Professional Healthcare
Global demographic and environmental trends, such as aging populations and the spread of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes to the developing world, will require a fundamental shift in the way healthcare is provided. In the professional domain, we are driven to improve the way both patients and professionals experience healthcare, to improve clinical outcomes, and to enable the delivery of quality healthcare at lower cost. By focusing on the range of medical issues associated with oncology, cardiology and women’s health, we can deliver better, more differentiated solutions that are more clinically relevant.   In Healthcare we continue to pursue small, tuck-in acquisitions to support our focused growth initiatives. Image-guided intervention and therapy is a natural extension of our imaging business and bridges our care cycle strengths in diagnosis and management. In 2009 we announced the acquisition of Canada-based Traxtal, an innovator in the field of minimally invasive instruments and software for image-guided intervention and therapy. Traxtal’s soft-tissue navigation solution functions as a GPS for medical instruments, making interventional radiology procedures more accurate while aiming to reduce contrast, radiation dose and intervention time. Coupled with our strong position in medical imaging, this acquisition has made Philips one of the leading solution providers for image-guided procedures. “The acquisition of Traxtal opens up great opportunities for further cutting-edge, minimally invasive intervention and therapy solutions in combination with our other leading diagnostic and imaging products in Ultrasound, CT and MR,” said Steve Rusckowski, CEO of Philips Healthcare. Expanding emergency healthcare offeringIn 2009 we also acquired US-based InnerCool Therapies, a leader in body temperature management. “This transaction will allow us to broaden our offering in emergency care, and also enable us to provide leadership in promising future applications which could further preserve heart and brain tissue in the event of Sudden Cardiac Arrest,” said Steve Rusckowski.
  Rising wealth and population growth will dramatically increase demand for quality healthcare in emerging markets. We have reinforced our healthcare presence and growth ambitions in these markets. Over the last five years we have extended our industrial and commercial footprint in the emerging markets by acquiring several companies and establishing a manufacturing joint venture. We see a clear need for both state-of-the-art equipment and value products. For example, in 2009 we sold more of our cutting-edge iCT scanners in China than in any other country. At the same time we are leveraging our supply chain capabilities in China, India and Brazil to enrich our portfolio of value-priced products and services adapted to local needs. We have now introduced more than 10 new healthcare systems – across several modalities – that we built locally and sell globally. Localize care cycles and care settingsEmerging markets are set to become the chronic disease centers of the world. By 2015, China and India will be the largest cardiac markets, and by 2020 three-quarters of all cancer deaths will occur in emerging markets. Our focus is on cardiology, oncology and women’s health. New business modelsWe are also developing new services and business models – including unique financial, clinical and turnkey solutions – to help local care providers address the specific and often complex healthcare challenges in their markets. Investing in the futureOur new imaging systems campus in Suzhou, which will manufacture our value range CT and MR systems, reflects Philips’ commitment to gain leadership in the imaging market, particularly in China. In India, we plan to set up a plant for the manufacture of cardiovascular and general X-Ray systems to cater to healthcare infrastructure needs of smaller hospitals and care providers in that country. And we will continue to leverage small local-for-local and local-for-global acquisition opportunities for supply chain, product portfolio and channel improvements.
  Our Healthcare Solutions group helps care providers to meet the challenges of modern healthcare, thereby enabling better care at lower cost. Today’s hospitals face multiple challenges. How to provide enhanced services without increasing the burden on a system that is already pushed to its limits? How to make care cost-effective at a time when the cost of healthcare is rising? How best to use resources and support front-line staff to reduce errors and improve quality of care? Enabling quality healthcarePhilips Healthcare Solutions helps care providers manage the uncertainty surrounding the investments, resources and technology that are so vital to quality healthcare provision. Extending far beyond the supply of equipment, our portfolio of healthcare services includes finance solutions (MediGo), turnkey project solutions (MediQuip) and managed services (MediServ). These allow hospitals to plan, implement and manage their long-term technology provision with solutions tailored to their specific needs, thereby meeting clinical expectations and business and operational imperatives. This leaves them free to concentrate on what matters most – their patients. Benefits all roundWe help our clients increase their return on investment through cost reductions and improved process efficiencies. And by keeping them up to date with the most modern and innovative medical technologies, we help them achieve faster patient throughput, cutting cost per patient and reducing the number of units and staff required to service patients. For patients, this translates to shorter waiting times, fewer rescheduled appointments, faster examinations and less anxiety associated with the care process. 2009 highlights for Philips Healthcare Solutions included projects in Mexico, Spain, India, China, Japan and the Philippines.
| |||||||||||
