Zimmer Biomet has arguably ridden on a wave of hard-won success over the past years. And now, in the spirit of “a rising tide lifts all boats,” they are raising others to new heights.
The company has announced a new partnership with Faith In Practice, a remarkable entity that provides surgical, medical, dental and educational programs in Guatemala.
Miles away from corporate Safe Harbor Statements are the thousands of people in this Central American country in desperate need of a medical safe harbor. Zimmer Biomet is giving it to them…because they have found the ultimate partner in this Houston-based non-profit organization.
Todd Davis, vice president and general manager of Global Knee Business at Zimmer Biomet, told OTW, “Two years ago we became inspired to seek out the perfect organization with which we could work to provide lasting assistance to those in need.”
“Our Global Knee team participated in an off-site leadership program and were inspired by our keynote speaker, Mick Ebeling, founder of Not Impossible Labs LLC, a one-of-a-kind, award winning technology incubator and content studio dedicated to changing the world through technology and story. Mick challenged us to use ‘technology for humanity.’ And had multiple stories about how ‘doing good is good business.’ We left this meeting committed to make a difference with our technology, total knee replacements.”
But a noble mission statement alone would not suffice.
“We were determined to locate an organization that had an established orthopedic mission whose work was repeatable, who had a secure way to warehouse inventory, as well as a firm commitment to a particular community,” says Davis. “We interviewed 20 organizations, made 6 mission trips and found a beacon of light when we met with the people at Faith In Practice. The group stood out for its long-established connection to the community and its sophisticated infrastructure that could even help patients in the event of an emergency.”
This level of involvement is new for the company, says Todd Davis. “In the past we have participated in many mission trips, but they were always one-off requests from a physician or group. We would send them implants, but that’s where our support ended. But since our new agreement involves stocking inventory in Guatemala and having our team members participate in the trips, this makes it more like adopting a village—we’re in it for the long haul.”
Medical providers from Faith In Practice will utilize Zimmer Biomet implants at the Las Obras Hospital in Antigua and Hilario Galindo Hospital in San Felipe, Retalhuleu, Guatemala.
