I just had a chance to go through some of the online chatter about the announcement last week of the new Text4Baby mobile phone service that provides useful information for new and expectant moms. There are some more details on what this service means on the JNJ.com website (Johnson & Johnson is one of the founding sponsors) as well as on JNJBTW and BabyCenter, but I thought I would highlight a few of the posts I came across:

1) MobiHealthNews provides a snapshot of how mobile services are being used around the world to improve health literacy, highlighting a presentation made by Paul Meyer, co-founder, president and chairman of Voxiva, at a meeting last week in Nashville:

“Although there is a perception that everyone is on in Internet, only 31 percent of the population making less than $35,000 a year has broadband. Meyer pointed out that while only 51 percent of people with chronic illness have Internet access, 90 percent of Americans have mobile phones and 1 trillion text messages were sent last year.”

2) The Spohrs are Multiplying provides a personal perspective on the importance of quality care and information in ensuring healthy moms and babies:

“Information is power as they say, and this is rarely ever more true than when pregnant.

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When my son Alex was small, his baby sitter told us of a horrible personal tragedy that befell her young niece. This seemingly healthy young woman died in childbirth. As the details of the tragedy came to light it became apparent to me – and the family — that with proper prenatal care, the outcome may have been different. 

Earlier today, the White House announced the launch of a new public health initiative, text4baby  – the US’s first-ever free mobile health service that provides timely and expert health information through SMS text messages for pregnant women and new moms. Simply by texting “BABY” to 511411 (or “BEBE” for Spanish language services) women can receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or to the baby’s date of birth that provide a wealth of information about the health of both mother and baby through the baby’s first year. 

According to a release issued by the White House the infant mortality rate in the US is one of the highest in the industrialized world – each year, about 500,000 babies are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday.  This new text service is one effort to help address this situation.

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I thought I would also highlight one other topic covered during the earnings call today. In addition to focusing on a common value system as defined by the company’s Credo, for many years, Johnson & Johnson has worked under an operating model that includes being broadly based in human health care, managing the business for the long term, taking a decentralized management approach and focusing on employees and the company’s value system. Within this strategic framework, the company will rally around common, high level priorities that reflect the current environment and the changing needs of the business. Today Chairman and Chief Executive Office Bill Weldon highlighted the common set of priorities that the company would focus on in 2010. In his words:

“These Growth Priorities are what we believe our businesses need to focus on. They are:

Innovative Products – Our growth has always been based on scientific innovations that serve unmet patient and customer needs in a meaningful way. This has led us to be a market leader, #1 or #2, in many of our businesses. We will stay focused on bringing forth innovative, accessible and effective products – and entirely new business models — that address the most prevalent health care needs of the day.

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At the beginning of each year, most people reflect on what they had accomplished over the previous twelve months and consider whether they met their own personal goals and expectations. Though most of us do this routinely – usually during the aftermath of New Year’s Eve – we often forget that organizations need to do the same.

In his remarks to analysts today to discuss the fourth quarter 2009 earnings, Chairman and CEO Bill Weldon took a look back at what was said back in 2008 and then to see what the company has accomplished. So what exactly were those accomplishments?

You can listen to a replay of the earnings call – including Bill’s remarks – but I thought it would be of interest to share what he covered for those checking out JNJBTW. During the call today, Bill said the following:

“When we met with this group in January 2008, we looked ahead at the business challenges we would see over the next two years, we spoke about building our foundation of growth and we discussed many of the steps we were taking to do that:

We were in the midst of completing a restructuring of our Pharmaceuticals and Cordis businesses to deal with significant patent expirations and competitive pressures.

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During the earnings call earlier today, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Weldon provided some further context around the recent recall announcement by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. In his remarks to financial analysts Bill provided a more detailed account of what the investigation entailed and the complexities of identifying the source of the odor, which I have reprinted here for those who are interested:

“We’re very conscious of the bar we set for ourselves and that consumers expect more from us than from others because of our history and reputation. Our recent consumer product recall and FDA warning letter were important reminders of this expectation and the vigilance it requires. I want to assure you we take these matters very seriously and nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products.

We are undertaking a thorough review of our procedures to ensure that we identify potential improvements we could make moving forward. We believe these and other actions we are taking will address the concerns that the FDA raised in its warning letter, and we are working in close consultation with them.

When McNeil Consumer Healthcare first received some complaints on a “musty” odor associated with our products in 2008, the company conducted a microbiological investigation to check for the presence of bacteria and mold, which would be consistent with the presence of the odor.

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Since the news of the McNeil Consumer Healthcare recall was announced last week, some questions have come up about the timing of the recall in light of when the company first became aware of the complaints about a “musty” odor.

At JNJBTW we try, whenever possible, to provide additional perspective around activities that are taking place at Johnson & Johnson. Since I’ve now learned a few things about the McNeil Consumer Healthcare recall, I thought I would pass this information on to you.

When McNeil Consumer Healthcare first received some complaints of a “musty” odor in 2008, the company conducted a microbiological investigation to check for the presence of bacteria and mold, which would be consistent with the presence of the odor. No bacteria or mold was found and it was determined that the complaints were likely an isolated issue.

When similar complaint trends were identified in 2009, the company initiated further investigation and analytical testing and determined that the reported uncharacteristic odor is caused by trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) – which, as the company explained in its press release, “can result from the breakdown of a chemical that is sometimes applied to wood that is used to build wood pallets that transport and store product packaging materials.”

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is continuing to investigate this complex matter.

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I just wanted to make sure that those looking for last week’s announcement from Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare company could get to their announcement and their information about the recall. As some of you may know, last week, in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, announced a voluntary recall of certain over-the-counter products in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. For those interested in the details of this announcement, including the product lots involved, you should visit McNeil’s website, where they have posted their announcement and contact information for consumers. Rather than me explain what you should do if you have questions, I thought it best to provide what McNeil said in their release:

For these instructions or information regarding how to return or dispose of the product, consumers should log on to the internet at www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time). Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider. Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

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As I’ve watched the images of devastation and human suffering in Haiti unfold over the past few days, I’ve been asking myself – what can I do to help? There are, after all, many different charitable organizations out there doing good work, but which ones should I contribute to? Is it better to contribute money to get people the help, supplies and medical attention that they need immediately and in the longer term, or to contribute to clothing and food drives being organized. Many disaster experts recommend donating money versus supplies during early relief efforts because supplies may not arrive, may disrupt the local economy, and may not be culturally appropriate.

Like many other organizations, Johnson & Johnson is sending aid in the form of cash as well as needed health care products. For instance, a note went out to employees yesterday morning explaining that as a starting point, four Johnson & Johnson disaster relief modules with large quantities of consumer and over-the-counter products have been shipped. The company has also provided employees with a means to contribute to charitable organizations that my colleagues in the corporate contributions group feel have a good track record of providing the support and help in times of such emergencies.

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January is National Blood Donor month. Although there are many committed blood donors like this man who traveled though harsh winter weather to donate his 160th pint of blood, donations are typically lower this time of year. I wanted to share the reasons why I donate blood and encourage you to donate, too.

I started donating blood about 15 years ago. I was recruited by a member of the New Jersey Blood Services. The New Jersey Blood Services has been fulfilling its commitment to the people of New Jersey by supplying blood products and services with quality and compassion. They serve approximately 60 New Jersey hospitals and conduct blood drives on a daily basis in 14 New Jersey counties. I have always been mindful of what a blessed life my family and I lead, and felt that this was my way of helping others; doing my part to make a difference. 

Your chances of knowing someone who will need a donation is huge. A few years ago my good friend Elisabeth got the great news from her son on becoming a grandparent for the first time of twins. Unfortunately, the twins were born prematurely and barely weighing 2 pounds. They faced many medical obstacles and were in need of blood donations.

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Note from Marc Monseau: The following is the third — and final — post from my colleague Angela Chiu based on the time she spent volunteering in Africa earlier this year. As 2009 winds down, and as my family and I gear up to celebrate the holiday season, I thought Angela’s words provided a poignant take on what we can all gain by giving to others.

From Angela Chiu, Interactive Marketing Manager, Vistakon, Hong Kong

Some clips from the work conducted earlier this year:

29 July 2009, Kampala King’s School, outreach activities and distributing gifts

1 Aug 2009, Cherish classroom dedication ceremony

How long did your joy last after getting an iPhone? How happy were you when you acquired a Kindle or a 72-inch plasma TV?  We have almost forgotten the joy that we used to have when getting a toy car, a doll, or a basketball when we were small. Over time, especially when we start to accumulate some wealth, value becomes nothing more than an entry in the books. How much meaning does it still carry?

When I looked at the children we visited in Kampala King’s School, Uganda, they had very little compared to us. Their school uniforms were not ironed, their socks were loose and shoes were torn.

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