The key to a successful donation is not just handing over a piece of equipment; it’s about finding a solution that will ensure there’s a long-term and tangible impact

Name: Lindsay Peightel
Position: Senior Manager of S&OP CT & AMI at Philips Healthcare
Started at Philips: November 2006

My name’s Lindsay Peightel, and I’m part of the team that managed to donate four CT scanners to hospitals in desperate need of innovative and advanced technology. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and I’m delighted to be able to share our story.

This particular series of events came about because we had CT scanners in stock that, because of new global requirements, we were unable to sell. We ended up with four perfectly good systems that we weren’t allowed to get into the market, and we were determined they wouldn’t go to waste.

The key to a successful donation is not just handing over a piece of equipment; it’s about finding a solution that will ensure there’s a long-term and tangible impact

At first we tried to see if we could use them in other areas of the organization, then we looked at breaking them down to sell as parts, but nothing came of those ideas. Then finally someone suggested that we should just give them away. The more we considered it the more it made sense, and we knew that was the option we had to pursue.

Fast-forward a few months, and we were fully committed to one of the very first successful donations of major medical equipment anywhere in the world. With the help of the Philips Foundation we found RAD-AID, an incredible organisation that specialises in training and providing radiological services to people in need. With their assistance we had a unique opportunity to get advanced systems to places where they could make a huge difference – specifically Haiti and Guyana.

Philips’ goal is to enrich the lives of people across the globe courtesy of innovative thinking and cutting-edge products

We decided upon four different hospitals - two in Haiti, two in Guyana. These hospitals are brand new - either they’ve just been completed or are on the verge of being built – and are based in communities that have never before had access to this kind of equipment. We’ve managed to deliver each of the scanners – even though a hurricane did its best to stop us - and now we’re just waiting for the green light to install them and give the proper training.

The key to a successful donation is not just handing over a piece of equipment; it’s about finding a solution that will ensure there’s a long-term and tangible impact. There’s no point handing a CT scanner to someone who’s never seen one before and then just expecting them to get on with using it; the hospital staff need to be trained and taught so the machines can be as beneficial as possible.

This whole project has been an amazing experience, and I’m overwhelmed to have been a part of it. It still makes me emotional now just thinking about it. Philips’ goal is to enrich the lives of people across the globe courtesy of innovative thinking and cutting-edge products, and this is yet another example of the company finding new ways to make a difference.

Since joining Philips in 2006, Lindsay has held four different positions. She started her career with the company as a Clinical Education Customer Service Specialist, before moving on to become an Inside Sales Specialist, and a PROS and ICAP Order Desk Analyst. In July 2014 she was named Senior Manager of S&OP CT & AMI.