Last month I traveled with a photographer to Africa as part of a trip organized by Johnson & Johnson’s contributions team to meet with partners whose health and education programs we support. I take such trips from time to time as one way of chronicling our charitable work “in the field” for our employees and others. Beyond that, though, these trips give me and my traveling buddies a chance to see firsthand what our “on-the-ground” partners are doing to help us save and improve lives, prevent diseases, and build health care capacity for those who need it most.  By any definition, this was a trip filled with physically exhausting travel and a steady dose of emotional moments, as many of these journeys tend to be. What gets to me most are the seemingly insurmountable circumstances that face our fellow brethren day in and day out – and particularly the children (many the age of mine!) living in squalor and struggling with diseases such as polio that have long been eradicated in the developed world. Or, the many disenfranchised women and children who, for a variety of social and political reasons, aren’t given the opportunity to learn in formal educational settings. Among all this despair are stories of hope and aspiration, driven by large and small NGOs and community leaders – or, as I like to describe them, angels on earth.

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Last night I attended the Global Business Coalition’s (GBC) annual Awards for Business Excellence in New York where nine companies, including Johnson & Johnson, were recognized for their work in addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof – who writes extensively on his journeys to places most impacted by these diseases — served as the master of ceremonies, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon provided the keynote to an audience of high-ranking government officials and leaders from NGOs and the private sector.

As the evening unfolded and I learned more about what motivates people and organizations to do what they do to make REAL differences in this world, two things struck me. The first was to ask, “what more could I be doing to help?” And the second was to reflect on the collective impact that the nine honorees – and the nearly 20 other “commended” companies and dozens more NGOs – are having on the lives of so many people all over the world. Whether it’s providing insecticide-treated bed nets to children most at-risk of contracting malaria … or improving the speed and accuracy of TB diagnosis, especially for those with HIV … or preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, the work is far-reaching and life changing.

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Lured by the promise of a free drink, I joined PharmaMarketing’s John Mack last night for a meal and conversation at a hotel near Princeton. While there, I spoke briefly about JNJBTW. Okay — I’m not going to bore you with a recap of what I said, but I think it is was worth reiterating one blogging “aha” moments that I shared as everyone digested their chicken, flank steak and penne pasta with shrimp.

When I started JNJBTW, I thought my audience would be pretty much those who write about the business of healthcare — reporters, editors, healthcare bloggers — those folks. What I’ve found, after doing this for a year, is that the people reading this are, well, er, people. Doctors, nurses, consumers — employees and retirees — people who hate the company and people who support what we do — friends, neighbors, my father-in-law… well, you get the idea.

Now those who have been blogging for a while may think, “well, duh!?” but for me it was an important point — particularly since I’m often asked “who is your audience?” My answer, which many people scoff at, is that it is everybody — that I don’t define my audience, but that the audience defines itself.

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Today, I’m sitting in the press room at the company’s Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Consumer Business Review. The title of this event is a bit of a mouthful, but then again, what’s being served up today is a generous serving of the Johnson & Johnson pie.

In fact, the businesses being discussed comprise about 59% of the company’s sales in 2007 – or about $36.2 billion dollars.

Some highlights are touched on in a press release that was issued this AM (and you can also listen in on the webcast if you’d like), but for the rest of this morning – and on into this afternoon — business leaders from the consumer, medical devices and diagnostics businesses will talk about the current state of their businesses and what’s on the burner for tomorrow.

As Chief Financial Officer Dominic Caruso outlined all of the company’s businesses to set the tone for today, I was struck once again by the breadth of Johnson & Johnson. Through it’s operating companies, Johnson & Johnson is the largest medical technology business in the world, the sixth largest pharmaceutical company, the third largest biotech company, the world’s largest seller of over-the-counter medicines and sells some of the most well-known consumer brands in the world – including many that are more than 100 years old.

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It may not be making headlines now, but for weeks all we heard about was how difficult it was to get relief to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar — for political and logistical reasons. When I heard about how our corporate contributions group had managed to send relief supplies, I just had to find out more about how we sorted all of this out. I reached out to Leila Mueller who, as Humanitarian Assistance and Product Giving Specialist for Johnson & Johnson, was responsible for working with different relief agencies to figure this all out, and asked her a few questions:

How do you choose which relief organizations to work with for an effort like this?

Johnson & Johnson has a long history of supporting disaster relief efforts, so we have strong relationships with international organizations like UNICEF and World Vision who have an established presence in Myanmar. We are also working with AmeriCares, Direct Relief International, Heart to Heart International, MAP International, and the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) to bring our consumer and medical products into Myanmar. Trust is a huge component in a disaster relief situation because we rely on our partners to tell us what is needed and how we can help.

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By Michael Bzdak, Director, Johnson & Johnson Corporate Contributions

Having worked in Johnson & Johnson’s corporate contributions group for the past 16 years, I’ve seen a lot of great charitable initiatives flourish thanks to corporate giving. But one thing that goes unnoticed far too often is what employees do in their communities.

While I can’t speak for other companies, more than 80 percent of Johnson & Johnson employees are active volunteers – many of whom are connected to community organizations through a Volunteer Support Office that I just happen to run.

There’s a lot going on.

For instance, just a few weeks ago the entire corporate law department – about 200 people, in fact – put away their laptops and Blackberrys and spent the day at the Cerebral Palsy Association in Edison, NJ, an organization dedicated to serving people of all ages with developmental and related disabilities These folks interacted in the classroom with Lakeview School students, cleaned and beautified the interior and exteriors of group homes, and used some of their hidden talents to solve computer problems and aid with art projects. (See – lawyers CAN be useful! ) This amazingly motivated group serves as an example of employee volunteerism at its best.

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What would life in the business world, academia or the conference scene be without a slide deck?

(Thanks to Adriana)

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Late Wednesday, United State District Judge Jed S. Rakoff issued a decision about whether Johnson & Johnson could pursue some of the claims made in its complaint against the American Red Cross to restore the long-held legal boundaries surrounding the use of the Red Cross trademark. Given this matter is still pending, there isn’t much more to say about our legal strategy beyond what has been already said in public statements (here and here) and on this blog (here, here, here and here), but for those who are interested, below is the company’s statement on Wednesday’s decision:

We are pleased that the Court upheld Johnson & Johnson’s use of its Red Cross trademark over the past century as entirely appropriate under federal law, and that the Court upheld our right to pursue the tortious interference and breach of contract claims. We are disappointed that the Court rejected our claims involving ARC’s commercial uses of the emblem. We are reviewing the decision and look forward to continuing this process to resolve our legal dispute with the American Red Cross.

Of course, it is imortant to keep in mind that Johnson & Johnson remains committed to supporting the longstanding mission of the American Red Cross to provide relief services in times of natural disasters.

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I usually can’t stomach rubber chicken dinners, but if they were all like the event I went to on last Sunday night, I wouldn’t mind so much.

That night, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (AKA, NJPAC), the freshman class for the New Jersey Hall of Fame was inducted — those honored included Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Malcolm Forbes, Frank Sinatra Toni Morrison, Yogi Berra, Buzz Aldrin, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., Bruce Springsteen and our own Robert Wood Johnson.

Now I’ve lived in NJ for about 13 years (still can’t believe it’s been that long!) and have never considered myself a New Jerseyan. In fact, when we first moved here, my wife came across a New Jersey-based radio station that defines the state by what it is NOT — to this day the announce will scream that this is “Not New York, Not Philadelphia… Proud to be New Jersey” — a phrase that still sets us both off laughing hysterically.

But during his acceptance remarks, Bruce Springsteen not only showed why he is considered a creative genius — he also captured the genius of the Garden State. Bemoaning how NJ is perennially the butt of jokes and “never gets any respect,” Bruce explained:

But fear not.

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By Patricia Hickey, Johnson & Johnson Corporate Communications

Every day, I try to get out of the office and take a stroll around downtown New Brunswick – for some air, some exercise, to get away from my computer screen and to clear my head. However, on Wednesday April 16th, my daily constitutional took on an entirely new relevance.

That’s because, April 16th was National Start! Walking Day – and a group of approximately 75 Johnson & Johnson employees walked around the campus to kick off the day and show support for The American Heart Association. At the same time, the company’s fitness center sponsored blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) screenings while providing information about how simple things like taking a walk can help you improve your health.

When I learned that cardiovascular disease is our nation’s No. 1 killer and that physical inactivity significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, I decided to ramp-up my own activity and I felt walking was an easy step ( no pun intended) to take.

How fitting then that the 16th was also the kick-off for our Million Step Challenge – Team Competition – in which teams of three are tasked with completing 1.25 million steps in 6 weeks.

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