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From Lynda Benton, Director, Corporate Equity, Johnson & Johnson

While my family was digging out (again) from yet another snowstorm here in the Northeast last week, I was thankfully able to catch a flight out of snowy Newark to  spend a few days in Nashville, attending my first blogger conference, Blissdom 2011.  Though I’ve been reading blogs for a while, this was my first blogger conference – and I found the energy, wit and passion of the people there to be truly inspiring.  So much so, that I felt the need to try my hand at it with this, my first blog post on JNJBTW. 

 There are already a number of summaries of Blissdom that I’ve come across (including this one from Sarah on her Real Life blog that highlights LOTS of other recaps), so I’m not going to get into all that happened there.  But I did want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the wonderful women (and yes – couple of men!) who shared stories with my colleagues and I from Johnson & Johnson.  You see, while there, we set up a video camera (thanks to Rob Halper, AKA @jnjvideo) and asked everyone one very simple question:  “How have you used social media for social good?”   – and were rewarded with a huge diversity of touching answers.   

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I can be a forgetful person. If it’s not written down on my to-do list, I’ll probably forget to do it. So I wasn’t surprised when I learned that studies have shown many contact lens users don’t replace their contact lens as frequently as they should.

Now, instead of writing something down on a sticky note, or tying a string around my finger to help me remember when to change my lenses, I’ve been using a tool developed by our Vistakon business – www.acuminder.com.   This free service sends me an automatic reminder via text message (though it can also send the subscriber an e-mail message) to let me know when it’s time to change my contact lenses. Since its launch, 40,000 contact lens wearers have registered.

One of the most common issues raised by contact lens wearers is forgetting which day to change their contacts. As a result, many use their lenses long after the recommended replacement date. Adherence to prescribed replacement schedules and recommended wearing schedules, as well as regular return visits to the eye care practitioner for yearly examinations, are essential to good eye health, which is why a reminder service such as Acuminder is so valuable. By not following instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers are more likely to experience discomfort and may put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications.

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I’m down in Nashville, where two exciting things are happening. One, it’s not snowing and two, Blissdom is starting! Johnson & Johnson is a sponsor of the conference attended by “women who find and express their bliss by publishing online.” Blissdom is being held at the Opryland hotel, where 650-700 attendees are expected.
Johnson & Johnson will be sponsoring a session entitled, Advocates and Activists: Harnessing Social Media for Social Good in the Face of Compassion Fatigue. We will also be raffling off a $100 donation to a charity through Give Back , an organization that empowers individuals and groups to donate to the philanthropic initiative of their choice. We will also be highlighting our own philanthropic programs, including mothers2mothers(m2m), Text4baby, Safe Kids Worldwide® and Healthy Babies Are Worth the WaitSM. The concept of using social media for social good aligns with our Credo responsibilities to the communities in which we live and work, and the world community as well.

In addition, Blissdom attendees will have the opportunity to make a video recording about what “giving back” means to them. These videos will be edited on-site and posted during the conference to the Johnson & Johnson health channel on YouTube. Check them out!

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Every January, following the release of the company’s fourth-quarter 2010 earnings, our chairman and chief addresses the financial analysts who follow the company to provide an assessment of the state of the business.  Earlier today, Chairman and CEO Bill Weldon did just that.  You can listen to a replay of the earnings call – including Bill’s remarks – but I thought it would be of interest to share a few things covered during this wide-ranging discussion for those checking out JNJBTW.  As he finished the call, Bill made the following points:

“Whether we encounter periods of slow economic growth, a product issue, or a market challenge, this commitment [to Our Credo Operating Model and our people] is the reason we can manage through the turbulent times, continue investing, and stay well-positioned for sustainable growth.

As I wrap-up, let me re-cap some of the critical points I hope you will take away today.

Johnson & Johnson is built on a strong foundation, driven by its Credo and operating model, and we are emerging stronger from recent challenges.

Our overall business is performing well, led by our Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals businesses.

We have made changes to address our supply chain issues and continue to build the Consumer business with science-based innovations that will lead the market as the business and economy recovers.

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Today, we provided an update on the McNeil Consumer Healthcare remediation.  A copy of our release on this subject can be found on our website, www.jnj.com.

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From Devon Prutzman, Director, Worldwide Communications, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics

On Monday, January 3, Veridex announced  the start of a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital to develop a next-generation, automated diagnostic  test sensitive enough to detect a stray cancer cell among a billion blood cells and powerful enough to reveal the biology of cells at the DNA, RNA and protein levels – all from a non-invasive blood test. 

As we said in our press release:  the collaboration, which involves Ortho Biotech Oncology R&D , Unit of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C., aims to develop a system  that could be used both by oncologists as a diagnostic tool for personalizing patient care, as well as by researchers to accelerate and improve the process of drug discovery and development.  

At Johnson & Johnson, our multidisciplinary business model already brings together the internal capabilities of our diagnostics business and our pharmaceutical sector to drive innovation. Adding the scientific and clinical expertise of Massachusetts General Hospital makes this a unique and powerful opportunity to advance the field of diagnostics.

We’re excited about this collaboration — and about the interest in this news!  The story has spread far and wide through the media as reporters talk, write (and tweet!) about the announcement.  

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It’s a new year, and you know what that means.  It’s time to get to work on those resolutions, whether you’re planning to go to the gym more often (like me) or eat healthier foods.  In honor of the new year, the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel is featuring a couple of videos highlighting different physical activities.  Check out Anna and Tobin as they talk about what they do to stay healthy.

Need further motivation to be active this year?  Read this Kilmer House post on our athletic employees to learn about the early organized sports teams at J&J.  Whether it’s joining a bowling team like our own General Robert Wood Johnson or just taking a walk around the block, stay healthy and happy in 2011.

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From Susan Tierman, Director, Occupational Medicine, Johnson & Johnson

During this busy holiday season, many employees throughout the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies take their work out of the office and into their own hands—literally. The use of modern connectivity devices such as PDAs, smart phones and other mobile devices allow employees at any company to easily stay connected to work commitments when away from their desk. While this offers the flexibility to work remotely, employees should be careful that this added connectivity does not interfere with spending quality time with family and friends. Additionally, with the increase in mobile emailing and typing on tiny keyboards comes a health concern many people have yet to consider…“PDA Pain.”

“PDA Pain” is a form of repetitive stress injury (RSI) caused by overusing the thumb, or thumbs, and straining the digit through continuous pressing on the mobile device keyboard. While most people use their thumb(s) to type texts or emails, the thumb does not have as much dexterity as its longer and leaner counterparts. In fact, the thumb was designed more so as a “pinch and grip” stabilizer (think about how you press your thumb and index finger together to pick up a pen) than a typing tool.

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Earlier today, we issued a press release announcing that Alex Gorsky, currently Worldwide Chairman, Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Sheri McCoy, currently Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, have been appointed Vice Chairmen of the Executive Committee and join William C. Weldon, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, in an expanded Office of the Chairman. Both appointments are effective January 3, 2011. In the communication distributed globally to all Johnson & Johnson employees, Bill summed up these organizational changes in the following way:

As the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies continues to grow and we look toward opportunities and challenges of the future, it is important for us to regularly assess our organizations to ensure that they remain focused strategically, resourced properly and structured appropriately.

Today I am announcing organizational realignments within our leadership team that are being taken to ensure that we continue to be well positioned for sustainable growth into the future. Our organizational changes are an appropriate step in furthering our long-term succession plans within Johnson & Johnson, assuring talented, experienced leaders at all levels of the organization. The changes remain consistent with our philosophy of decentralization and are designed to improve Johnson & Johnson’s capacity to grow and to provide a platform for effective and efficient operations.

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By Paul Stoffels, Global Head, Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson

This morning, the 2011 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research call for nominations officially opened. Once again, Johnson & Johnson will recognize a scientist or group of scientists, selected by an independent committee, whose achievements in the field of biomedicine or medical technology have made, or have strong potential to make, a measurable impact on human health.

Over just six years, the Award has accumulated a truly remarkable roster of winners whose transformative work has impacted millions of lives. By recognizing their accomplishments, we keep alive the spirit of Dr. Paul Janssen, for whom the Award is named, and encourage the next generation of innovative researchers.

I’ve had the privilege to meet the previous Award winners, many of whom have made discoveries that have had a profound impact on human health. For example, it was truly my honor to recognize our 2010 Award winners, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Erik De Clercq, whose work in HIV/AIDS has transformed the treatment landscape. Having worked myself side-by-side with Dr. Paul in this therapeutic area, I know this work was close to his heart and I know the achievements of our winners would have been greatly appreciated by Dr.

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