Reaching More Patients in a Borderless World

Yesterday I was privileged to represent Baxter at Fortune’s annual Brainstorm Health conference, where I joined the "Borderless World” panel alongside George Barrett, Executive Chairman of Cardinal Health, and Michael Milken, Chairman of the Milken Institute.

Just like so many of the other industries and technologies we depend on daily, healthcare has been affected profoundly by globalization…sometimes for the better, sometimes not. It has clearly helped advance awareness, expertise and access to quality patient care worldwide. At the same time, it has created new challenges, like the rapid spread of pandemics and the growing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, among other chronic diseases, in developing countries.

There are still so many ways we can harness the benefits of globalization across the healthcare industry and broader ecosystem, from the design of more standardized clinical trials to new operating paradigms across R&D and the supply chain. As our panel emphasized, the key is for industry, regulators and caregivers worldwide to come together and embrace this potential.

Baxter is well positioned to make a difference. With 47,000 employees around the world motivated by our mission to save and sustain lives, and products serving patients in more than 100 countries, we’re committed to driving globally inspired innovation in ways that constantly expand the reach and impact of quality care.

—Joe Almeida, Chairman and CEO