of the Foundation leads the Global Corporate Giving team in the process of translating the strategy into an operating plan that serves as the roadmap for the year. The Foundation’s leadership also incorporates input from members of the Administrative Steering Committee (ASC), a group composed of approximately 20 Edwards employees from around the world nominated to address specific talent and regional leadership needs of the Foundation.
The Foundation and Global Corporate Giving teams conduct a robust impact reporting practice for Every Heartbeat Matters to assess the effectiveness of donations and progress toward our commitment to underserved patients.
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
The Executive Director of the Foundation is responsible for the execution of the philanthropic strategy and oversees all aspects of Global Corporate Giving. The Executive Director of the Foundation received support from the Global Corporate Giving team, which is accountable for target achievement, and the ASC, which partners with and supports charitable organizations across the world.
The ASC and the Strengthen Our Community Committees work with the Global Corporate Giving team to encourage employees to engage with charitable organizations supported by the Foundation. These committees seek to support and inspire all Edwards employees to engage in our culture of giving through charitable activity, such as donating time to support charitable organizations, making financial donations and encouraging charitable organizations to apply to the annual giving cycle of the Foundation
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
Communication Practices
We are committed to transparently communicating our giving activities and we disclose data on our website, through our annual Sustainability Report, and through our annual Global Corporate Giving Report. During new employee orientation, we also provide information on the Foundation, the Strengthen Our Community charitable activity programs and how to get involved.
The Global Corporate Giving team, the ASC and the Board of Directors communicate Edwards’ philanthropic strategy and commitment internally and externally through regular All Employee Meetings, external conferences, community events, our EHM Partner Summit and during Edwards’ annual shareholder meeting.
Feedback and engagement mechanisms
The Global Corporate Giving team uses internal communication platforms, external social media platforms and public websites to both gather feedback and share information with our employees and communities about our giving efforts. The Global Corporate Giving team responds to all email, phone or online inquiries received by the Foundation. The Executive Director and Global Corporate Giving team compile and share feedback and other material updates with the Foundation Board of Directors during quarterly meetings.
Human Capital Management
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
At Edwards, we consider human capital management to encompass the topics of employee attraction, recruitment, engagement, development, retention and diversity and inclusion.
Edwards’ leadership understands that our greatest assets are our employees, their unique knowledge and skills, and the way they collaborate within the workplace. Attracting, developing and retaining talent is fundamental to the success of Edwards. We employ, develop and retain employees based on merit, qualifications, potential and competence, without regard to an employee’s gender, race or any other protected characteristic. The Board of Directors, CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) help determine the company’s fair and equitable pay policy.
To develop and consistently implement our company-wide talent strategy, our CEO has Performance Management Objectives related to talent, increasing diversity and building an inclusive culture. The Board annually sets the CEO’s PMOs, and the CEO is accountable to the Board for those goals. Based on the CEO’s PMOs, the ELT establishes annual key operating drivers (KODs) to steer the company toward short, medium and long-term goals. The ELT then works to identify strategic talent-related imperatives that are critical to achieving the KODs. Each strategic talent imperative is owned by an ELT member and an HR leader.
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
We work to ensure equitable and fair pay practices and to provide a work environment that recognizes each individual as an important member of the Edwards team. We aspire to be an employer of choice and do so through our culture, educational opportunities, competitive pay, benefits and other efforts.
Based on the current KODs, the ELT and respective HR owners develop and execute initiatives for each strategic talent imperative. Initiative owners determine project direction, including resources involved, goal setting and milestones for success. The HR Strategy & HR PMO team manages all strategic talent initiatives and goals to ensure alignment with business objectives and track annual progress. The Corporate Vice President of Human Resources reviews strategic talent imperatives every quarter. The HR Strategy & HR PMO team tracks the strategic talent imperatives as well as talent-related projects and global initiatives that incorporate two or more cross-functional teams.
The HR PMO office reviews all projects using the same criteria. A resource dashboard collects and relays information and updates on each of the key projects so that the HR Advisory Board and project teams can stay in close communication. The HR Leadership Team (HRLT), joined by several other internal leaders, make up the Advisory Board, which measures completed projects against the initial timeline and expectations. The Advisory Board reviews the status of all critical talent-related projects every two to three weeks, depending on the activity.
Our team leverages a formal Talent Development Review (TDR) process to assess the strategic talent needs of the organization, measure current talent capabilities and provide support to employees in reaching their professional goals. People managers conduct TDRs for their direct reports to connect with employees, identify professional growth priorities and understand the best way to support the needs of their function and the team members. Our CEO and Chief Human Resources Officer conduct an annual TDR with each ELT member to understand the workforce needs specific to each business function.
To attract top talent, we offer competitive compensation and benefits packages. With the support and involvement of our Board, the ELT and external consultants, we regularly review our pay practices and compensation structure to identify any pay disparities across gender and race. Through this process, we can identify statistically significant pay disparities and create appropriate action plans.
Our Global Career Framework (GCF) provides role alignment, career pathways and a structure to ensure equitable pay based on job responsibility. Through the GCF, we organize all Edwards employees into career bands based on job function and responsibilities. We follow the GCF to ensure internal pay equity and to align with external benchmarks to remain competitive with our compensation. Our team conducts an annual benchmark of our global job grades and salary structures.
We assign every business group a Human Resources Business Leader (HRBL). Employees can reach out to their corresponding Human Resources Business Partner with concerns or when looking for support.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
To provide context around talent goals and explain global strategy to HR employees, our Corporate Vice President of Human Resources holds a quarterly virtual meeting. For HR employees at the senior manager level and above, we hold an annual HR Summit at our corporate headquarters. At the HR Summit, the Global HR leadership team presents updates to our strategy as well as key projects. Our Corporate Vice President of HR also hosts hours where she is available for questions and discussions through our internal chat function. We also send out a company-wide Human Resources newsletter that covers different programs and updates at the company.
We invite all Edwards employees to share their feedback through regular anonymous surveys known as myVoice. These surveys measure employee engagement and sentiment across a variety of dimensions, including quality, empowerment and charitable activities. Edwards distributes the survey in multiple languages to facilitate participation across our global workforce. The feedback we collect through the survey helps us sustain what we do well and respond to opportunities for improvement. Leaders at all levels review survey results and collaborate with their teams to address opportunities.
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) offer a space for support, engagement, networking, and outreach for our employees. Each group hosts learning opportunities and events for the broader employee body to strengthen the Edwards community and help communicate our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy. Edwards also maintains internal webpages to communicate our human capital management strategy. Edwards’ intranet site contains employee resources and, specifically, a Diversity and Inclusion site that includes tools and resources for our employees. The site provides a launch kit for new ERG leaders.
Supply Chain Management
How does Edwards establish its policies and practices?
Edwards’ Global Supply Chain (GSC) organization is responsible for the plan, source, make and deliver functions of our business, ensuring that our products effectively reach providers and patients. The GSC Leadership Team and Corporate VP of GSC developed the group’s strategy by first identifying the future aspirations that guide our initiatives.
Our GSC strategy has five pillars, and we revisit and update its components annually. The five pillars of the strategy are
1. Enable growth, 2. Invest in quality and reliability, 3. Drive efficiency and asset effectiveness, 4. Transform the supply chain through innovation and 5. Build talent and organization.
The GSC and Quality Leadership Teams conduct an annual strategic plan review. The group’s strategic plan looks across a seven-year horizon and aims to consider the resources required to meet the company’s long-term needs. GSC also collaborates closely with the four product lines to ensure alignment across goals, strategies and plans for growth. During the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) process, the GSC team updates its focus for the year and associated resourcing approach to align with the latest iteration of the corporate-level business plan. The GSC team has a designated Strategy Process Champion, who sets policy deployment targets, works with project teams to drive progress and presents updates to the GSC team for review.
How is the oversight structured at Edwards?
To execute our GSC and Quality strategies, the teams collaborate to align on goals and solicit the input of the Global Supply Chain Leadership Team (GSCLT). During the alignment process, the GSCLT helps identify and secure the resources needed to reach the goals for that year. The members of the GSCLT align their Performance Management Objectives with those of the CEO, to ensure their efforts support the broader direction of the business.
The GSCLT assigns a project lead to own each GSC initiative and drive progress toward it. Each initiative has a sponsor from the GSCLT who oversees the project lead and helps arrange the appropriate team necessary to reach the objective.
To execute the strategy at the local level, supervisors or managers at all Edwards plants hold daily production meetings to review performance metrics from the previous day and week. This practice ensures leaders in all plants understand the overarching strategy and that they are active in executing daily changes necessary to reach overarching goals.
Performance monitoring
To align the implementation of our GSC strategy across Edwards, there is one GSCLT member in each business unit. Additionally, PMO Leads sit on the GSCLT and have primary responsibility for strategy development and execution for the GSC team.
The Edwards GSC team works closely with our Quality team to set and monitor progress toward goals. Members of these groups also collaborate with Edwards’ Research and Development teams to consider manufacturability in the design of new products.
Monitoring suppliers
Part of our supply chain strategy includes processes for monitoring and engaging our suppliers. We use Quarterly Business Reviews to connect with our key and strategic suppliers on a range of topics, including sustainability. Within our Strategic Sourcing Team, there is an Advanced Sourcing Team and a Category Leadership Team. All Research and Development teams have Advanced Sourcing Team representatives to identify appropriate suppliers during the product innovation process. The Category Leadership Team includes experts and category leads who own relationships with our suppliers.
How does Edwards engage and communicate policies and practices?
Internal communication practices
To align all Edwards supply chain employees on our corporate goals, we post visuals of our Aspirations and GSC team strategies at all manufacturing sites. The GSC team maintains a scorecard for each plant to track progress toward site-specific goals. Plant leadership updates the scorecards regularly and conducts town hall reviews to share performance strengths and opportunities with all employees.
Annually, the GSC directors gather for a two-day summit to discuss progress from the year prior and to create the strategy for the upcoming year. Each function of the supply chain holds a series of town hall meetings throughout the year, during which leaders roll out new projects or provide updates on existing projects. Managers conduct ongoing reviews of individual employee PMOs to monitor progress and alignment with overarching goals.
External communication practices
We rely on our suppliers to help us create industry-leading therapies for addressing cardiovascular disease and critical illness. Our Responsible Supply Chain Policy outlines our expectations for suppliers, which include fair labor practices, environmental responsibility, workplace health and safety, ethical practices, protection of human rights, socially responsible behavior and legal compliance.
To engage suppliers in the Edwards’ strategic plan, we hold supplier summits with our key suppliers, distribute key elements of the GSC vision and strategies, operate a supplier portal and provide a scorecard to update suppliers on their performance against our expectations. A Change Management Group within GSC develops and publishes a quarterly newsletter that goes out across the global supply chain in both English and Spanish. The Change Management Group reports up through the leadership for GSC Human Resources.
Recruiting top talent
To attract and recruit top talent, Edwards provides competitive compensation and benefits packages. Our goal is to have annual top talent retention resulting in voluntary turnover of less than high performing benchmarks. This goal aligns with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. We offer performance-based incentives, stock options, retirement plan options, paid time off, family leave and health, life and disability insurance.
Edwards recruits top students from universities across the world to join our team. Our opportunities for students include:
These programs continue to have a positive business impact. For example, through our TDP program in 2018, 50 percent of interns were hired for full-time positions (100 percent of offers accepted), and we have found that these employees are more than twice as likely to become designated as Top Talent as those who did not intern. Individuals hired on through the University Engineering and TDP programs have an 89 percent combined retention rate.
Employee survey
Our biennial employee survey helps us identify what we do well and respond to identified employee needs as they arise. To ensure global, diverse and representative feedback, the survey is available in Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Korean, Malay, Tamil and English.
Survey Objectives:
Provide employees with the opportunity to share their thoughts
Empower managers to address concerns expressed by employees
Drive positive change to ensure Edwards remains a great place to work
Our global employee engagement survey includes a Diversity and Inclusion category where employees rate the extent to which they agreed with the following statements:
People of all backgrounds can succeed at Edwards
Edwards encourages and promotes diversity of backgrounds, talents and perspectives
Their immediate supervisor encourages an environment where individual differences are valued
Edwards partners with a third party to assess our performance, values and behaviors that drive engagement, alignment and agility. We also measure innovation and quality as our business priorities.
Many employees take the survey online using company computers. We also send smart tablets to every manufacturing site to gather input from employees who do not have access to a computer on a daily basis for their work.
Patients first
Edwards’ "Patients First" Credo in action serves as a force multiplier enabling Edwards to attract, engage and retain the best and brightest. A priority is to expose all employees to patient stories and patient interactions annually to improve engagement and remind our team that working at Edwards means making a difference in people’s lives. This goal aligns with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. Whenever our CEO conducts an employee meeting, the meeting always concludes with a patient video and many of the leaders throughout Edwards include in their all hands meetings a patient video or story, as well. Patient videos are also show in new hire orientations around the globe. For more information on other Patient First programs please see the Patient experience & voice section of this report.
Training & leadership development
Our greatest asset is our employees, and the unique knowledge and skills they provide. We host several Professional Development programs designed to provide resources for employees with a wide range of responsibilities.
For employees seeking higher education, we provide employee tuition assistance for continuing education and degree programs at higher educational institutions. Edwards University is an online platform that provides employees with valuable learning opportunities. The platform offers our employees a wide variety of training, education and other resources to deliver superior business results. Edwards University is also the platform for our learning partners such as University of California, Irvine, and eCornell.
Our leadership development curriculum, Aspire, offers skill-based open enrollment workshops to our professional employees. Curriculum topics include critical thinking, strategic execution, leading at Edwards, effective conversations, powerful speaking, communicating among different personalities, leveraging diversity, and emotional intelligence, among others.
Our programs develop our top talent around the globe. We also offer nomination-based programs that build leaders for the future. The Edwards Lifesciences Leadership Program (ELLP) focuses on our culture and living the Edwards Credo as participants learn to be trusted partners for each other, in business and in the community. With case studies, experiential learning and a capstone closing activity, the program offers lessons that participants will take with them through the course of their careers.
Our Edwards Lifesciences Leadership Program II (ELLPII) is designed to challenge senior leaders to approach their scope of responsibility as if it were their own business. The executive and senior leadership teams nominate employees to participate in the program. ELLPII aims to synthesize general management responsibilities while building broad leadership capability. We bring strategic thinking to daily work through a focus on:
Achieving results through effective team leadership
Leading organizational change
Leading across organizational boundaries
Another employee development program is the Edwards Leaders Forum (ELF), where nominated emerging leaders participate in a nine-month cohort-based program that focuses on the whole person. Incorporating a variety of assessments, executive speakers and discussion-based learning, participants are equipped to apply what they learn to their current and future roles. In some cases, we customize team development programs that utilize resources such as Strength Finders, Speed of Trust, Help Them Grow and What Motivates Me. We also offer customized coaching and assessments.
Talent Development Review (TDR)
We are modernizing the TDR process across the business to increase the process efficiency, and to create greater impact for employees. Part of the effort to modernize includes adding the Workday platform to better track employee goals, competencies, progress and performance. We are also re-evaluating and aligning the definitions and criteria we use for different talent pools to ensure consistency across the business.
Global New Employee Orientation
A strong internal culture is integral to our high quality of work and company success. In an effort to build a consistent culture at all of our global locations, we are in the process of standardizing and streamlining a new employee orientation. At Edwards, we are proud of our mission, vision, and values, and want to ensure that we appropriately emphasize these to all new hires. In 2018, we successfully piloted an updated Global New Employee Orientation at several Edwards locations and are rolling out the program to all Edwards locations in 2019.
Active and expanding mentoring programs
Mentors can help employees identify personal and professional goals, access resources and reach individual potential. We leverage mentoring programs to build internal talent, transfer/share knowledge and increase employee engagement and satisfaction. In tracking our program over the years, we found a strong correlation between mentorship participation and employee retention. We consistently look for opportunities to expand our mentorship offerings to reach a diverse group of employees.
Edwards has several formal mentoring programs in the following business areas: Global Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Human Resources, Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Women, and Advanced Technologies.
Direct business benefits of these programs include:
Employee Engagement
Employee Retention
Leadership Development
Knowledge Transfer
Team Connectivity
Work-Life Integration
Total Wellness at Edwards
The Edwards Executive Leadership Team (ELT) drives wellness efforts across the company. The ELT believes that better health leads to better performance, and they ensure that we regularly sponsor wellness initiatives for employees. Edwards also offers a competitive employee benefits package that includes health and welfare insurance, health savings accounts and on-site programs.
Our Total Wellness program supports employees across the globe in their effort to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We aim for all sites with greater than 100 employees to have a documented and implemented wellness program annually. This goal aligns with SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Locations with under 100 employees select an area of focus specific to their population health needs and implement corresponding programs and resources.
Six pillars for total wellness
1. Prevention
· Annual Know Your Numbers biometric wellness screenings · Healthy lifestyle wellness coaching for all employees and their covered spouses · On-site self-monitoring HIGI machines at our Irvine, CA, and Draper, UT, facilities that allow employees to track blood pressure, weight and BMI · Online Health Risk Assessments · Quit for Life® smoking cessation program · Annual on-site flu shot clinics
2. Nutrition
· Onsite nutrition coaching (Irvine) · Onsite Weight Watchers (Draper) · On-site cafeteria with healthy food options at our Irvine, CA, and Draper, UT campuses · Subsidized In Balance weekly healthy meal option (Irvine) · Complimentary fresh fruit events · Blog with healthy recipes and articles on popular nutrition topics · Healthy cooking demonstrations with our onsite café chef (Irvine)
3. Physical Activity
· On-site fitness centers at our Irvine, CA, and Draper, UT campuses · Gym subsidy for field employees · Race Reimbursement program · Monthly workout challenges · Annual step program challenge · Onsite sports courts - basketball, volleyball, bocce ball; soccer and ultimate frisbee · Bike to work program
4. Education
· Periodic newsletter with information about wellness and employee benefits · Wellness and benefit resources on employee intranet · On-site seminars and webinars on a variety of health and wellness topics · Take Charge mobile site with health resources · Health promotion seminars and blog posts
5. Financial Fitness
· Annual retirement plan education meetings · Retirement readiness program · One-on-one financial planning assistance · Financial education seminars and webinars · Discounts on popular attractions, travel and shopping · Tuition Assistance
6. Community Service
· Charity element tied to workout challenge and steps program goals Please refer to Volunteerism & Giving for information about our employee volunteer programs
Our global wellness programs include:
Weight loss competitions
Walking challenges
Preventive health exams and screenings
Financial education classes
Health education seminars
We review of all benefits and wellness programs annually and make recommendations to our Administrative and Investment Committee for their review and approval.
We aim to offer a high performing, cost-effective healthcare program that encourages a healthy workforce. We hope to move employees from passively consuming health care services to owning their health and wellness. We participate in custom industry surveys to benchmark our programs to ensure these programs remain competitive. In addition, each region prioritizes and reviews their risk factors and develops programs to address their specific health population needs.
Wellness + Charity
Edwards offers opportunities for employees to support charity as they work toward their fitness goals. We have Fitness + Charity Challenges that run most of the year are open to all U.S. employees. After employees meet their fitness goals, Total Wellness donates proceeds to support designated charitable organizations, such as the American Red Cross.
Family Support and Benefits
Edwards offers paid maternity leave in accordance with the law. As of 2018, all employees – hourly and salaried – will receive 100 percent of their salary for the leave period. Even though not all U.S. states require the six weeks of paid leave, the compensation committee approved that Edwards will give employees throughout the U.S. six weeks of disability leave.
Edwards offers subsidized offsite day care services to full-time employees through our partnership with Bright Horizons. All U.S. employees have access to the Bright Horizon’s benefit. There are two “arms” of this benefit:
Back-up Care
Bright Horizons helps identify back-up dependent care options. Employees can receive center-based back-up child care, as well as in-home care for a mildly ill or injured child, spouse or elder. Both center-based care and in-home care is offered and we plan to expand the Bright Horizons program in 2019.
Additional Family Support
The Additional Family Support program is a resource to identify center-based and in-home care options for short-term and/or long-term care needs. With this support, employees have access to:
Jump ahead on the waitlist at select Bright Horizons centers
Tuition discounts at participating child care centers
Resources to find sitters, nannies, pet sitters and housekeepers
Senior care solutions, including needs assessment tools, referrals and more
Discounted tutoring and test prep - both online and in-person
Employees self-select these services and are responsible for all associated costs.
Edwards’ commitment to employees and fair and equitable pay
Edwards tracks remuneration patterns among our employees worldwide, and we continually look for ways to ensure fair and equitable pay practices. Our ELT and Board recognize that fair and equitable pay is integral to achieving our goal of being a preferred employer. Please review Edwards’ Commitment to Fair and Equitable Pay policy for information on our approach, governance and the Global Career Framework.
Workplace health & safety
At Edwards, we are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees, visitors and guests who frequent our facilities. We believe that a safe and healthy workplace not only helps prevent injuries, but it also helps us recruit, retain and engage talented employees while driving employee satisfaction. Our two safety-related goals are 1) strive to achieve injury rates below our medical industry peers and 2) implement an Occupational Health & Safety Management System consistent with ISO 45001 standards at all of our manufacturing locations by 2023. These goals align with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Edwards focuses on workplace design, early intervention and overall prevention of injuries and illnesses. We strive to ensure employees who are injured on the job receive appropriate medical care to help them recover and return to work in a healthy and productive manner. We track and report injury rates and consistently perform favorably when compared with our industry benchmarks. Edwards has not experienced a work-related fatality by either full-time employees, temporary hires or on-site contractors since we began operating as an independent business in 2000. Please see our annual EHS Report for occupational illness prevention strategies and specific ergonomic illness prevention programs.
Diversity and inclusion programs
Diversity is more than numbers and statistics. Edwards’ vision is to foster a culture that actively and consistently values diversity. We aim to become a leading workplace for diversity and inclusion.
Embracing a diverse workforce helps drive Edwards’ commitment to innovation. Companies with diverse talent have a wider range of perspectives, which can foster a stronger pool of ideas, creativity and innovation. For example, we are active in the MedTech and BioTech Veterans Program, which connects transitioning military professionals with careers in life sciences companies. Those who have defended our country bring strength, integrity and unique technical knowledge to our team.
Every year, we expand our diversity and inclusion efforts to foster inclusive thinking and increase diversity. We develop programs focused on attracting, engaging and developing diverse talent. Sample activities include:
Career fairs for engaging traditionally underrepresented groups at conferences and university chapters (e.g., National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers)
Panel discussions about managing your career at Edwards featuring guests from our executive or senior leadership teams
Speed Mentoring with senior leadership team members
Leadership development classes
Hospital Observation opportunities to see our products in clinical use
Monthly Mix & Mingle social events
Welcome Reception for summer interns recruited from the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Summer Externship Program
Engaging employees in diversity
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERG) provide resources and support to Edwards employees. The four focus points of the ERG program are professional development networking and mentoring; education and awareness; recruiting; and community outreach. Our employees participate in several ERGs that celebrate and advance diversity. These include:
Employee Resource Group (ERG)
Description
Network of Women (E.NOW)
Informs, involves and inspires all employees on the value of gender diversity and inclusion to the Edwards culture
MultiCultural
Fosters a community that attracts and enables Edwards’ employees across cultures to be connected and empowered and reach their full potential. This ERG includes our Middle Eastern Employee Resource Group (MEERG), Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), Asian Society for Inclusion and Awareness (ASIA), and African Heritage Forum chapters.
Friends of Veterans Network
Fosters a community of veterans and veteran-minded employees at Edwards to enhance employee engagement, drive veterans’ talent strategy and serve the veterans community
Generations
Supporting issues around work / life integration, parenting, elder care and family caregiving. Chapters include Fertility, Adoption, and Fostering; Working Parents; Early Career Professionals
Rainbow Alliance
Creates a community of LGBTQ+ members and allies that fosters employee engagement and diversity of thought within Edwards through education, support, visibility, and advocacy; together, striving to cultivate an environment of acceptance and respect for all employees
enable
Supports Edwards employees with a range of disabilities, while informing all employees on the value of ability diversity and inclusion.
The ERGs also provide avenues for Edwards employees to engage with communities, particularly groups within communities with whom we might not have otherwise connected. With high visibility and outreach capabilities, these ERGs can advocate for underrepresented communities, provide select medical testing and direct populations towards treatment. Please see our Access to Healthcare section for more. ERG’s provide effective levers to engage and support our diverse employees. Research has shown that ERG and mentor program participants are more likely to perceive Edwards positively.
Preventing unconscious bias
Unconscious bias refers to the underlying beliefs, perceptions and assumptions we develop based on our past experiences. They can frame the way we look at the world. As Edwards advances our culture of inclusion, it is important we educate employees around the identification and adjustment of unconscious biases.
Our Leveraging Diversity workshop addresses unconscious bias by encouraging inclusive thinking and behaviors from the top down. The training also helps individuals develop their cultural competency skills to work effectively across both similarities and differences. Post-training evaluations have shown the sessions are effective in changing peoples’ mindsets on how they promote, hire and engage with colleagues.
A new diversity and inclusion strategy
The Edwards Executive Leadership Team (ELT) recently developed a new strategy and governance structure for Diversity and Inclusion at Edwards. The new strategy includes an Executive Steering Committee, an Edwards Diversity Council and a new structure for our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The new strategy will build upon the legacy that began with the Quality Diversity Council and scale the program throughout the organization. For strategy governance, please refer to the Talent Management governance map.
Annual performance
Edwards participated in the Global High Performing Norms benchmark, which includes companies listed in Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” and “Most Admired Companies” lists. We improved on all key indices (Engagement, Alignment, Quality, Innovation and Agility) of the engagement by two to five points since Edwards' 2015 all employee survey. Edwards exceeded the global high-performing norm by at least nine points in all categories and surpassed the Global High Performing Norm in the Engagement category by 19 percent.
Engaging employees in sustainability
In 2018, we continued making progress toward our goal to engage employees in sustainability efforts. This goal aligns with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. In 2018, we shared the GRI report with all employees globally who have access to email and encouraged each person to provide feedback and engage on Edwards’ material topics. Sustainability Council members presented to leadership teams and employees in their functional groups and around the world to further educate employees on recent accomplishments.
A recent survey after one of our Patient Experience opportunities showed that 94 percent of employees who volunteered at the event felt even more engaged in their jobs and significantly more energized by their job – more than the Edwards average and High Performing Global Norm Benchmarks. Employee engagement at these events is proving valuable not only for what we learn from the patients, but also how patients make employees feel about the value of their work; we believe this is capable of increasing the engagement of an already very highly engaged workforce. We have a new goal to have a highly engaged workforce that exceeds industry, region and high performing benchmarks for employee engagement. This goal aligns with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Edwards is dedicated to the communities that matter most to employees and encourages employees to participate in charitable events and take advantage of our matching donation program. For more information, please see our Volunteerism & Giving section.
Patients first
In 2018, we provided patient stories to most of our employees at Edwards’ regional headquarters and manufacturing facilities. We estimate that 95 percent of our global employees were able to experience at least one patient story in 2018, and believe the majority had the opportunity to interact with multiple stories during the year. This goal aligns to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.
To estimate the number of employees who experienced a patient story, we rely on the leaders of each regional office and plant to assess the types of patient exposure methods used at their respective sites. We estimate that more than 95 percent of our global employees were able to experience at least one patient story in 2018, and believe the majority had the opportunity to interact with multiple stories during the year. This goal aligns to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being. Below are examples of our 2018 “patient first” activities:
The Annual Sales and Marketing Meetings for field personnel are mandatory and patient stories are a content item at each.
During the course of the year, additional Regional Meetings were held and employees engaged with patients including through patient videos, panels where physicians and local Edwards representatives discussed patient care.
Our regions recognize the importance of sharing patient stories with all employees and produce patient videos that are presented to all employees at local meetings.
Employees, both salaried and hourly, at our regional offices and manufacturing facilities are provided time away from their roles to attend the employee meetings where patient stories are always featured.
Employee training
In 2018, Edwards supported employee development by providing instructor-led training opportunities, tracked through our Learning Management System (LMS), as well as online training through Edwards University.
Male
Female
Average hours of instructor-led training per year per employee
23
18
Average hours of online training per year per employee
5
4
Note: Not all training is captured in our LMS and the actual training hours are estimated. The number of training hours is higher for men than women because the majority of our manufacturing population is female and the non-manufacturing employees engage in more mandatory trainings.
2018 training & leadership development initiatives
In 2018, we piloted a new training and leadership development program geared toward Edwards’s senior managers and managers. The program aims to open educational opportunities to help those individuals determine an advancement road map within Edwards. Each participant of the pilot program selected a coach from an external international team with expertise in guiding career development. Over the course of a year, participants and coaches connected weekly for conversations via video conferencing. They discussed what measurable steps the participant should take to achieve the predetermined professional goals. We measured program success by tracking progress towards the goals set by participants and by conducting participant surveys. Participants appreciated the opportunity to access this personalized level of coaching. We plan to launch a larger-scale version of the program in the spring of 2019.
Fair and equitable pay
In 2018, we implemented the fourth and final phase of the Global Career Framework rollout. This phase focused on how to drive the adoption of the framework in different parts of the world to help all of our employees outline their career paths at Edwards. We developed a desktop guide to better equip managers for conversations about career development and planning with their direct reports. We also introduced new career development training sessions and a collection of online resources for managers and employees to raise awareness of the framework.
Workplace health & safety
Every year, Edwards becomes stronger in our mission to improve health—starting with our workforce. In 2015 and 2016, 93 percent of U.S. Edwards employees participated in free biometrics screenings. Participation in this program increased to 95 percent for 2016/2017 and again in 2017/2018. Please note that our program year runs from July 2017 through June 2018.
U.S. wellness numbers 2017-2018
U.S. Employee Participation in Biometric Screenings
95%
U.S. Employees Enrolled in an Edwards-Sponsored Medical Plan
90%
Health Costs Per Employee Per Year (PEPY)
3% under market PEPY
During 2018, Edwards continued to encourage employees to take incremental steps to improve their overall well-being through programs such as Total Wellness and Know Your Numbers. In 2018, we met our goal to offer and encourage participation in programs aligning with all six Total Wellness pillars at 100 percent of locations with more than 100 employees. In these locations, we offered programs and resources covering all six Wellness pillars in the 2017/2018 program year.
Workplace Safety
At Edwards, we have a strong commitment to preventing and reducing employee injuries. We track incident rates to improve our manufacturing practices and promote a safe workforce.
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Global Lost Time Injury Rate Over Time (Days away from work cases per 100 employees)
0.20
0.62
0.42
0.32
0.36
0.35
0.51
0.49*
Global Recordable Case (Injury) Rate Over Time (Cases per 100 employees)
0.78
1.83
1.42
1.28
1.13
1.23
0.99
1.04*
Rates are based on USA OSHA formulae for total hours worked to adjust for production overtime hours and other fluctuations in work hours performed. Non-production employees are based on 2,000 work hours per year. Injury adjusted rates are based on 100 full time employees or 200,000 hours worked per year. From 2017 to 2018, our global LTIR decreased 4% and our global IRR increased 5%. Although we experienced an increase in our total injury rate, these injuries have been less severe and we are dedicated to returning employees back to work by proactive injury case management, therapy and rehabilitation. The decrease in our total LTIR demonstrates our commitment.
For more information, please see our Environmental, Health, and Safety report.
Additionally, Edwards achieved recordable incident rates below our medical industry peers.
Please see our EHS report for more information on Workplace Health & Safety performance in 2018.
Wellness + Charity
In 2018, our Wellness + Charity programs made great strides. For our Fitbit + Charity program, Edwards employees took 1,045,611,173 steps and donated $10,000 to American Red Cross. Over 150 employees completed at least 12 workouts per month for our Workout + Charity program, thus donating $10,000 to the American Red Cross.
Tuition assistance program
In 2018, Edwards offered our global employees tuition assistance for educational programs. We are experiencing an increase, particularly in U.S. salaried exempt employees, in the utilization of this benefit.
U.S. Employees
Puerto Rico
Singapore
Netherlands
Switzerland
Greece
Ireland
Poland
France
Czech Republic
Hourly Non-Exempt
16
1
2
Salaried Exempt Employees
119
3
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
Salaried Non-Exempt
33
1
6
U.S. Employees Participating in 2018
Percent of Employees Participating*
Hourly Non-Exempt
19
<.1%
Salaried Exempt Employees
134
2.40%
Salaried Non-Exempt
40
2.70%
*As of December 2018
Parental leave
In 2018, Edwards continued to offer all U.S. employees the opportunity to take parental leave.
Male
Female
2018
2017
2016
2018
2017
2016
U.S. employees 40 or under**
1,102
1,022
1,291
1,266
1,154
1,565
Employees who took parental leave
43
37
26
111
129
101
Employees who returned from leave
43
37
25
108
123
97
Employees still employed within 12 months after leave*
39
34
23
107
116
91
Return to work rate
100%
100%
96%
97%
95%
96%
1-year retention rate
91%
92%
88%
96%
90%
90%
*As of December 31, 2018
**As of February 28, 2019
External recognition for 2018 Employer of Choice Awards
Edwards Ranks #39 in WSJ “Management Top 250”
Edwards Ranks #46 on 2018 “JUST 100” (Forbes magazine)
Edwards Honored as 2019 Most Ethical Company (Ethisphere, 2018 data)
Edwards ranked #85 on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List in 2018 (Corporate Responsibility magazine)
Saluting our Heroes Community Award National Ability Center
Edwards Ranks #55 on Forbes 2018 World’s Most Innovative Companies list
Edwards CEO honored as one of the Best-Performing CEOs in the World (#15, Harvard Business Review, 2018)
Forbes named Edwards as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies in 2018
Additionally, Edwards’ Total Wellness program earned recognition in 2018 among leading health organizations and standards, including:
CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer for workplace wellness
American Heart Association Gold Achievement for Workplace Health Award
WELCOA Silver Award
Selected by the CDC to be featured as a Case Study on Workplace Wellness
Certified as a "Pro Health" company (Czech Republic)
"Work und Family" award (Germany)
Diversity & inclusion
In 2018, we achieved our goal of 100 percent ELT, SLT and their direct reports completing the Leverage Diversity workshop, including Unconscious Bias Training. This goal aligns with SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. Additionally, to reach more people, Edwards added an unconscious bias e-learning module that is available to all employees.
In 2018, we launched a communications campaign and a Diversity and Inclusion intranet site that includes several tools and resources for employees. Our strategy for 2019 is to expand the ERG network using the six ERG categories: Multi-Cultural, Friends of Veterans, Generations, Edwards Network of Women, Edwards Rainbow Alliance and, new in 2018, enable. We aim to establish a steering committee for each group. We interviewed ERG leaders and asked them to share their successes and lessons learned, which were then incorporated into the 2019 strategy. In 2018, Edwards added 19 chapters under E.NOW. We have two new goals: 1) to achieve year-over-year positive trending globally of women in leadership positions, and 2) to achieve year-over year positive trending in ethnically diverse talent in leadership positions in the U.S. These goals align with SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Preventing unconscious bias
As of 2018, 100 percent of ELT, SLT and their direct reports completed Unconscious Bias Training. Our new goal is by 2022, all global employees to have completed unconscious bias training, and new hires within six months of employment. These efforts align with SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Global employees by gender in 2018
Female
Male
Global employees by type in 2018
Professional
Hourly
Global employees by ethnicity in 2018
Asian - 34.9%
Hispanic - 22.6%
White - 35.8%
Black/African American - 2.3%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - 0.7%
American Indian/Alaskan Native - 0.4%
Two or more races - 2.2%
Not Specified - 1%
*In 2018, we included ethnicity breakdown data for Puerto Rico along with the rest of the United States.
Women’s ranks in leadership*
People Leaders
Industry %
2018 %
2017 %
2016 %
C-Suite Execs
22
23
21
21
VPs
29
30
30
28
Sr. Manager/Director
34
30
33
34
Manager
38
41
37
38
Entry Level
48
46
52
52
Our women in leadership ranks are shown, for 3 out of 5 groups, to be equal to or above the industry average, according to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace Report, 2018. *Manufacturing employees are not included.
Summer externship program
In coordination with the community organizations Girls Inc. of Orange County and 100 Black Men of Orange County, we continued our annual summer externship program for underrepresented high school aged students. In 2018, 20 students participated in the externship and had the opportunity to shadow Edwards employees from several functional areas of the company. We provided our employees with diversity training and held all-inclusive events on campus to promote inclusion of the interns among all coworkers. Through the summer externship program we aim to connect underrepresented groups with job experience, and strengthen the Edwards talent pipeline.
Our aspirations
Fostering an inclusive culture where all employees grow and thrive
Total Wellness Inspires Employees with “Well-Being Your Way”
As a dancer and cheerleader growing up, Amy Hytowitz, Sr. Director, Global Communications at Edwards, was active and fit. However, after two pregnancies and a million delicious life celebrations, Amy began to move less and eat more, and she gained a considerable amount of weight. She became sluggish and increasingly concerned about the effect her unhealthy choices were having on those around her, including her children. When she joined Edwards Lifesciences, she saw the healthy choices of her colleagues and she was inspired to join a local health program where she met with a health care professional once a week to review her biometrics, which helped her understand how her lifestyle habits were affecting her body. She also attended weekly meetings led by a nutritionist where she learned tips and tricks from peers who were going through similar journeys. Amy also committed to exercising 3-4 times a week to stay active. Since then, she has lost 75 pounds and is motivated to keep going. “This is a continuous journey but the changes I’ve seen have been remarkable,” Amy shares. “Not only am I healthier, I’m also emotionally lighter and I feel like I’m having a positive impact on those around me.”
Our Total Wellness program inspires employees to build upon healthy habits and, in 2019 through its “Well-Being Your Way” initiative, provided a special focus on mental, cardiovascular and financial well-being. From living an active lifestyle to better nutrition and managing stress, Total Wellness provided employees with valuable information to optimize their well-being all year long.
Important Risk Information
Edwards SAPIEN 3, Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, and Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA Transcatheter Heart Valve System
Indications:
The Edwards SAPIEN 3, SAPIEN 3 Ultra and SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA Transcatheter Heart Valve system is indicated for relief of aortic stenosis in patients with symptomatic heart disease due to severe native calcific aortic stenosis who are judged by a Heart Team, including a cardiac surgeon, to be appropriate for the transcatheter heart valve replacement therapy.
The Edwards SAPIEN 3, SAPIEN 3 Ultra and SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA Transcatheter Heart Valve system is indicated for patients with symptomatic heart disease due to failing (stenosed, insufficient, or combined) of a surgical or transcatheter bioprosthetic aortic valve, a surgical bioprosthetic mitral valve, or a native mitral valve with an annuloplasty ring who are judged by a Heart Team, including a cardiac surgeon, to be at high or greater risk for open surgical therapy (i.e., predicted risk of surgical mortality ≥ 8% at 30 days, based on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score and other clinical co-morbidities unmeasured by the STS risk calculator).
Contraindications (Who should not use):
The Edwards SAPIEN 3, Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra and SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA Transcatheter Heart Valve System should not be used in patients who:
Cannot tolerate medications that thin the blood or prevent blood clots from forming.
Have an active infection in the heart or elsewhere.
Have a mitral ring that is damaged and can no longer support the valve.
Warnings:
There may be an increased risk of stroke in transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures, compared to other standard treatments for aortic stenosis in the high or greater risk population.
If an incorrect valve size for your anatomy is used, it may lead to heart injury, valve leakage, movement, or dislodgement.
Patients should talk to their doctor if they have significant heart disease, a mitral valve device or are sensitive to anesthesia, contrast media, cobalt, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, manganese, silicon, and/or plastics.
The Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA and SAPIEN 3 valves may not last as long in younger patients, or patients with a disease that results in more calcium in their blood.
During the procedure, your doctors should monitor the dye used in the body; if used in excess it could lead to kidney damage. X-ray guidance used during the procedure may cause injury to the skin, which may be painful, damaging, and long-lasting.
Patient’s creatinine level should be measured prior to the procedure.
Patients who have already had a valve replaced should be carefully assessed by their physician prior to receiving a new valve to ensure proper placement of the new valve.
Injury can occur if the delivery system is not used properly.
Transcatheter heart valve patients should talk to their physicians about the potential need for medications that thin the blood or prevent blood clots from forming. Patients who do not may be at increased risk of a stroke. Blood-thinning medication may increase the risk of bleeding in the brain (stroke).
Transcatheter valve replacement is not recommended in previous mitral valve rings that are damaged or have become too rigid.
Precautions:
The long-term durability of the Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA and SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valves are not known at this time. Regular medical follow-up is recommended to evaluate how well a patient’s heart valve is performing. Limited clinical data are available for transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients who are born with an aortic heart valve that has only two leaflets and who are determined to be at low risk for open heart surgery. A patient’s anatomical characteristics should be considered by their physicians when using the valve in this patient population. In addition, patient age should be considered as long-term durability of the valve has not been established. Patients who need a dental procedure should talk to their doctor about risk of infection and needing antibiotics. Patients should be treated post-procedure for heart infection as a precaution.
The safety and effectiveness of the transcatheter heart valves are also not known for patients who have:
An aortic heart valve that is not calcified, contains only one leaflet, has leaflets with large pieces of calcium that may block the vessels that supply blood to the heart or in which the main problem is that the valve leaks.
Who have a prosthetic ring in the tricuspid position.
A heart that does not pump well, has thickening of the heart muscle, with or without blockage, unusual ultrasound images of the heart that could represent irregularities such as a blood clot, a diseased mitral valve that is calcified or leaking, or Gorlin syndrome, a condition that affects many areas of the body and increases the risk of developing various cancers and tumors.
Low white, red or platelet blood cell counts, or history of bleeding because the blood does not clot properly.
Diseased, abnormal, or irregularly shaped vessels leading to the heart. Vessels which are heavily diseased or too small for the delivery devices, or a large amount of calcification at the point of entry.
Allergies to blood-thinning medications or dye injected during the procedure.
Whose previously implanted artificial valve or ring is not securely in place or is damaged that could cause it to leak.
Whose previously implanted valve or ring could block a blood vessel caused from the leaflet partially detaching.
Potential risks associated with the procedure include:
Death, stroke, paralysis (loss of muscle function), permanent disability, or severe bleeding.
Risks to the heart, including heart attack or heart failure, sudden loss of heart function, a heart that does not pump well, irregular heartbeat that may result in a need for a permanent pacemaker, chest pain, heart murmur, false aneurysm, recurring aortic stenosis (narrowing), too much fluid around the heart, injury to the structure of the heart.
Risks to your lungs or breathing, including difficulty breathing, fainting, dizziness, buildup of fluid in or around the lungs, weakness, or inability to exercise.
Risks involving bleeding or your blood supply, including formation of a blood clot, high or low blood pressure, limited blood supply, a decrease in red blood cells, or abnormal lab values, bleeding in the abdominal cavity, collection of blood under the skin, serious damage to the arteries, severe bleeding in the heart or in the body that could require a transfusion or surgery.
Additional risks, including life-threatening infection, dislodgement of calcified material, air embolism (air bubbles in the blood vessels), poor kidney function or failure, nerve injury, fever, allergic reaction to anesthesia or dye, reoperation, pain, infection, or bleeding at incision sites, or swelling.
Additional potential risks specifically associated with the use of the heart valves include:
Valve movement after deployment, blockage or disruption of blood flow through the heart, need for additional heart surgery or emergency heart surgery and possible removal of the Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA and SAPIEN 3 valves, a blood clot that requires treatment, damage to the valve (e.g., wear, breakage, recurring aortic stenosis), valve issues not related to structure (e.g., leakage, inappropriate sizing or positioning, blockage, excess tissue in growth, blood cell damage) or mechanical failure of the delivery system and/or accessories.
CAUTION: Federal (United States) law restricts these devices to sale by or on the order of a physician.
Important Risk Information
The Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve System With The Edwards Commander Delivery System - Important Risk Information for Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Therapy
Indications:
The Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve (THV) system with Edwards Commander delivery system is indicated for use in the management of pediatric and adult patients who have a clinical indication for intervention on a dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) conduit or surgical bioprosthetic valve in the pulmonic position with ≥ moderate regurgitation and/or a mean RVOT gradient of ≥ 35 mmHg.
Contraindications (Who should not use):
The Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve and delivery system cannot be used in patients who:
Cannot tolerate medications that thin the blood or prevent blood clots from forming.
Have an active infection in the heart or elsewhere.
Warnings:
If an incorrect size of the valve is implanted, it may lead to valve leakage, movement, or dislodgement of the valve from where it was implanted, residual gradient and/or tearing of the conduit
Patients with a disease that results in more calcium in their blood may have early wear of their valve.
Patients should be evaluated prior to treatment for coronary compression risk.
Talk to your doctor if you are allergic to the materials used during the procedure: cobalt, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, manganese, silicon, and/or plastics.
X-ray used during the procedure may cause radiation injury to the skin.
Precautions:
How long the Edwards SAPIEN 3 tissue valve will last depends on many patient factors and medical conditions. Follow all care instructions to ensure the best possible results. The Edwards SAPIEN 3 pulmonic valve has been tested in a laboratory to mimic 5 years of use without failure. Regular follow-ups will help your doctor know how your valve is working.
Patients should be pretreated for heart infection as a precaution.
Transcatheter heart valve patients should stay on blood-thinning medicine as specified by their doctor.
Patient’s anatomy should be evaluated prior to procedure to prevent the risk of patient not being able to receive the valve.
The safety and effectiveness of the transcatheter heart valve have not been established for patients who:
Have a disease or disorder of the blood (low white or red blood cell count, low platelets or history of slow blood clotting)
Have an allergy to blood-thinning medications or dye injected during the procedure
May be pregnant
Potential risks associated with the procedure include:
Death; stroke; risks to the lungs including: difficulty breathing, buildup of fluid in or around the lungs, collapsed lung, loss of lung volume; risks to the heart including: injury to the heart, arteries, heart muscle or valves including the pulmonary RVOT that may require intervention, heart attack, heart failure or heart does not pump properly, irregular heartbeat that may result in a need for a permanent pacemaker, too much fluid around the heart, sudden loss of heart function, disruption or blockage of blood flow through the heart, infection of the heart, injury to your tricuspid valve, additional heart surgery; dislodgement of calcified material, air embolism (air bubbles in the blood vessels), blood clots, or pieces of the device; injury to blood vessels; valve movement after deployment requiring reintervention; transcatheter valve not working properly; life-threatening infection; poor kidney function or failure; abnormal connection between an artery and vein; nerve injury; limited blood supply; severe bleeding requiring transfusion; decrease in red blood cells including at a fast rate; formation of a blood clot; abnormal lab values; high or low blood pressure; allergic reaction to anesthesia or dye; fainting; pain; weakness or inability to exercise; swelling; chest pain; fever
CAUTION: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician
Important Risk Information
MITRIS RESILIA Mitral Valve
Indications:
For use in replacement of native or prosthetic mitral heart valves.
Contraindications:
There are no known contraindications with the use of the MITRIS RESILIA mitral valve.
Complications and Side Effects:
Thromboembolism, valve thrombosis, hemorrhage, hemolysis, regurgitation, endocarditis, structural valve deterioration, nonstructural dysfunction, stenosis, arrhythmia, transient ischemic attack/stroke, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, ventricular perforation by stent posts, any of which could lead to reoperation, explantation, permanent disability, and death.
CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. See Instructions for Use for full prescribing information.
Important Risk Information
Edwards PASCAL Precision Transcatheter Valve Repair System
Who can be treated:
The PASCAL Precision transcatheter valve repair system (the PASCAL Precision system) is approved for treating patients with abnormality of the mitral valve leaflets and/or its structure, which may be referred to as Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation or Primary Mitral Regurgitation. Patients should work with their doctor and a specialized Heart Team, which should include a cardiac surgeon experienced in mitral valve surgery and a cardiologist experienced in mitral valve disease, to confirm their surgical risk. The specialized Heart Team will determine if the patient is a suitable candidate for the PASCAL procedure.
Who should not use:
The PASCAL Precision system should not be used in patients who:
Cannot tolerate certain blood thinners during or after the procedure
Have an untreatable allergy to nickel, titanium or X-ray contrast media
Have an active infection of the mitral valve (endocarditis)
Have mitral regurgitation caused by rheumatic disease
Have evidence of blood clots in the heart or veins leading to the heart
Warnings:
Serious complications, sometimes leading to surgical intervention and/or death, may be associated with the use of this system. Talk to your doctor for a full explanation of the benefits and risks associated with this procedure.
As with any implanted medical device, there is potential for an adverse allergic or immunological response.
Careful and continuous medical follow-up is advised so that any complications can be diagnosed and properly managed.
Blood thinning medication will be determined by your doctor per standard guidelines.
The PASCAL Precision system has not been evaluated in pregnant women or children.
Precautions: Precautions Prior to Use
Your heart team will do an assessment to decide if you are a suitable candidate for this procedure.
Precautions After Use
Follow all care instructions to ensure the best possible results. Regular follow-up is advised to evaluate the performance of your device.
Short-term blood thinning medication may be necessary after valve repair with the PASCAL Precision system. Your doctor should prescribe this and other medical therapy per standard guidelines.
Potential Risks The most serious risks associated with the procedure are:
Death.
Stroke
Serious bleeding
Unplanned repeat procedure or surgery
Additional potential risks include:
Abnormal heart rhythms or cardiac arrest, which may require a pacemaker
Abnormal low or high blood pressure
Allergic reaction to anesthetic, contrast, heparin, Nitinol (Nickel and Titanium) and/or other medications
Aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm
Bleeding, stomach bleeding, hemolysis, or decreased blood count, which may require transfusion
Blood clots in the legs (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
Blood clots, particles, catheter fragments or air in the blood vessels, lungs, body or brain
Cardiogenic shock
Chest pain
Damage or puncture of the heart or blood vessels that may require surgery
Damage, injury to, narrowing, or tearing of the mitral valve or other valve structures
Damage to the swallowing passage (esophagus), with possible puncture or narrowing
Dislodgement of a previous implant
Failure to retrieve any PASCAL Precision system components
Fever or infection, including of the heart valveg
Fluid or blood around the heart or lungs
Heart attack
Implant deterioration (wear, tear, fracture or other), malposition, clotting, movement or embolization
Kidney failure
Lab values that are not normal
Nerve injury, paralysis or neurological symptoms, including problems with movement or walking
Organ failure, including heart failure
Pain
Respiratory compromise that may require prolonged need for a respirator
Shortness of breath, fainting or dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting, swelling, weakness, diminished exercise ability
Skin burn, injury or tissue changes due to exposure to X-rays
Single leaflet device attachment (SLDA)
Vascular injury or trauma, including decreased blood flow, dissection or occlusion
Worsening of valvular insufficiency
Wound healing infection or slow healing
CAUTION: Federal (United States) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
Important Risk Information
HemoSphere Monitor
CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. See instructions for use for full prescribing information.
Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, the stylized E logo, Carpentier-Edwards, Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT, Commander, Edwards Commander, Edwards SAPIEN, Edwards SAPIEN 3, Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, HemoSphere, Life is Now, MITRIS, MITRIS RESILIA, NewHeartValve.com, PASCAL, PASCAL Precision, PERI, PERIMOUNT, Reach for the Heart, RESILIA, SAPIEN, SAPIEN 3, SAPIEN 3 Ultra, and SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA are trademarks or service marks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.