At Boston Scientific, product quality is a personal mandate

Walk down the hall at Boston Scientific sites around the world, and you'll see these words displayed on the wall, surrounded by signatures: "I improve the quality of patient care and all things Boston Scientific."

It's a statement our employees stand by, so much so that they're willing to put their names on it.

It's also an expectation that Boston Scientific has for every person who works at the company, no matter their role, region or career level.

And it's a commitment we renew each year at an event every Boston Scientific employee is invited to be part of: Everyone Makes an Impact (EMAI).

"An emotional reminder that all employees make a difference"

EMAI is a regular reminder to our 48,000-plus employees of how they are helping to transform the lives of the 37 million people our products help treat each year, whether they devise, build and test these innovative devices; educate others about their effectiveness or support this work in other ways.

Since the early 2000s, Boston Scientific has gathered employees at each of its major sites around the globe each year to celebrate this shared purpose and reinforce its importance through EMAI events.

Employees celebrate EMAI in Penang, among other Boston Scientific sites in the Asia Pacific region.

"Every employee must feel personally connected to the patient experience," says Roz Burke, senior vice president, Global Quality and Regulatory. "Structures and policies will always guide our product quality system, but when employees are engaged in the process and feel personally invested in the impact we have on transforming lives, a culture of quality can thrive."

During EMAI, we welcome people who have benefitted from our medical devices to share their moving stories live at our facilities in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region. They explain what it's like to experience health conditions ranging from atrial fibrillation to Parkinson's disease - and how they've experienced relief from a Boston Scientific device.

Take Kevin, an athlete and Boston Marathon finisher who suffered sudden cardiac arrest but recovered and went on to climb to the base camp at Mount Everest after receiving a subcutaneous implantable defibrillator. Or Madeleine, whose debilitating chronic pain kept her from working, seeing friends, even driving - until she found relief with spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

On stage and among audience members, laughs, tears and smiles are present in equal measure.

"It's an emotional and powerful reminder that all employees make a difference, regardless of where we work or what we do for the company," says Burke.

"The quality of our products can change a life - like mine"

Esther Melvin (seen here with her husband James) appeared at an EMAI event in 2022 to speak to her experience as an employee and a patient.

EMAI events have evolved and grown over the years, says Burke. During the first years of COVID, for instance, they went completely virtual and remain that way in some countries. At sites where workers have nighttime shifts, such as in Minnesota and Costa Rica, the festivities may go on for several days to ensure everyone can take part.

In many locations, EMAI has become a chance to celebrate an Employee Appreciation Day or Family Day complete with food trucks, music and games. Indeed, many attendees report that EMAI is their very favorite workday of the year.

What hasn't changed is the recommitment to quality that employees make each year by signing the quality wall at their site or the virtual quality wall for those participating online.

Perhaps the people who best understand the meaning of EMAI are the employees who have gotten Boston Scientific devices themselves.

Esther Melvin is a sales training manager with the Interventional Oncology team. Her roles at Boston Scientific have included advising physicians on a technology called cryoablation, which uses extreme cold to destroy tissue such as tumors. A few years ago, Melvin was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and faced terrible pain as the cancer spread to her bones. After considering numerous treatment options, she chose to undergo cryoablation.

"I knew it was going to work because I trust in our products," she says.

Melvin appeared at an EMAI event in 2022 to explain first-hand how crucial her colleagues are to the patients they serve.

"The quality of our products is so important because it can change a life," says Melvin. "It changed mine."

In all the work we do, our highest priority is to ensure that our products are safe and reliable. Read more about our approach to quality in our recently released 2023 Performance Report.

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