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Health Equity

Health equity is part of our mission

At B. Braun, we feel social circumstances should not determine whether someone has access to reliable healthcare. We believe in health equity for all and are working in our communities to help people gain access to high-quality care. Whether it’s developing technologies to address the characteristics and needs of each patient or partnering with leading healthcare organizations to advocate for improved standards of care, B. Braun strives to increase understanding about health inequities that have prevented many from achieving their full potential.

Angela Karpf headshot.

“Healthcare disparities have persisted in our society for far too long. As a healthcare company, it is our responsibility to promote quality care for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or other difference.”

Angela Karpf, MD, Corporate Vice President, Medical Affairs | B. Braun Medical Inc.

We are working to make a difference in five key areas: 

Workforce – We provide high-quality healthcare benefits for our employees, promote wellness programs and foster a diverse and inclusive culture across our company.

Community – We partner with local organizations to help raise awareness of health inequities and address access and social determinants of health in our communities.

Research – We work with leading healthcare and professional organizations to promote scientific research on health equity and access to healthcare.

Outcomes – We collaborate with health systems to support the use of technologies and programs to improve health outcomes and help ensure access to quality healthcare.

Advocacy – We advocate for policies to address healthcare disparities and raise standards of care to allow every person to attain their full health potential. 

Addressing disparities in vascular access

Peripheral vascular access is the most common invasive procedure performed in healthcare,1 but the experience of receiving an IV is not the same for all patients.

  • In a study of over 100,000 emergency department (ED) patients, the rate of difficult intravenous access (DIVA) was 58% higher for Black patients compared to White patients (4.9% rate for Black; 3.1% rate for White).2
  • B. Braun is working with leading healthcare organizations including the National Health Council and Association for Vascular Access to build awareness of this issue and promote more equitable vascular access treatment.
close-up-veinviewer-on-arm VeinViewer® | Photo Source: Christiemed.com
Scott Blair headshot.

“Disparities in healthcare occur in different ways and are deeply rooted in our culture. That is why B. Braun’s health equity strategy includes efforts to increase understanding of the cultural differences that can contribute to these disparities.”

Scott Blair, Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | B. Braun Medical Inc.

Case Study: B. Braun's strategic approach to driving health equity in life sciences


Explore the Advisory Board case study for an in-depth look at B. Braun's impactful health equity strategy and insights. 

View the case study

Addressing disparities in vascular access

Peripheral vascular access is the most common invasive procedure performed in healthcare,1 but the experience of receiving an IV is not the same for all patients.

Read more

Advancing health equity initiatives

We're excited to share our ongoing commitment to tackling health inequities in vascular access. Unveiled at the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) Scientific Meeting, our dedication extends to innovative programs and technologies, with a special focus on the Peripheral Advantage Program. This program empowers healthcare providers and enhances patients' experiences with peripheral intravenous (IV) therapy.

Read more

References

  1. Tripathi S, Gladfelter T. Peripheral intravenous catheters in hospitalized patients: Practice, dwell times, and factors impacting the dwell times: A single center retrospective study. J Vasc Access. 2021 Mar 30:11297298211000874. doi: 10.1177/11297298211000874. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33784876.
  2. Shokoohi H, Loesche MA, Duggan NM, Liteplo AS, Huang C, Al Saud AA, McEvoy D, Liu SW, Dutta S. Difficult intravenous access as an independent predictor of delayed care and prolonged length of stay in the emergency department. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2020 Aug 19;1(6):1660-1668. doi: 10.1002/emp2.12222. PMID: 33392574; PMCID: PMC7771794. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7771794/
  3. B. Braun Data on File: These are the results of FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Results and clinical experiences may vary by institution.