SYNLAB medical analysis laboratories join forces with Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes (Acting for Women's Hearts)

SYNLAB France is a network of 400 medical analysis laboratories in France. Women's health and cardiovascular risks are major areas of our screening and diagnostic activity. Moreover, 80% of our employees are women. As healthcare professionals and employers, symmetry of attention for both our patients and our employees is a natural requirement.
It therefore seemed obvious to us to make a commitment, as a socially responsible healthcare company and employer, to the "Agir pour le cœur des femmes" endowment fund.

Concretely, what form does SYNLAB's commitment take?

Beyond financial support for ACF's action, our partnership is an opportunity to take concrete action: On the one hand, it demonstrates that analysis laboratories are a major player in screening and an essential link in public health, and on the other, that the company is a propitious place to talk about health, prevention and early detection of certain health risks.

As part of this proactive approach, we believe that actions carried out in the workplace, in collaboration with our own healthcare professionals (biologists, nurses), have an even greater impact than campaigns aimed at the general public, as they enable us to raise awareness in an environment where people are ready to listen. It's also an opportunity for SYNLAB to highlight its role in society.

What actions have you taken?

We decided to start by targeting our female employees, explaining how each of us can take action to avoid cardiovascular risks, what periods of life are most at risk and the signs that should alert us.
The information booklet "Taking care of my cardiovascular health", designed by ACF, was distributed to more than 4,000 employees, men and women who undoubtedly have concerned women in their entourage.
Then we organized an in-house webinar on "Cardiovascular diseases and their prevention", hosted by Professor Claire Mounier-Verhier, cardiologist, and Thierry Drilhon, co-founders of Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes. Posters in the lab's break rooms, with a QR code to be flashed, enable employees to see and replay this information session.
We then proposed to volunteer SYNLAB laboratories (60) to extend this awareness-raising initiative, by offering their female employees an assessment of their cardiovascular risk factors and a preventive interview with a SYNLAB biologist.
Free screening was also offered to employees of certain healthcare establishments, for whom we carry out medical analyses, and to women at a local council social action center. The itinerary was inspired by the one offered on the Women's Bus.

To facilitate organization, we distributed a ready-to-use kit to our network, including posters, an information brochure, a risk assessment questionnaire and tools to help prepare and manage events.

What are the results of the operations carried out by SYNLAB laboratories?
It is very positive in more ways than one:
358 women, mainly our female employees, have benefited from an assessment of their cardiovascular risk factors.
In many cases, the participation rate exceeded 50% of female employees! This success came as a surprise to the biologists, who thought that their female employees, working for the healthcare system, were already aware of their health risks. However, this operation demonstrated the need for universal preventive action.
We also found that our employees have a strong appetite for preventive health issues, and are very receptive to the sharing of medical knowledge by the biologists they work with.
Finally, the screening, organized by and within the company, also created a very positive collective dynamic: the biologists who volunteered to carry out the advice interviews greatly appreciated this role, and the female employees were confident that the confidentiality of their personal assessment would be respected.
In the end, almost 100% of the employees who responded to our survey were satisfied or very satisfied.




The adventure with ACF is just beginning! We'll be renewing and expanding our screening operations, both in our laboratories and externally, to reach even more women. The aim will also be to statistically measure the risks detected.
We are also considering other preventive actions for our employees, such as nutrition and stress management, which are linked to the main risk factors identified.
Finally, some of our nurses or biologists might be interested in contributing their skills, on an ad hoc and voluntary basis, to local operations organized by ACF. 

SYNLAB France
Emmanuelle Merville, Human Resources Department
Laurence Ricard, Marketing and Communication Department