Social Responsibility

What we do is more than a job, it’s part of who we are. We put in all the extra hours and go the extra miles because what we do is more than work. It’s also why so many of us are also involved in supporting your communities outside of work. The Social Responsibility Award rewards an individual or company that has made a concerted effort to look beyond the demands of their shareholders and their 9-5 responsibilities in order to give back to their communities.

Watch the Meet the Finalists webcast

The finalists for the 2020 Social Responsibility Award are:

COTA, Inc.
To cultivate a culture in which every employee feels safe, comfortable, represented and valued, COTA began the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The committee promotes justice and equality within the company and seeks out community sponsorship and engagement. The committee dedicated resources, time, and money to promote awareness, education, and change within COTA, and the greater LGBTQ+ community.

During Pride Month, COTA held a daily standup every morning, led by the Committee, to share a pride fact or a story of someone who had an influence on the LGBTQ+ community, fuelling discussion and conversation among employees.

The company also matched employee donations to The Trevor Project to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ youth, which resulted in nearly $2,000 in donations. And most recently, COTA was one of 206 major corporations to add its name to the Amicus Brief supporting the need to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and commit to gender equality.

EMD Serono
The Embracing Carers program – led by EMD Serono, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and in collaboration with leading caregiver organizations – is committed to responding to the unique and unmet needs of unpaid caregivers with a focus on improving caregivers’ health and wellness while increasing awareness for caregivers.

A highly under-recognized resource, caregivers are critical contributors not only for the individuals they serve, but also for health systems, which would be greatly disadvantaged without the millions of hours of their silent work. Often, their own basic health-related activities are selflessly sacrificed.

Embracing Carers has established collaborations with 30+ patient advocacy and caregiver groups to drive awareness and develop tangible support programs touching 2,000,000+ caregivers globally, including the development of 10 videos of caregivers to support self-identification and global call to action encouraging the support of caregivers; partnership with the American Cancer Society to produce a highly viewed video series; and the education of 120,000+ nurses about caregiving support in collaboration with American Nurses Association.

Halodine LLC
Co-founder of Halodine LLC, Dr. Samuel Kojo Amaoakohene ("Kojo" to friends and colleagues) realized that PPE alone was not always effective against COVID-19 and recognized the need for another link in the viral-transmission reduction chain. While Halodine was focused on its ongoing antiviral and antifungal dermatology programs, Kojo believed in the application that its compounds could have in nasal and oral antisepsis as an adjunct to masks/gloves/respirators/PPE as part of a comprehensive transmission-reduction strategy.

He initiated chemical analyses of Halodine’s existing antivirals and helped lead the effort to modify the compounds into convenient, safe, effective unit-dose applications that could help MDs and healthcare workers reduce the chances that they would contract and spread COVID-19 even if they were fully protected with PPE. In addition to building key programs in the US commercial space, Kojo developed a comprehensive antisepsis program for his native Ghana to assist with upcoming presidential elections.

Horizon Therapeutics
Horizon is invested in the rare disease community. In February of 2017, the company launched RAREis, an initiative that aims to elevate the voices, faces and experiences of people living with rare diseases, as well as highlight programs and resources for the rare disease community.

Last year, Horizon and Gift of Adoption joined forces to form a partnership designed to help orphaned children suffering from rare diseases to find a home. The RAREis Adoption Fund at Gift of Adoption dedicated $150,000 to fund adoption assistance grants for more than 30 children with rare diseases through Gift of Adoption’s application process. In a permanent home, treatment can be sought and implemented, symptoms can be controlled, and life expectancy can be maximized. In addition to medical care, these children will have a family to provide the love, security, advocacy and nurturing that will make that extended life as happy and fulfilled as possible.

To date, 10 children diagnosed with rare diseases have come home to their forever families. They are all receiving lifesaving treatment.