GE Healthcare to Spend $1 Billion to Train Health Workers

Training meant to reach more than 2 million healthcare professionals.

Chris Newmarker

Obamacare and other healthcare developments have health professionals seeking not just finished medical devices but a whole package of products and services to help them operate more effectively and efficiently.

In that light, it makes sense that GE Healthcare is planning to spend more than $1 billion over five years on educational offerings meant to reach more than 2 million health professionals worldwide.

The training is meant for physicians, radiologists, technologists, midwives, nurses, biomedical engineers, and more, and will include new clinical, product application, technical, and leadership training and education. Training could take place on-the-ground, online, and remotely.

"Challenges around localized capacity building, training and innovation are consistent themes for many healthcare systems and ministries of health around the world," John Flannery, president & CEO of GE Healthcare, said in a news release.

"We will continue to work closely with local governments, institutions and customers to address some of their most important concerns. In some countries, this will mean training midwives to use new ultrasound or portable diagnostic equipment. In others, it will include supporting multi-hospital networks to enhance their clinical and operational outcomes."

The spending builds in GE's existing strategy of using education as a tool to boost its customer base.

GE, for example, has had an initiative to develop 100,000 skilled Indian healthcare workers over five years. 

Chris Newmarker is senior editor of Qmed and MPMN. Follow him on Twitter at @newmarker.

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