ITEM 1. BUSINESS
GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (“GE HealthCare,” the "Company," "our," or "we") is a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator. We have approximately 50,000 employees dedicated to our mission to create a world where healthcare has no limits. We operate at the center of the healthcare ecosystem, enabling precision care by increasing health system capacity, enhancing productivity, digitizing healthcare delivery, and improving clinical outcomes while serving patients’ demand for greater efficiency, access, and personalized medicine. Our products, services, and solutions enable clinicians to make more informed decisions quickly and efficiently, improving patient care from diagnosis to therapy to monitoring. We have more than 125 years of experience and one of the strongest reputations in the global healthcare industry, built from our demonstrated record of delivering industry-defining innovation. This is complemented by our broad service capabilities and dedication to quality and integrity with a strong operational culture, deeply embedded in lean continuous improvement.
We generate revenue from the sale of medical devices, single-use and consumable products, service capabilities, and digital solutions. Precision care is expected to drive continued demand and opportunity for novel technologies and future innovation, as healthcare providers and researchers seek new solutions and tools for managing existing and new care pathways. The pursuit of precision care opportunities significantly expands our served industries to include integrated diagnostics, artificial intelligence ("AI") and machine learning-based clinical decision support, highly personalized therapies enabled by more precise diagnostics, and remote patient monitoring. The scale and breadth of our portfolio, combined with our innovation capabilities, position us to be a leading enabler of precision care.
GE HealthCare has extensive reach throughout the global healthcare system for medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions, underpinned by resilient, sustainable practices and products, and a commitment to growing access to care. We serve customers in more than 160 countries with a global team of 10,000 sales professionals, 8,300 field service engineers, and a network of 43 manufacturing sites across 17 countries.
Our customers are healthcare providers and researchers, including public, private, and academic institutions that comprise an estimated $87 billion global industry growing at a mid-single digit Compound Annual Growth Rate ("CAGR"). We are organized into four business segments that are aligned with the industries we serve: Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions ("PCS"), and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics ("PDx"). Our portfolio of solutions addresses the biggest challenges facing healthcare providers and patients today, including helping to drive better patient outcomes and improved productivity for customers. These qualities foster strong trust, loyalty, and partnership with our global customer base.
GE HealthCare Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation, completed its spin off (the "Spin-Off" or the "Separation") from General Electric Company ("GE") on January 3, 2023. On January 4, 2023, our common stock began regular-way trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") under the ticker symbol “GEHC." Our corporate headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.
OUR SEGMENTS
We develop, manufacture, and market a broad portfolio of products, services, and complementary digital solutions used in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients. We have a large global installed base of medical imaging, ultrasound, and patient monitoring systems.
Our business is comprised of four segments that are aligned with the industries we serve:
IMAGING BUSINESS.
GE HealthCare is a global leader in medical imaging with a comprehensive portfolio of scanning devices, clinical applications, service capabilities, and digital solutions. Our Imaging portfolio spans the care continuum and provides critical tools for physicians from initial screening and diagnosis, through therapeutic decision-making, to monitoring of patient progression. Our products are essential in the delivery of care for a broad spectrum of clinical specialties, including oncology, cardiology, neurology, nuclear medicine, orthopedics, women’s health, pediatrics, and surgery.
Our Imaging portfolio is comprised of six product lines and associated service capabilities: Molecular Imaging ("MI"), Computed Tomography ("CT"), Magnetic Resonance ("MR"), Image-Guided Therapies, Women’s Health ("WH"), and X-ray. We manage our MI and CT product lines together (“MI/CT”) and our Women’s Health and X-ray product lines together (“WH/XR”).
•MI enables the visualization, characterization, and quantification of functional processes taking place at the cellular and subcellular levels within patients. The images produced by MI systems allow clinicians to study the cellular and molecular pathways and mechanisms of disease in patients. We offer a complete MI solution from cyclotrons, chemistry synthesis, positron emission tomography (“PET”), computed tomography (“PET/CT”), PET/MR, and nuclear medicine to advanced digital solutions. Our MI team works closely with the Pharmaceutical Diagnostics ("PDx") segment and their innovations and collaborations with pharmaceutical companies.
•CT scans render 3D anatomical images of structures such as bone, soft tissue, and air cavities using an X-ray tube that rotates around a patient. The images are used in a wide variety of applications, including the detection of tumors or lesions, blocked blood vessels in the brain, abnormal heart conditions, complex bone fractures, and internal injuries from trauma. Our comprehensive CT portfolio includes multi-purpose and specialty scanners.
•MR is a sophisticated, non-invasive imaging technology that produces detailed anatomical images of almost every internal structure in the human body, such as the brain, spinal cord, heart, breast, kidneys, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. MR can also be used for functional imaging, and it is well-suited for disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring of a variety of conditions, including stroke, cancer, trauma, aneurysm, multiple sclerosis, cardiomyopathy, and congenital disorders. Our MR portfolio includes scanners for a range of clinical capabilities through different bore sizes, magnetic field strengths, and scalable platforms.
•Our Image-Guided Therapies business provides technologies that assist clinicians and surgeons during open surgeries and minimally-invasive endovascular procedures. Intraoperative imaging systems are used to visualize procedures that involve implants and devices, such as stents, balloons, pace makers, and artificial joints. Our Image-Guided Therapies business includes two business lines: interventional systems and surgery systems. Our interventional systems are commercialized under the IGS brand and are comprised of a broad portfolio of products that provide real-time advanced X-ray imaging and integrate with other imaging and diagnostic technologies that support clinicians in planning, guiding, and assessing minimally-invasive procedures. Our surgical systems are commercialized under the OEC brand and are comprised of a broad portfolio of mobile surgical C-arms that meet the varying clinical and environmental needs for surgical imaging around the world.
•Women’s Health products use X-ray technology to help clinicians screen for and diagnose breast cancer as well as bone and metabolic diseases in women. The product portfolio includes imaging and biopsy positioning systems designed to image the breast and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanners designed to image bones with low mineral density.
•X-ray systems are used by clinicians to perform first-line diagnostic imaging examinations of anatomical structures in the body, such as bones, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract. GE HealthCare’s X-ray product portfolio includes systems for three distinct clinical situations: fixed room radiography products installed in hospitals and imaging centers; mobile radiography products used for bedside or other point-of-care imaging needs; and fluoroscopy products installed in hospitals for dynamic or “moving” X-ray imaging in applications like gastrointestinal examinations.
We also offer a suite of software and applications that help radiology teams improve productivity, address staff shortages, and deliver better patient outcomes. These software solutions and applications are upgradable through the lifecycle of the equipment and are especially beneficial for multi-site, multi-disciplinary networks that have complex operations. We also offer Picture Archiving and Communication System and Radiological Information Systems to manage the storage and reporting of radiology images.
Starting with the development of the X-ray in 1896, we have been at the forefront of industry-defining innovations for over 125 years and have consistently deployed advanced, innovative technologies to develop intelligently efficient solutions to address critical needs of our customers. We supplement our imaging solutions with digital applications and software solutions, leveraging our Artificial Intelligence ("AI") and advanced data science capabilities. We also offer specialized global service capabilities to support devices with repairs, upgrades, and lifecycle management. For each product in our portfolio, we develop and offer upgrades that expand clinical functionality throughout the product’s lifecycle and extend the life of imaging devices and software for a strong return on our customers’ investment.
In addition to our core products, digital solutions, and service offerings, we provide complementary enterprise solutions, such as education and training, and data integration services. Our broad enterprise solutions across the imaging continuum enable us to drive connectivity across healthcare systems and throughout the product lifecycle. Together, our imaging devices, digital solutions, and specialized services are designed to increase accuracy and precision of diagnostic and therapeutic efforts, improve efficiency of customer operations and workflows, and enable precision therapy delivery.
ULTRASOUND BUSINESS.
GE HealthCare is a global leader in ultrasound medical devices and solutions. Our broad portfolio spans the continuum of care, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of certain diseases. Our Ultrasound business’ focus is on designing solutions that are aligned by specialties/care areas for specific clinical workflows to better serve the unique needs of our customers and improve patient outcomes, while lowering the overall cost of care. We continue to innovate and deliver best-in-class ultrasound probes and consoles, and to develop digital solutions that increase diagnostic accuracy and simplify clinical workflows. We enhance our leading technology with leading customer service that includes customer education and technical support with the goal of improving clinical workflows and operational efficiencies.
Our Ultrasound portfolio and associated service capabilities serve customers across five clinical areas: Radiology and Primary Care, Women’s Health, Cardiovascular, Point of Care and Handheld, and Surgical Visualization & Guidance:
•Radiology and Primary Care ultrasound systems produce images to support precise diagnoses and treatment across the whole body, including liver, thyroid, renal, breast, vascular, and transcranial. Our systems combine exceptional image quality with comprehensive clinical tools, including measurement quantification, workflow automation, cross-modality networking, portability, and cloud-based technologies.
•Women’s Health Ultrasound is comprised of obstetrics, gynecology, assisted reproductive medicine, and supplemental breast cancer screening. These care areas require specially-designed ultrasound products that account for patient comfort and workflow constraints to enable practitioners to provide higher-quality screening, exams, and procedural care. Our portfolio includes a range of products covering various specialties in this market, including obstetrics and gynecology.
•Cardiovascular Ultrasound is used in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with suspected or known heart disease. Diagnostic exams assess the structure and function of the heart. Ultrasound is also used for guidance during interventional, electrophysiology, and surgical procedures. Our portfolio supports both diagnostic exams and interventional procedures.
•Point of Care and Handheld Ultrasound technologies are portable devices that produce high-quality images, whether in a hospital, ambulance, or remote geographic location. Clinicians use our Point of Care and Handheld Ultrasound devices to diagnose, monitor, and treat patients’ conditions throughout various care pathways to help improve outcomes while also reducing procedure time and required resources. Our portfolio contains console, laptop, and handheld devices.
•Our suite of Surgical Visualization & Guidance products that we acquired through the BK Medical acquisition (2021) helps surgeons visualize anatomy and lesions, guide interventions, and navigate inside the human body. These systems expand the use of ultrasound beyond diagnostics and support fast-growing precision surgery techniques, such as minimally-invasive and robotic-assisted surgeries, which require visualization for safe and effective navigation. Intraoperative imaging provides real-time information throughout surgical procedures that can be used to confirm or amend surgical plans, monitor progress, and validate the execution of a procedure, all while the patient is in the operating room. With real-time critical information, surgeons can deliver faster, more personalized care and achieve better health outcomes for patients.
Our Ultrasound Digital Solutions portfolio is dedicated to helping solve the efficiency, accuracy, standardization, and accessibility challenges of ultrasound through seamlessly connected devices and workflow solutions.
Our Ultrasound business segment has a large installed base that requires ongoing service, upgrades, and updates. Seamless connection of devices, software, and services increases satisfaction and engagement of customers as they seek offerings that are optimally maintained and allow upgrades. Our service offerings are highly regionalized with local requirements, varying customer needs, and cross-modality service strategies. We offer full-service contracts providing a range of coverage, as well as parts, probe repair, and remote diagnostics.
PATIENT CARE SOLUTIONS BUSINESS.
GE HealthCare’s PCS business is a leading global provider of medical devices, consumable products, services, and digital solutions that complement a care team’s clinical expertise by acquiring and transforming clinical data into real-time visualization and clinical decision support. This allows care teams to more proactively adapt to changing patient needs and improve patient care and outcomes. Our PCS portfolio also helps solve current challenges our customers face, such as increased patient demand, clinician labor shortages, and the rising cost of care, by simplifying clinical and operational workflows to create efficiencies and capacity. PCS' products, along with our digital solutions and service capabilities, form a broad and integrated portfolio of solutions that supports care teams within and beyond most acute healthcare settings, including emergency departments, surgical/operating rooms, intensive care units (“ICUs”), neonatal intensive care units (“NICU”), labor and delivery units, telemetry units, medical-surgical units/general wards, cardiology departments, and clinics.
Our PCS portfolio is comprised of five product lines: Patient Monitoring, Anesthesia Delivery and Respiratory Care, Diagnostic Cardiology, Maternal Infant Care, and Consumables and Services.
•Patient Monitoring enables clinicians to care for patients across all acute care settings. Our portfolio ranges from spot-check to continuous patient monitoring across acute care settings, including comprehensive multi-parameter monitors; central stations; continuous, wearable and mobile monitors; transport monitors; cardiac telemetry solutions; spot-check monitors; and visualization, alarm distribution, and care team collaboration solutions. Our Patient Monitoring business includes proprietary parameters and complementary consumables, as well as OEM parameters that are integrated into our monitoring fleet, of which a significant portion represents recurring revenue streams.
•Anesthesia and Respiratory Care products offer life support solutions via ventilation technology. Products in our Anesthesia portfolio are used by anesthesiologists to ventilate and deliver general anesthetic drugs to patients during surgeries. Our products are installed in many operating rooms across the world. Our Respiratory devices are designed to ventilate critically ill patients, generally in ICUs.
•In Diagnostic Cardiology, electrocardiogram (“ECG” or “EKG”) is usually the first diagnostic tool to detect cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death across the world. Our Diagnostic Cardiology products focus on harnessing the power of the ECG to save lives from that disease. We provide resting ECG devices, stress ECG devices, and ECG management digital solutions, including interpretation algorithms. Our ECG ecosystem obtains, interprets, and stores ECGs captured from devices in both hospital and home settings and provides a full care continuum for cardiology.
•Our Maternal Infant Care products are used in the labor and delivery department to monitor important maternal and fetal parameters, and in neonatal intensive care to assist in critical care for newborns. Our product portfolio includes neonatal incubators, infant warmers, resuscitation devices, phototherapy equipment, maternal and fetal monitors, and digital offerings, such as maternal and fetal heart rate surveillance software. Our products have added innovation in design including integrated scales, hands-free alarm silencing, angled radiant heating, and thermoregulation.
•Our Consumables and Services portfolio consists of 1,100 products that are used primarily with our monitoring solutions patient parameters, such as blood pressure, ECG, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, blood oxygen level, and brain activity, and are used throughout the hospital. Our service offerings are flexible and can range from preventative maintenance to comprehensive, onsite biomedical service engineering contract. Both our consumables and services offer our customers ongoing clinical impact, protect their capital investment, and provide us consistent recurring revenue streams.
In addition to the solutions above, the PCS portfolio includes digital solutions that provide timely and accurate clinical decision support in acute and other care settings, simplifying clinical and operational workflows to drive efficiencies, and improving delivery of precision medicine and patient outcomes. These solutions aggregate and integrate clinical data from various devices across care settings in real time. Our digital solutions simplify visualization to guide clinical and operational decisions, enabling efficient care team collaboration virtually. These solutions are interoperable and vendor-agnostic to integrate with customer environments in a multi-vendor setting and provide a recurring revenue stream.
PCS' broad product and digital solution portfolio is complemented by a comprehensive suite of service offerings, including parts, labor, and training, as well as emerging data, analytics, and networking solutions to aid our customers in improving uptime and efficiency of their medical technology fleets.
PHARMACEUTICAL DIAGNOSTICS BUSINESS.
GE HealthCare’s PDx business is a leading supplier of diagnostic agents to the global radiology and nuclear medicine industry. These diagnostic agents help clinicians assess patients to enable more precise diagnoses and better therapy selection. We distribute products globally, providing on-time delivery of quality products that help meet patient and procedural needs across a multitude of modalities. PDx's diagnostic agents are complementary to the imaging and ultrasound devices we offer, including CT, angiography and X-ray, MR, single-photon emission computed tomography (“SPECT”), PET, and ultrasound, and are also compatible with systems from other equipment vendors. We believe our established positions in imaging scanners, contrast media, contrast injectors, chemistry systems, radiopharmaceuticals, and cyclotrons give us unique insights into end-user needs that allow us to continuously innovate our product portfolio to offer differentiated solutions.
PDx operates within a strictly regulated industry with unique operational needs. Diagnostic agents require a sophisticated supply chain for manufacturing, supported by a global infrastructure of commercial, marketing, medical affairs, market access, application, regulatory, and pharmacovigilance teams that help monitor products. Customers require timely and reliable supply of diagnostic agents, as shortages or delays can be highly disruptive to workflows and cause exam cancellations.
Our PDx business is comprised of two business lines: Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging.
•Contrast media are pharmaceuticals that are administered to a patient prior to certain diagnostic scans in order to increase the visibility of tissues or structures during imaging exams. Contrast media increase the diagnostic value of imaging and can be critical to visualize small or nuanced areas of diagnostic interest, such as cancer lesions or vascular structures, and to plan medical interventions, such as angioplasties, biopsies, or radiation therapy. We offer contrast media to three imaging modality groups: (i) CT, angiography, and X-ray, (ii) MR, and (iii) Ultrasound. Our Contrast Media business also includes contrast injection devices through collaborations with original equipment manufacturers. Contrast injectors are automated devices that monitor and control the injection of contrast into patients and are a key productivity lever in the imaging suite.
•Molecular imaging agents, or radiopharmaceuticals, are molecular tracers labeled with radioisotopes that are injected into a patient prior to a diagnostic imaging scan. These agents work by accumulating in an area of diagnostic interest, such as a tumor, and emitting energy that is detected by a SPECT or PET scanner. Because they have specific molecular targets, they allow visualization and assessment of cell function, providing a more detailed dimension of biological activity. Our radiopharmaceuticals support diagnosis and therapy selection in various care areas, such as neurology, cardiology, and oncology, and are also used by pharmaceutical companies and researchers in selecting target populations for clinical trials.
OUR INDUSTRIES
The breadth of our product portfolio and global presence supports an estimated $87 billion total addressable opportunity across the industries our four business segments serve. Our industries are experiencing macro trends that we expect to continue to drive sustainable long-term growth in the demand for medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions. We expect to benefit from many of these trends as our portfolio of solutions directly addresses many of the challenges and opportunities facing our customers today. As a stand-alone company, we will accelerate investments in Research and Development ("R&D") and innovation in areas where we see the most compelling growth opportunities, enhancing our competitive advantages.
MACRO HEALTHCARE TRENDS.
•Growing adoption of precision care. Patients and providers are increasingly recognizing the power of precision care to improve individual outcomes while enhancing the patient experience, containing costs, customizing care, and improving provider efficiency by lowering the amount of time required to treat patients.
•Digitization of healthcare. Valuable healthcare data is increasingly being used to improve care across disease states, enhance the ability of clinicians to diagnose and treat patients, and improve clinical workflow efficiencies, often assisted by software applications that utilize AI and machine learning technologies.
•Increasing demand for healthcare driven by demographic trends. The increasing global demand for healthcare is driven by population growth, an increasing proportion of the population over the age of 65, and the increasing prevalence and treatment of chronic diseases.
•Improving access to healthcare in emerging markets. The growing middle class in many of these markets is helping to drive both government and private sector investment in healthcare systems and medical technology.
•Expansion of alternative sites of care. The delivery of care in lower acuity settings is one of the fastest growing trends in the healthcare industry, driven by lower operating costs and expanding access to more of the population.
•Adoption of the Quadruple Aim of healthcare. The Quadruple Aim of Healthcare are guiding principles for delivering better patient care. Key tenets of the Quadruple Aim include: improving population health, reducing cost of care, enhancing the patient experience, and improving provider satisfaction.
OVERVIEW OF OUR INDUSTRIES AND KEY TRENDS.
The global industries served by our business segments represent large and growing opportunities that in addition to macro trends listed above, are driven by the following segment-specific trends:
•Our Imaging business segment is growing at a mid-single digit CAGR, driven by demand for increasingly high image quality, additional capabilities from leveraging AI, and advanced interventional surgical systems.
•Our Ultrasound business segment is growing at a mid-single digit CAGR, driven by expanded use of ultrasound in diagnostics, therapy, and monitoring across multiple care settings.
•Our Patient Care Solutions business segment is growing at a mid-single digit CAGR, driven by demand for integrated solutions to enable better decision-making and improve workflow efficiencies.
•Our Pharmaceutical Diagnostics business segment is growing at a mid-single digit CAGR, driven by demand for better visualization to enable more precise diagnoses and therapy selection for patients.
COMPETITORS
We are a global company and face competition from not only similar global participants, but also regional participants, that can vary by segment and product line. In the industries we serve, our primary global competitors include Siemens Healthineers, Philips Healthcare, Canon, and United Imaging, among others. In our Pharmaceutical Diagnostics business segment, we primarily compete with Bayer, Bracco, Guerbet, Lantheus, and Curium.
BUSINESS STRATEGIES
We aim to grow our business by pursuing the following strategies:
•Deliver Industry-Leading Innovations. We aim to maintain and strengthen our leading global position by continuing to deliver innovative solutions that best address our customers’ needs. From 2019 to 2022, we invested a cumulative $3.5 billion in R&D to drive our organic innovation efforts. We drive efficient use of our R&D budget by locating some of our R&D employees in lower-cost regions. We plan to further enhance our innovation efforts with inorganic investments across our business segments. We intend to increase our investment in innovation, both to enhance our core portfolio and extend our capabilities in attractive, high-growth adjacencies, including clinical decision support and workflow tools, advanced analytics and AI, 3D visualization, lower acuity patient monitoring, clinical collaboration tools, and integrated insights across multiple diagnostic modalities.
•Build Integrated Solutions Along Care Pathways. We build integrated equipment and software solutions designed to address the needs of clinicians and patients along care pathways. Our goal is to break down data silos across devices, bespoke systems (both third-party and our own), and sites of care that often delay or even prevent patients from getting the most appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Central to this approach is our focus on developing and delivering digital solutions that seamlessly integrate across workflows and departments and increasingly reside on our Edison platform for ease of deployment and enterprise-wide integration. Our care pathway approach is well supported by the breadth and depth of our portfolio, which gives us unique visibility into customer needs in clinical care areas such as oncology, cardiology, and neurology. We believe this strategy improves the value proposition of our current offerings, expands use cases for our Edison digital platform, and creates new software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) revenue sources.
•Enable Digitization at a Device, Department, and Enterprise Level. Digital innovations are changing how care is delivered and consumed around the world by improving access, quality, safety, productivity, patient experience, and customer staff satisfaction. Dictated by customer needs, we have developed distinct strategies for our digital offerings that span device (e.g. MR DL Recon), department (e.g. AW Server), and enterprise solutions (e.g. Command Center). We plan to continue leveraging Edison Platform to help deploy and scale these software solutions, while accelerating customer adoption. Edison enables customers to: (i) efficiently upgrade existing devices with advanced intelligent functions, using edge or cloud technology; (ii) integrate clinical data across multiple diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, such as pathology, radiomics, and genomics; and (iii) develop or deploy new applications with industry-standard capabilities built-in, including data privacy and cybersecurity.
•Expand Our Business by Providing Transformational Customer Solutions. We plan to expand our leading global presence by continuing to deliver transformational solutions designed around specific customer needs. The growing demand for precision care is driving a greater focus among customers for solutions that provide actionable insights for clinicians and are easily deployable for the healthcare system. We believe there is significant opportunity to utilize our core competencies of innovation, service capabilities, and digital solutions to expand our portfolio further into integrated diagnostics, AI and machine learning-based clinical decision support, highly personalized therapies enabled by more precise diagnostics, and remote patient monitoring. As the delivery of care continues to extend outside the hospital, we plan to continue growing our presence to alternative sites of care with our clinical capabilities, enabling minimally-invasive procedures and expanding into remote monitoring and home care.
•Grow in Emerging Markets with a Local Strategy Tailored to Customer Needs. We plan to continue to invest in developing tailored clinical applications, service repair operations, training, financing, and project management to better serve customer needs in emerging markets. As localization initiatives increase in important markets, such as China, India, and Brazil, the strength of our portfolio and enterprise approach is enhanced by regionally-defined commercial strategies. To address localization trends, we developed a comprehensive product development, production, and commercialization strategy reflecting local needs. We take a strategic approach to each emerging market, helping us match our strategies to the market opportunity and local needs.
•Drive Growth and Continuous Improvement Through Lean. Our focus on lean will enable us to deliver better customer outcomes while improving our operating model as a stand-alone company. We use lean to improve the customer experience and achieve reductions in product and service costs by focusing on having a diverse and qualified supplier base, enhancing logistics productivity, employing design-for-value principles, and driving digitization of our services delivery to deliver more value for customers while improving operating margins across the portfolio. We deploy lean methods for driving growth, innovation, and operating efficiencies across our company.
•Focus on Disciplined, Strategic M&A Transactions. We will continue to focus on paying down debt and delivering disciplined and targeted inorganic growth through strategic transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, investments, joint ventures, and other expansions of our operations that leverage our existing platform. Our M&A focus remains on transactions that will accelerate our strategies, expand capabilities, and drive attractive returns.
SERVICE CAPABILITIES
Our capabilities extend beyond on-site repair to include remote monitoring, repair, and corrective maintenance capabilities. We utilize our local presence to provide customers with tailored commercial solutions, such as holistic infrastructure solutions, local training, equipment repair, financing programs, and other services. The majority of our imaging systems are connected for remote monitoring, enabling diagnostic consultations with skilled, off-site engineers, predictive maintenance, and asset management analytics. We also help customers extend the utility and value of their equipment through asset management services, clinical utilization analytics, and technology upgrades that bridge our customers to next-generation platforms. We believe our comprehensive and high-quality service offerings drive higher sales of replacement equipment to our customers.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
Our R&D efforts focus on creating new products and solutions, developing new applications for products, and enhancing our existing products to help improve outcomes for customers and their patients. We conduct global R&D efforts in 18 countries that include both developed and emerging markets. As of 2022, we employ 9,600 engineers and scientists, including hardware and systems engineers, software engineers, personnel focused on clinical research, and others. We engage in and sponsor clinical research and product development through collaborations with universities, medical centers, and other organizations.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We have a substantial portfolio of intellectual property (“IP”). To protect our IP, we rely on a combination of patent, design, utility model, trademark, copyright, and trade secret protections as well as regulatory exclusivity periods and confidentiality agreements. Our IP team collaborates with our R&D and product teams to develop product-line-focused IP strategies and secure IP rights as appropriate. We generally file patent applications in the United States and foreign countries that have strong technology patent protections. We also license from third parties a variety of IP that complements our internal R&D efforts and our product offerings. While, in aggregate, our patents and other IP are vital to our operations, we do not consider any single IP asset or group of assets to be of material importance to any segment or to the business as a whole; rather, we believe understanding our customers’ needs, technology expertise, and manufacturing know-how are critical for our business.
We rely on confidentiality agreements with employees, contractors, consultants, and third parties to help protect our trade secrets, proprietary technology, and other confidential information. We also monitor development and commercialization activities of third parties so our IP rights are not infringed upon. In addition, we make infrastructure investments to secure our IP assets and conduct audits to assess the effectiveness of our IP protection efforts.
We own or have secured licenses to all IP that is important to our business. As part of the recently completed spin-off from GE, we have secured IP specific to our business and GE has granted or will grant to us a license to use other IP that is used in our business but which GE will retain ownership of, including a trademark license to the GE Monogram Logo and the “GE HealthCare” word mark.
HUMAN CAPITAL
We are a purpose-driven global workforce of approximately 50,000 employees with a long average tenure reflecting a strong, engaged culture and who are passionate about serving our customers and enabling them to provide the highest quality care to their patients. Our values emphasize focus, trust, and humility with unyielding integrity, while fostering an inclusive culture and diverse team. We monitor our human capital priorities, including as a part of our monthly business operating reviews, throughout the year. Our senior leadership is a diverse team of global industry veterans with the skills and expertise required to lead a stand-alone publicly-listed medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions company. We embrace a diverse workplace where “every voice makes a difference, and every difference builds a healthier world,” and we are committed to supporting diversity across our global teams. Our values emphasize patient and customer focus, trust, and humility with unyielding integrity, while fostering an inclusive culture.
Below are our human capital priorities:
•Protect the health and safety of our workforce: Safety is our first priority and is integrated into everything we do, from manufacturing to installation, operation, and service. We are committed to prioritizing safety over quality, delivery, and cost. We have established and maintain effective health and safety standard protocols across our businesses that are aligned with regulatory requirements, industry practices, and Company values. Our efforts extend to promoting the mental and emotional health and wellness of our workforce.
•Transform our culture: Our senior management team is leading our company through a transformational time having recently completed the Spin-Off from GE and executing on our next phase of growth. We will do so by promoting a culture of integrity by improving alignment and accountability across all levels of the organization, accelerating decision-making, and removing complexities to enhance overall operational efficiency.
•Attract, develop, and cultivate our talent: GE HealthCare’s approach to talent management is to cultivate strong individual and company performance. A key pillar of our talent strategy is senior management-led annual organization and talent reviews focused on critical roles, succession plans, and talent development aimed at helping our employees grow and develop.
•Promote inclusion and diversity across the enterprise: We believe in the value of each person’s unique identity, background, and experiences and are committed to fostering an inclusive culture in which all employees feel empowered to do their best work because they feel accepted, respected, and that they belong.
We have approximately 16,300 employees in the United States and approximately 7,200 employees in China, our next largest geography. We have approximately 1,100 union-represented manufacturing employees in the United States, approximately 800 of whom are covered by four-year collective bargaining agreements that were ratified in 2019 and expire in June 2023. GE HealthCare’s relationship with employee-representative organizations outside the United States takes many forms, including in Europe where GE HealthCare engages the representative bodies for employees, such as works councils and trade unions, in accordance with local law.
We strive to unlock the ambition of all our people so they can innovate, grow, and reach their full potential. Our well-established employee development strategy allows us to attract and retain innovative leaders, which is instrumental to our long-term success.
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE
GE HealthCare is committed to delivering products and solutions that build a healthier and more sustainable world for this and future generations. We have an Environmental, Social, and Governance ("ESG") program and internal governance structure that we will adapt and expand as determined through our business operating reviews. Our ESG program and governance structure are aligned with our business strategy, the priorities of our stakeholders, our commitments and ambitions, and our need to adapt to changes in societal, environmental, and regulatory expectations. Our Enterprise Stewardship Program Committee, a committee of our management team, works in partnership with all segments, regions, and functions to facilitate alignment with ongoing ESG efforts, which will include gathering input from internal and external stakeholders to help inform our ESG strategy and focus areas.
Our current ESG focus areas include:
•Expanding access to healthcare: We aim to expand access to healthcare for underserved populations around the world. Our technology enables caregivers to bring advanced diagnostics and treatments to remote parts of the world where access to hospitals and medical equipment is limited.
•Promoting inclusion and diversity across the enterprise: We are committed to building a more inclusive workplace and diverse workforce. We believe in the value of each person’s unique identity, background, and experiences, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture in which all employees feel empowered to do their best work because they feel accepted, respected, and that they belong.
•Mitigating our climate impact and improving resiliency: We are working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and have set goals to reduce our absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. In alignment with this goal, we have signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative and are part of the UN-backed “Race to Zero,” which commits us to reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, which was adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
•Advancing the circular economy and environmental design: We seek to support the transition to a more circular economy. For more than 20 years, GE HealthCare’s GoldSeal program has reduced medical imaging equipment waste by promoting and enabling the reuse of equipment and parts from de-installed imaging and ultrasound systems. Machines are refurbished or dismantled, harvested, and recycled, reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy. Of the equipment recovered, approximately 95% of the materials are reused or recycled.
•Protecting patient data and cybersecurity: We provide cybersecurity products, solutions, and services. Cybersecurity is embedded within the GE HealthCare culture, and we are committed to protecting our business and customers by: safeguarding a secure enterprise and continuously advancing our internal cybersecurity capabilities; offering secure products and solutions through design, development, and the product lifecycle; providing secure service delivery with industry-leading technology, processes, and risk mitigation approaches; and providing a portfolio of cyber-managed services to assist health delivery organizations with securing their operations.
Our focus on these five areas builds upon our long-standing commitments to innovation, product quality, and integrity. As an independent company, we are integrating ESG more deeply into the core of our business strategy and culture.
SALES AND DISTRIBUTION MODEL
GE HealthCare deploys a global multi-channel commercial model consisting of 10,000 sales professionals and a network of approximately 5,200 indirect third-party partners. Our reach into top hospitals and health systems is evidenced by our long-standing collaborations with leading institutions around the world. Our commercial model is organized according to the needs of our customers and includes global and regional marketing, regional inside sales teams, field-based sales teams, and sales agents and distributors. Our equipment sales representatives partner closely with their service sales counterparts to position both equipment contracts and long-term maintenance agreements along with system upgrades and SaaS agreements. We complement our direct and indirect sales channels with end-to-end virtual sales teams. Our direct and indirect channel mix helps us expand our market coverage, increase customer satisfaction, and win more business in broad geographies and emerging markets. In developed markets, we supplement our commercial model with strategic account executive and collaboration teams who bring the depth and breadth of our overall portfolio to the senior leadership of our top customers to deliver long-term commercial collaborations, which can be tied to specific outcomes.
GLOBAL INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN, SOURCING, AND LOGISTICS
Our sourcing, production, and distribution network is managed globally while our products are manufactured at and distributed by facilities serving specific regions. We believe our global scale, complemented by local focus, allows us to provide our customers with improved supply chain security, reduced costs, and compliance with regional or national trade and marketing requirements. We have manufacturing, assembly, and pharmaceutical production in 43 facilities across 17 countries. We use globally managed and coordinated quality assurance programs across our manufacturing and ISO-certified distribution facilities, and we regularly inspect and audit our sites. We hold our suppliers to the same rigorous operating standards.
REGULATION
The development, manufacturing, marketing, sale, promotion, and distribution of medical devices and pharmaceutical products are subject to stringent government regulation globally. We commit extensive resources to maintain compliance with these regulations.
The United States, European Union ("EU"), and China are our most significant regions based on revenue and the regulatory landscape within these regions. Sales of medical devices and pharmaceuticals outside of these regions are subject to requirements that vary from country to country. Our ability to market and sell our products globally depends upon our compliance with the laws and regulations in each jurisdiction. This requires, among other things, receiving specific marketing authorization from the appropriate regulatory authorities, and maintaining our Quality Management System, which is compliant with the applicable local regulatory requirements, and ISO 13485 certification that is recognized by many regulators. Complying with requirements imposed on our products and business is an ongoing process as we introduce additional products and/or product modifications and seek to comply with changing legal and regulatory requirements. The time required to obtain authorization to market and sell products varies by country. The ability to comply with global post-market requirements requires extensive and ongoing resources.
The International Medical Device Regulators Forum, which includes a number of country regulators, has implemented a global approach to auditing medical device manufacturers. The Medical Device Single Audit Program ("MDSAP") provides for a single annual audit of a medical device manufacturer by a MDSAP-recognized auditing organization to satisfy the requirements of ISO 13485 and the regulatory requirements of the authorities that participate in MDSAP (currently the United States ("U.S.")), Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Japan). While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") accepts MDSAP audit reports as a substitute for routine agency inspections, it considers the following types of inspections to fall outside the scope of MDSAP: for-cause or compliance follow-up inspections; pre-approval or post-approval inspections; and inspections to assess compliance with Electronic Product and Radiation Control regulations, which apply to Molecular Imaging, X-ray, Women’s Health, Interventional, and Surgery products.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Food and Drug Law
Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA"), we must comply with regulations governing the design, development, testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, distribution, import/export, sale, servicing, and marketing of medical products, including medical devices and pharmaceuticals. U.S. FDA product approvals and clearances may be withdrawn or suspended if compliance with regulations is not maintained or if product issues are discovered. Some of our products are also subject to the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act and the Electronic Product and Radiation Control Regulations, administered by the FDA, which imposes performance standards, record keeping, reporting, product testing, and product labeling requirements on radiation-emitting electronic products, such as X-ray devices. We must also comply with the Mammography Quality Standards Act for our mammography products. Further, clinical studies of medical devices and pharmaceuticals are subject to regulation and inspection. In addition, we are subject to applicable laws and regulations of state and local authorities.
Devices
The FDCA classifies medical devices into three classes based on risk, including Class I (lowest risk), Class II (moderate risk), and Class III (highest risk), with more stringent regulatory requirements applicable to higher-risk devices. Commercial sales of our Class II (except for Class II exempt devices) and Class III medical devices in the U.S. must be preceded by either a pre-market notification filing pursuant to Section 510(k) of the FDCA for Class II or the granting of a premarket approval for Class III. The development of a medical device typically requires extensive non-clinical testing and, for some of our devices, clinical testing involving human subjects.
For all our medical devices, we must comply with FDA’s requirements governing, among other things, device site registration and listing, labeling, post-market record keeping and reporting, and the Quality System Regulation. These requirements are detailed, comprehensive, and require extensive investment and resources to comply with the legal and regulatory requirements.
Pharmaceutical Products
Our pharmaceutical products are subject to FDA’s pre-market approval process. The pharmaceutical product development and approval process typically begins with extensive pre-clinical R&D, followed by approval of an Investigational New Drug ("IND"), and then, upon successful completion of several phases of clinical trials, the filing and request for FDA approval of a New Drug Application ("NDA"). We also are subject to FDA’s requirements, including drug establishment registration and listing, labeling and advertising, and current Good Manufacturing Practice ("cGMP") regulations, which set forth minimum requirements for the methods, facilities, and controls used in manufacturing, processing, and packing pharmaceutical products. Post-approval, we must maintain and submit to the FDA reports of product quality defects and adverse events. FDA’s generic drug program requires filing of an Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") for a generic drug application that does not include preclinical or clinical data to establish safety and effectiveness, but must demonstrate equivalency to the innovator drug.
EUROPEAN UNION.
Devices
There is no pre-market approval of medical devices in the EU. All new medical devices placed on the market or put into service in the EU must be compliant with and meet the requirements of the Medical Device Regulation, which was implemented on May 26, 2021. Devices that conform to these requirements can be affixed with a CE marking and commercialized throughout the European Economic Area ("EEA") and in Switzerland. Prior to affixing a CE marking, manufacturers must demonstrate that their products comply with minimum standards of performance, safety, and quality, through a conformity assessment procedure that depends on the product’s classification. The classification of a medical device is determined by its intended purpose. Devices are classified from lowest to highest, as either Class I, IIa, IIb, or III. Classification is dependent on a variety of factors, including duration of use, whether the device is invasive or non-invasive, and whether the device is considered “active.” The competent authorities of the EU countries are responsible for regulating clinical investigations of medical devices and post-market surveillance of devices once they are placed on the market.
Pharmaceutical Products
Our pharmaceutical products are regulated by the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), or the national competent authorities of the EU/EEA countries where our products are marketed. The EMA, acting through the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (“CHMP”), is responsible for the scientific evaluation of pharmaceutical products developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU and submitted for assessment through the EU centralized procedure. If the CHMP concludes that all requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy are met, it issues a positive opinion that the EMA forwards to the European Commission, which takes the final decision on the granting of a marketing authorization.
CHINA.
We must comply with medical device and pharmaceutical product laws and regulations and standards governing the design, development, testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, distribution, import/export, sale, servicing, and advertising and promotion of our products in China. The chief pharmaceutical product and medical device regulator is the National Medical Products Administration (“NMPA”), which enforces these laws and has the power to issue fines, seize products, withdraw or suspend an approval or a registration for serious non-compliances, and refer cases for criminal prosecution. These national laws and regulations are also supplemented by provincial and other local-level rules and enforcement policies.
Devices
Medical devices are strictly regulated by the NMPA and various provincial, city, and county regulators and are classified into three risk-based classes from lowest to highest, Class I, II, and III. Approved products are subject to post-market requirements for reporting adverse events and recalls, as well as regular risk assessments of devices and potentially re-evaluation reports of the safety and effectiveness of the device based on more significant safety signals.
In addition to product licenses, manufacturing and distribution facilities that handle Class II and III devices require licenses or notifications and must comply with cGMP requirements and good supply practices. The NMPA regularly conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities in China (as part of a pre-market submission review, routine or for-cause inspections, or unannounced inspections) as well as periodic inspections of overseas manufacturers for compliance with China medical device cGMP requirements. The NMPA inspects distributors and user facilities and conducts annual national and provincial sampling inspections and testing to ensure compliance with labeling, licensing, mandatory standards, and other related requirements. In addition, the NMPA conducts regular and for-cause good clinical practice audits of clinical sites that provide data and clinical trial reports for product registration.
Pharmaceutical Products
Our pharmaceutical products are strictly regulated by the NMPA and various provincial, city, and county regulators. Significant changes were recently made to the China Drug Administration Law with more to follow regarding new regulatory requirements and technical guidelines. All our pharmaceutical products require pre-market approval from the NMPA before they can be marketed in China, and those marketing applications must be supported by clinical data, which typically comes from a multi-phase study in China or by relying on clinical data generated abroad that meets the NMPA’s requirements.
DATA PRIVACY LAWS.
Due to our extensive global footprint and handling of personal data as both a data controller (on our own behalf) and data processor (on behalf of third parties, primarily customers), we are also subject to an extensive collection of global laws and regulations protecting the privacy, security and integrity of the personal data, sensitive personal data, and patient health information that we create, receive, use, and maintain as a business.
Among the most relevant and material to our business, based on the volume and sensitivity of the data at issue, are: the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information and Technology for Economic and Clinical
Health Act (collectively “HIPAA”); the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (“GDPR”), similar U.K. legislation resulting from the European Union (Withdrawal) Act of 2018 (“U.K. GDPR”), and other EU country-level laws; the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoias (“Brazil LGPD”); and the various laws and accompanying regulations in China governing data privacy and cybersecurity (e.g., the Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China, Personal Information Protection Law ("China PIPL")). In addition, there are also various US state-level laws (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act), country regional laws, and proposed legislation that we monitor for applicability and impact to our business. These laws present a continuing challenge to businesses to structure their data collection, storage, use, and cross-border transmission in a compliant manner.
Many of these laws impose a significant compliance burden on organizations within their scope and failure to comply can result in a variety of sanctions, including administrative fines for the most serious compliance failures up to 4-5% of a company’s total annual revenue of the preceding fiscal year (e.g., GDPR, U.K. GDPR, China PIPL). While there have been some recent enforcement actions by EU country-level data protection authorities resulting in substantial fines pursuant to GDPR, there remains uncertainty as to how data protection authorities throughout the rest of the globe will choose to interpret and enforce violations of applicable privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations (e.g., Brazil LGPD, China PIPL). Furthermore, these laws and regulations are continuously evolving, and further clarification in the form of implementing rules, guidelines and related guidance from the data protection authorities is necessary to paint a full picture of the compliance obligations imposed on businesses within their scope. To that end, while we are continuously monitoring the legal and regulatory environment, we cannot fully predict what effect, if any, clarification or changes to these laws and regulations may have on our business in the future.
REGULATION ON ADVERTISING, MARKETING, AND PROMOTION.
The advertising, marketing, and promotion of our products must be truthful and non-misleading, consistent with our regulatory clearances and approvals, and supported by adequate and reasonable scientific data. We may not promote or advertise our products for uses not within the scope of our intended use statement in our regulatory clearances or approvals or make unsupported safety and effectiveness claims. With limited exceptions, we may not market, promote, or sell regulated products prior to health authority clearance or approval. For our pharmaceutical products, health authorities regulate labeling and advertising. For our device products, health authorities regulate the labeling and, for certain devices, advertising in coordination with other enforcement agencies. A failure to comply with these regulations could expose the Company to legal liability, such as enforcement actions, investigations by a governmental authority, civil fines or criminal actions, lawsuits brought by competitors or company whistleblowers, or other actions. We must also comply with advertising, marketing, and promotion rules in all countries in which we market our products.
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE COMPLIANCE.
The marketing, promotion, and sale of medical devices, drugs, and services are regulated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and comparable U.S. state and non-U.S. agencies responsible for reimbursement and regulation of the delivery of healthcare items and services, representing government’s interest in regulating the quality and cost of healthcare. Similar regulations are imposed in many global markets in which we do business. Industry trade associations (such as AdvaMed and MedTech) increasingly provide guidance on, and compliance with, applicable laws and regulations.
U.S. federal healthcare laws apply when we or our customers submit claims for items or services that are reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid, or other federally funded healthcare programs, including laws related to kickbacks, false claims, self-referrals, and healthcare fraud and abuse. Similar state false claims, anti-kickback, anti-self-referral, and insurance laws also apply to state-funded Medicaid and other healthcare programs and private third-party payers. Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations could subject us or our officers and employees to criminal and civil financial penalties and expose us to civil liability and risk of further enforcement action under the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS"), the False Claims Act ("FCA"), or other healthcare fraud and abuse laws. In addition, as a manufacturer of U.S. FDA-cleared and -approved devices and drugs reimbursable by federal healthcare programs, we are subject to the U.S. federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (the "Sunshine Act"), which requires us to annually track and report to the federal government certain payments and other transfers of value we make to U.S.-licensed physicians and other healthcare professionals or U.S. teaching hospitals.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, and similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies from making corrupt payments to or otherwise engaging in bribery of governmental officials. These laws apply to many of our customer interactions, as healthcare professionals in other countries are often considered government officials, and in some cases lay out requirements of how to operationalize compliance with the legal requirements. Failure to comply with these laws may expose us to criminal and civil enforcement actions, monetary fines and penalties, and reputational harm.
Implementation of further legislative or administrative reforms to reimbursement systems, or adverse decisions relating to coverage or reimbursement amounts for our products by administrators of these systems, could have an impact on the acceptance of and demand for our products and the prices that our customers are willing to pay for them. Further, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the United States is implementing value-based payment methodologies and seeking to create alternative payment models, such as bundled payments, to continue to drive improved value.
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table presents the names, ages, and positions of our executive officers as of the date of this Annual Report.
| | | | | | | | |
Name | Age | Position |
Peter J. Arduini | 58 | President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director |
Helmut Zodl | 50 | Chief Financial Officer |
Frank R. Jimenez | 58 | General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
Taha Kass-Hout | 51 | Chief Technology Officer |
Betty D. Larson | 47 | Chief People Officer |
Jan Makela | 54 | CEO, Imaging |
Kevin M. O’Neill | 54 | CEO, Pharmaceutical Diagnostics |
Roland Rott | 51 | CEO, Ultrasound |
Kenneth Stacherski | 52 | Chief Global Supply Chain and Service Officer |
Thomas J. Westrick | 54 | CEO, Patient Care Solutions |
The following are brief biographies describing the backgrounds of our executive officers.
Peter J. Arduini. Mr. Arduini was appointed as our President and Chief Executive Officer in connection with our Spin-Off from GE. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of GE’s healthcare business from January 2022 until January 2023. Previously, Mr. Arduini was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Integra LifeSciences from 2012 to 2021. During his tenure as CEO, the Integra portfolio evolved significantly to a faster growing and more profitable company through multiple acquisitions and a sustainable research and development pipeline. Prior to Integra, Mr. Arduini worked at Baxter Healthcare as President of its Medication Delivery division. Before Baxter Healthcare, he spent 15 years at GE’s Healthcare business in a variety of leadership roles in the United States and globally, including leading the Computed Tomography and Molecular Imaging business, Healthcare Services and U.S. sales. Mr. Arduini serves on several boards, including the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY), where he serves on the compensation and management development committee and the science and technology committee, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), and the National Italian American Foundation. Mr. Arduini has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Susquehanna University and a master’s degree in management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Helmut Zodl. Mr. Zodl has served as our Chief Financial Officer since the Spin-Off, and prior to that acted as the Chief Financial Officer of GE’s Healthcare business since February 2021. From October 2019 to January 2021, Mr. Zodl served as Group CFO at Midea, a global technology company specializing in air treatment, consumer appliances, and industrial automation. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President Finance of Advance Auto Parts since 2017. Mr. Zodl previously held a variety of senior finance and operational leadership roles in technology companies Lenovo (acquired IBM’s Personal Computer business in 2005) and IBM for more than 17 years combined. He started his professional career with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Zodl has a degree in economics and information technology from the Technical University of Vienna.
Frank R. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez was appointed as our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary upon our Spin-Off from GE, and prior to that had been the General Counsel of GE’s Healthcare business since February 2022. Previously, Mr. Jimenez served as General Counsel of Raytheon Company (and, following Raytheon’s merger with United Technologies Corporation, of Raytheon Technologies Corporation) from January 2015 to December 2021. In prior corporate positions, Mr. Jimenez served as General Counsel of Bunge Limited, ITT Corporation, and ITT spin-off Xylem Inc. In prior public service positions, Mr. Jimenez served as General Counsel of the Navy, Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense, Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Navy, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting General Counsel for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He was previously a litigation partner at Squire Patton Boggs (f/k/a Steel Hector & Davis). Mr. Jimenez serves on the boards of Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII), where he serves on the compensation committee and the governance and policy committee, Equal Justice Works and the Yale Law School Fund, and the advisory boards of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law, the University of Miami Herbert Business School, and the National Security Institute of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami, a J.D. from Yale Law School, an M.B.A from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval War College.
Taha Kass-Hout. Dr. Kass-Hout, MD, MS has served as GE HealthCare's Chief Technology Officer since January 2023 where he leads the Company’s Science and Technology organization, as well as efforts to drive growth through clinical research and the advancement of digital and machine learning capabilities. Previously, Dr. Kass-Hout was Vice President of Machine Learning, Distinguished Engineer, and Chief Medical Officer at Amazon from May 2017 to January 2023, where he led the company’s cloud Health AI strategy, products, and services, and was a key contributor to Amazon health initiatives, including pharmacy and diagnostics. In 2020, he led teams at Amazon responsible for developing the science, technology and scale for Amazon’s COVID-19 lab, including Amazon’s first FDA authorization for testing its associates globally – later offered to the public for at-home testing. Dr. Kass-Hout also served as the FDA’s first Chief Health Informatics Officer from 2013 to 2016, leading the President’s precision medicine initiative, precisionFDA. Dr. Kass-Hout holds Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science in Biostatistics degrees from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed clinical training in Interventional Cardiology at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Betty D. Larson. Ms. Larson has served as the Chief People Officer of GE HealthCare since the Spin-Off, and acted as the Chief People Officer of GE’s Healthcare business from February 2022 until the Spin-Off. Previously, she was EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Becton, Dickinson and Company (“BD”) responsible for HR, Communications and Social Investing since June 2018. Prior to that role, Ms. Larson served since September 2014 as Chief Human Resources Officer for C.R. Bard, Inc., a leading medical technology company in the fields of vascular, urology and surgical specialty products, which was acquired by BD in 2017. She started her career at Baxter International, where she held a variety of leadership roles during her 16-year tenure. Ms. Larson currently serves on the Board of Directors for Baxter Credit Union. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Overlook Hospital Foundation, Summit Speech School, and the United Way of Lake County. Ms. Larson has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in human resources from the University of Illinois, and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University.
Jan Makela. Mr. Makela was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer, Imaging in connection with the Spin-Off and from 2020 until the Spin-Off, he had served as Chief Executive Officer, Imaging of GE’s Healthcare business. Mr. Makela previously served as President and CEO, Global Services of GE’s Healthcare business from December 2017 to early 2020, where he oversaw the global development and execution of service solutions and operations. From 2010 to 2013, he served as Chief Operations Officer for the European region. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Makela worked in the Life Sciences division of GE’s Healthcare business as the General Manager of its BioProcess business, and from 2013 to 2015 as General Manager of the Core Imaging business, now called PDx. Mr. Makela joined GE Capital in 2000 and moved to GE’s Healthcare business in 2007 to lead the Diagnostic Imaging Services division across Northern Europe. Mr. Makela began his career in engineering and production management with M&M/Mars Inc., followed by leadership roles at A.T. Kearney management consultants before joining GE. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in manufacturing engineering, both from the University of Cambridge.
Kevin M. O’Neill. Mr. O’Neill was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Diagnostics in connection with the Spin-Off, and from 2017 until the Spin-Off, had served as Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Diagnostics of GE’s Healthcare business. Mr. O’Neill has also served as President and CEO, GE Ireland and U.K. since 2018. Prior to that, he was the Chief Financial Officer of the Life Sciences division of GE’s Healthcare business since August 2013. Mr. O’Neill has over 20 years of experience with GE, beginning in the Energy services business in the U.K. and U.S. This was followed by a series of CFO roles in GE’s Healthcare business, including in the Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Western Europe and the PDx business. Prior to joining GE, Mr. O’Neill was Financial Controller for Eurostar, the European high-speed train operator. He has an M.B.A from City University, London and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Roland Rott. Mr. Rott was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer, Ultrasound in connection with the Spin-Off and, prior to the Spin-Off, had served as Chief Executive Officer, Ultrasound of GE’s Healthcare business since 2021. Mr. Rott joined GE’s Healthcare business in 2011 and has held several leadership roles including the global Women´s Health Ultrasound and Ultrasound IT segments as well as Maternal Infant Care. Before joining GE, Mr. Rott was Managing Director, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa ("EMEA") & Asia Pacific, and Executive Board Member of the then Euronext listed ERP Software group Exact Holding, Netherlands. In his early career he had an entrepreneurial start, founding and successfully exiting two software companies in Austria. Mr. Rott holds a HTL-engineering degree and diploma in Information Technology & Organization from the Higher Federal Technical Institute Leonding, Austria, which he passed with distinction. He also completed several senior executive programs in strategy, innovation and artificial intelligence at London Business School, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.
Kenneth Stacherski. Mr. Stacherski has served as the Chief Global Supply Chain and Service Officer of GE HealthCare since October 2022. Prior to his role with GE HealthCare, he served as the Chief Operations Officer of Array Technologies, where he led the company’s global integrated supply chain strategy including procurement, manufacturing, operations, logistics, planning, quality and business systems, from July 2021 to October 2022. Before joining Array Technologies, Mr. Stacherski served for over ten years in various leadership roles with Honeywell, including: Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain from October 2019 to June 2021; Vice President of Enterprise Digital Transformation from November 2018 to October 2019; Vice President of Portfolio Transformation from October 2017 to October 2018; Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell UOP from April 2016 to October 2017; Vice President of Procurement, Logistics, and Trade Compliance from May 2013 to April 2016; and Global Director of Integrated Supply Chain from June 2011 to May 2013. Prior to Honeywell, he acted as President and Chief Operating Officer of Composite Technologies Corporation and spent 13 years at Ford Motor Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and a master’s degree in engineering management from Wayne State University.
Thomas J. Westrick. Mr. Westrick was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer, Patient Care Solutions in connection with the Spin-Off and, prior to the Spin-Off, had served as Chief Executive Officer, Patient Care Solutions of GE’s Healthcare business since 2020. Previously he led the Global Quality, Medical, Regulatory Affairs and Global Research organization for GE’s Healthcare business from January 2016 to September 2020. Mr. Westrick joined GE’s Healthcare business in 2003 as Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He was also named Chief Risk Officer in 2010 and was responsible for leading a comprehensive enterprise risk management program. Prior to joining GE’s Healthcare business, Mr. Westrick spent 13 years in public accounting with Arthur Andersen LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP in the audit and consulting practice serving a variety of complex global companies. He currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Wisconsin School of Business. Mr. Westrick has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, risk management, and insurance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE
We have adopted The Spirit & The Letter (GE HealthCare’s code of conduct), which qualifies as a code of ethics under Item 406 of Regulation S-K. The code applies to all of our directors, officers, and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions.
Our code of ethics is available free of charge on our website, www.gehealthcare.com, and will be provided free of charge to any shareholder submitting a written request to: Corporate Secretary, GE HealthCare Technologies Inc., 500 W. Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60661. We will disclose any waiver we grant to an executive officer or director under our code of ethics, or certain amendments to the code of ethics, on our website.
In addition, we have adopted Governance Principles and charters for each of the three standing committees of our Board of Directors (the "Board"). All of these materials are available on our web site, www.gehealthcare.com, and will be provided free of charge to any shareholder requesting a copy by writing to: Corporate Secretary, GE HealthCare Technologies Inc., 500 W. Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE
GE HealthCare's Internet address is gehealthcare.com, and our Investor Relations website is investor.gehealthcare.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), are available, without charge, on our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Reports filed with the SEC may be viewed at sec.gov. The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS.
An investment in our company is subject to a number of risks. These risks relate to our business, the healthcare industry, data privacy, laws and regulations, financing and capital markets activities, our recent Spin-Off from GE, our common stock, and the securities market. Any of these risks and other risks could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of the more significant challenges and risks we face include the following:
•We operate in highly competitive markets, competition may increase in the future, and our industry may be disrupted, requiring us to lower prices or resulting in a loss of market share.
•Our business dealings involve third-party partners in various markets and the actions or inactions of these third parties could adversely affect our business.
•Our inability to complete strategic transactions or to successfully integrate acquisitions could adversely affect our business.
•Our inability to manage our supply chain or obtain supplies of components or raw materials has restricted and may continue to restrict the manufacturing of products, cause delays in delivery, or significantly increase our costs.
•Any interruption in the operations of our manufacturing facilities may impair our ability to deliver products or provide services.
•We have significant net liabilities with respect to our postretirement benefit plans, including increases in pension, healthcare, and life insurance benefits obligations, and the actual costs and related cash flows of these obligations could exceed current estimates.
•If we are unable to attract or retain key personnel and qualified employees, or maintain relations with our employees, unions, and other employee representatives, it could adversely affect our business.
•We are exposed to risks relating to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
•We may be unable to obtain, maintain, protect, or effectively enforce our intellectual property rights.
•Increased cybersecurity requirements, vulnerabilities, threats, and more sophisticated and targeted computer crimes pose a risk to our systems, networks, products, solutions, services, and data, as well as our reputation, which could adversely affect our business.
•We are subject to stringent privacy laws and information security policies and regulations.
•Our increasing focus on and investment in cloud, edge, artificial intelligence, and software offerings presents risks to our business.
•Failure to comply with the U.S. FCPA and similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws has resulted and could continue to result in civil or criminal sanctions and adversely affect our business.
•We are subject to anti-kickback and false claims laws and failure to comply with these laws could adversely affect our business.
•If we do not successfully manage our collaboration arrangements, licensing arrangements, joint ventures, or strategic alliances with third parties, we may not realize the expected benefits from such arrangements, which could adversely affect our business.
•Efforts by public and private payers to control increases in healthcare costs may lead to lower reimbursements or increased utilization controls related to the use of our products by healthcare providers, which may affect the price of and demand for our products, services, or solutions.
•We are exposed to risks associated with product liability claims that have been and may be brought against us or as a result of the actions or inactions of our customers or third parties that are outside of our control.
•Our business operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations, and any changes thereto or violations thereof could have a material adverse effect on our business.
•Increasing attention to ESG matters, including environmental, health, and safety (“EH&S”) matters, may impose additional costs on our business and expose us to new risks.
•We incurred new indebtedness concurrently with our recent Spin-Off from GE, and the degree to which we are leveraged could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.
•Substantial sales of our common stock may occur in the future, including the disposition by GE of our shares of common stock that it retained after our recent Spin-Off from GE, either of which could cause our stock price to decline or be volatile.
You should carefully consider the following risks and other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in evaluating GE HealthCare and GE HealthCare’s common stock. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect GE HealthCare’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND OUR INDUSTRY.
Risks Relating to Our Operations
We operate in highly competitive markets, competition may increase in the future, and our industry may be disrupted, requiring us to lower prices or resulting in a loss of market share.
Healthcare markets are characterized by rapidly evolving technology, frequent introduction of new products, intense competition, and pricing pressure. We face substantial competition from international and domestic companies of all sizes; these competitors often differ across our businesses. Competition is primarily focused on cost effectiveness, price, service, product performance, and technological innovation. Our ability to compete successfully may be adversely affected by factors such as:
•the introduction of new or more affordable products or product enhancements by competitors, including products that could substitute for our products;
•the development of new technology, the application of known or unknown technology, advances in medicine, or new developments in the treatment or diagnosis of disease that transform our industry or render a product line obsolete;
•competitors responding more quickly or effectively to new technology or changes in customer requirements and industry trends;
•a failure to satisfy local market conditions, such as mandatory intellectual property transfers, protectionist measures, and other government policies supporting increased local competition;
•the application of new or innovative business models to our industry;
•the emergence of new market entrants, including those with innovative technology or substantial financial resources, such as startups or established technology companies;
•a failure to maintain or expand relationships with existing customers or attract new customers;
•cost of production or delivery, whether due to geographic location, currency fluctuations, taxes, duties, or otherwise, which may enable our competitors to offer greater discounts or lower prices;
•the perception of our brand and image in the market;
•the strengthening of independent service organizations ("ISOs") and companies specializing in one or more of our operating segments or offerings;
•a failure to successfully enter new geographic or adjacent product markets;
•a failure to acquire or effectively integrate businesses and technologies that complement or expand our existing businesses;
•changing regulatory standards, legal requirements or enforcement rigor; or
•consolidation among customers, suppliers, channel partners, or competitors.
The implementation of localization requirements and other government policies, driven by support of local industry, security of supply, and incentives for technological breakthroughs, could negatively affect our market share, business results, cash flows, and financial condition. In particular, we expect our Chinese competitors to continue to gain market share supported by Chinese government policies favorable to locally-based manufacturers.
Our industry-leading service organization allows us to deliver service offerings through an extensive network of field service engineers, global repair, and customer service centers. Increased competition from ISOs, "third-party" entities that specialize in the repair and maintenance of medical devices produced by original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), including us, and evolving regulatory and legislative policies could adversely impact our business and results of operations by driving down quality and price levels for services and repairs. In the United States and Europe, ISOs have been increasing pressure for greater access to OEM service tools, parts, documents, software updates, and training.
Our inability to obtain and maintain regulatory authorizations for and supply commercial quantities of our offerings as quickly and effectively as our competitors could limit market acceptance. Furthermore, our markets are continually evolving and thus revenues and income are difficult to forecast. Any of these competitive factors could adversely affect our pricing, margins, and market share and have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition, results of operations, or prospects.
Our business dealings involve third-party partners in various markets, and the actions or inactions of these third parties could adversely affect our business.
Our business dealings involve third-party partners such as distributors, dealers, wholesalers, packagers, resellers, agents, collaboration partners, and others. In turn, these parties may use sub-parties. Such dealings expose us to known and unknown risks, including risks related to economic, political, and regulatory environments; performance and quality control; business continuity in the event of termination; conflicts of interest; and legal and regulatory violations committed by these third parties or their sub-parties, which may not be subject to our control. These third parties may suffer or cause us to suffer commercial, financial, or reputational harm, or violate local laws or regulations, each of which may be outside of our control and could jeopardize our ability to continue doing business in these markets or cause our relationships to deteriorate. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Our inability to complete strategic transactions or to successfully integrate acquisitions could adversely affect our business.
Our business strategy includes the acquisition of technologies and businesses that expand or complement our existing business. Successful growth through acquisitions depends upon our ability to identify suitable acquisition targets or assets, conduct due diligence, negotiate transactions on favorable terms, and ultimately complete such transactions and integrate the acquired target or asset successfully, and will be subject, in certain circumstances, to the consent of GE under the Tax Matters Agreement, as discussed in “Risks Relating to Our Recent Spin-Off from GE.”
Acquisitions may expose us to significant risks and uncertainties, including:
•competition for acquisition targets and assets, which may lead to substantial increases in purchase price or terms that are less attractive to us, including the use of our shares for payment of the purchase price;
•dependence on external sources of capital, in particular to finance the purchase price of acquisitions;
•rulings by certain antitrust or other regulatory bodies;
•acquired companies’ previous failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements;
•failure to timely integrate acquired companies’ strategies, functions, and products into our own;
•inability to produce products at increased scale or loss of previously available distribution channels;
•heightened external scrutiny on acquired intellectual property rights, regulatory exclusivity periods, and confidentiality agreements, or lack of intellectual property rights for the acquired portfolio;
•diversion of our management’s attention from existing operations to the acquisition and integration process;
•a failure to accurately predict or to realize expected growth opportunities, cost savings, synergies, and market acceptance of acquired companies’ products;
•a failure to identify significant non-compliant behaviors or practices by, or liabilities relating to, the acquisition target (or its agents) prior to acquisition;
•successor liability imposed by regulators for actions by the target (or its agents) prior to acquisition;
•expenses, delays, and difficulties in integrating acquired businesses into our existing businesses; and
•difficulties in retaining key customers and personnel.
Various other assessments and assumptions regarding acquisition targets may prove to be incorrect, and actual developments may differ significantly from our expectations.
In addition, we also regularly evaluate a variety of potential strategic transactions, including equity method investments and other strategic alliances that could further our strategic business objectives. We may not successfully identify, complete, or manage the risks presented by these strategic transactions, including those outlined above. Equity investments, such as our investment in AliveCor, and other strategic alliances pose additional risks, as we could share ownership in both public and private companies and in some cases management responsibilities with one or more other parties whose objectives for the alliance may diverge from ours over time, who may not have the same priorities, strategies, or resources as we do, or whose interpretation of applicable policies may differ from our own.
The occurrence of any of the above in connection with any acquisition or strategic transaction could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Our inability to manage our supply chain or obtain supplies of components or raw materials has restricted, and could continue to restrict the manufacturing of products, cause delays in delivery, or significantly increase our costs.
We rely on the timely supply of components, products, services, and solutions. If suppliers fail to meet their delivery obligations, raise prices, or cease to supply to us, it may cause delays in deliveries to our customers or significantly increase our costs. If we lose suppliers, if their operations are substantially interrupted, if their prices increase significantly due to inflationary pressures, or if any of them fail to meet performance or quality specifications, we may be required to identify and qualify one or more replacement suppliers. This also may require us to redesign or modify our products to incorporate new components and obtain regulatory authorization, qualification, or certification of these redesigned or modified products. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and may continue to result, in the inability of many of our suppliers to deliver components or raw materials on a timely basis. We anticipate these and other supply chain pressures across our business will continue to adversely affect our operations and financial performance for some period of time. Further, while we make efforts to diversify our suppliers, in many instances there may be a single source or sole supplier with no alternatives yet identified. Our dependence on such single or sole-source suppliers subjects us to possible risks of shortages, interruptions, and price fluctuations.
Disruptions or loss of any of our single or sole-source suppliers or capacity limitations of the suppliers for components could increase our costs, curtail growth opportunities, cause material delays, and adversely impact our business, financial results, and customer relationships. Supply chain interruptions or price increases in certain key countries, including China, could have a similar adverse effect on our business.
We rely upon supplies of certain raw materials, including helium, iodine, and rare earth minerals. Worldwide demand, availability and pricing of these raw materials have been volatile, and we expect that to continue in the future. If supply of these materials is restricted or if prices increase, this could constrain our manufacturing of affected products, reduce our profit margins, or otherwise adversely affect our business results, cash flows, and financial condition.
The risks of disruption described above, including war, natural disasters, climate change-related physical and transitional risks, actual or threatened public health emergencies, or other business continuity events, could adversely affect our operations and limit our ability to meet our commitments to customers or significantly impact our financial results and condition.
We have replaced certain internal capabilities with outsourced products, services, or solutions. These processes may result in increased dependency on external suppliers. Failure of third-party suppliers to establish and comply with required quality management systems may also lead to withdrawals of our certifications or authorizations required for market access in certain jurisdictions. Such supplier failures may prevent us from meeting customer requirements in a timely manner, which could result in damages or other claims, order cancellations, loss of market share, and damage to our reputation. Shortages or delays could adversely affect our business. A general shortage of materials or components also poses the risk of unforeseeable fluctuations in prices and demand. Any of the above factors could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Any interruption in the operations of our manufacturing facilities may impair our ability to deliver products or provide services.
We are dependent on our global production and operating network to develop, manufacture, assemble, supply, and service our offerings. A work stoppage, labor shortage, or other production limitation, including import or export restrictions and transportation issues, among others, could occur at our manufacturing facilities and negatively impact our reputation and market position for several reasons, including as a result of regulatory enforcement actions, tight credit markets, or other financial distress, production constraints or difficulties, unscheduled downtimes, war, severe weather and natural disasters, fires and explosions, accidents, mechanical failures, unscheduled downtimes, pandemics, civil unrest, strikes, unpermitted releases of toxic or hazardous substances, other EH&S risks, sabotage, cybersecurity attacks, riots, or terrorist attacks.
Any significant event affecting one of our production or operating facilities may result in a disruption to our ability to supply customers, and standby capacity necessary for the reliable operation of the facility may not be sufficiently available. The impact of these risks is heightened if our production capacity is at or near full utilization (or if we lack alternative manufacturing sites) and could result in our inability to accept orders or deliver products in a timely manner. Additionally, significant capital investment to increase manufacturing capacity may be required to expand our business or meet increased demand for our products in the future. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We rely on third parties to perform logistics, transportation, and warehousing functions on our behalf, and disruptions at these logistics providers could adversely affect our business.
Third-party providers perform our warehousing, logistics, shipping, and transportation functions. If any of these logistics providers fails to honor a contractual relationship with us, suffers a business interruption, or experiences delays, disruptions, or quality control problems in its operations, including due to pandemics, regional conflicts, sanctions, geopolitical events, natural disasters, or extreme weather events, or if we have to change and qualify alternative providers for these services, shipments to our customers may be delayed. Increased costs and delays, including as a result of labor shortages, disruptions in transportation lines, international air freight capacity limitations, driver and truck capacity limitations in certain markets, airport and port congestion, and delays in customs processes, could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We have significant net liabilities with respect to our postretirement benefit plans, including increases in pension, healthcare, and life insurance benefits obligations, and the actual costs and related cash flows of these obligations could exceed current estimates.
Our total postretirement benefit plans’ net liabilities for our employees, our former employees, and certain legacy former employees unrelated to our core business and allocated to us by GE as part of the Separation of approximately $4,045 million. These net liabilities arise under multiple benefit plans and statutory obligations in various countries. Increases in pension, healthcare, and life insurance benefits obligations and costs can adversely affect our earnings, cash flows, and financial condition. In addition, there may be upward pressure on the cost of providing healthcare benefits to current and future retirees and there can be no assurance that the measures we have taken to control increases in these costs will succeed, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, and financial condition. Most of the liabilities arise under pension plans, including defined benefit pension plans, either funded (or partly funded) with plan assets or unfunded.
Our results of operations may be positively or negatively affected by the amount of income or expense we record for our defined benefit pension plans. U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires that we calculate income or expense for the plans using actuarial valuations, which reflect assumptions about financial markets, interest rates, discount rate, and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. We are also required to make an annual measurement of plan assets and liabilities, which may result in a significant reduction or increase in equity. The factors that impact our pension calculations are subject to changes in key economic indicators, and future decreases in the discount rate or low returns on plan assets can increase our funding obligations and adversely impact our financial results and financial conditions. In addition, although U.S. GAAP expense and pension funding contributions are not directly related, key economic factors that affect U.S. GAAP expense would also likely affect the amount of cash we would be required to contribute to pension plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). Failure to achieve expected returns on plan assets driven by various factors, including sustained market volatility, could also result in an increase in the amount of cash we would be required to contribute to pension plans.
The defined benefit obligation is determined by actuarial assumptions such as the rate of compensation increase or pension progression rate and biometric factors (such as participant mortality), as well as the discount rate applied. The basis for determining the discount rate is in principle the yield on high-quality corporate bonds. A change of the discount rate and changes of the assessments of market yields used, respectively, may result in significant changes to the defined benefit obligation. Differences between actual experience and the predicted actuarial assumptions, discount rates, and investment performance on plan assets can affect defined benefit plan liabilities.
Certain liabilities are unrelated to our core business. For example, our liabilities include pension, healthcare, and life insurance benefits previously granted to GE employees, including our employees, our former employees, and certain other legacy former employees unrelated to our core business and allocated to us by GE based on its estimates and assumptions with respect to the scope, probability, and magnitude of these liabilities. Such estimates and assumptions involve complex judgments which are difficult to make. Actual developments may differ from estimates and assumptions, thereby resulting in an increase or decrease in our actual obligations for these liabilities. Changes in economic conditions, financial markets, investment performance, or legal conditions governing these liabilities can result in significant increases or decreases in the size of our actual obligations over time. Any of these factors and developments could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects. Furthermore, accounting standards and legal conditions governing our pension obligations are subject to changes in applicable legislation, regulations, or case law. We cannot provide any assurance that we will not incur new or more extensive pension obligations in the future due to such changes.
Any of these factors and developments could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects. For a discussion regarding how our financial statements have been and can be affected by our pension and healthcare benefit obligations, see the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
If we are unable to attract or retain key personnel and qualified employees, or maintain relations with our employees, unions, and other employee representatives, it could adversely affect our business.
There is substantial competition for key personnel, senior management, and qualified employees in the healthcare industry, and we may face increased competition for such a highly qualified scientific, technical, clinical, and management workforce in a highly competitive environment. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in retaining existing personnel or recruiting new personnel.
Certain of our employees in the United States and elsewhere are covered by collective bargaining agreements. These agreements typically contain provisions regarding the general working conditions of our employees, including provisions that could affect our ability to restructure our operations, close facilities, or reduce our number of employees. We may not be able to extend existing collective bargaining agreements or, upon the expiration of such agreements, negotiate such agreements in a favorable and timely manner or without work stoppages, strikes, or similar actions.
The loss of one or more key employees, our inability to attract or develop additional qualified employees, any delay in hiring key personnel, any deterioration of the relationships with our employees, unions, and other employee representatives, or any material work stoppage, strike, or similar action could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had and may continue to have a material adverse impact on our business, as well as on the operations and financial performance of some of the customers and suppliers in industries that we serve.
Some of our operations and financial performance since early 2020 have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused, and may continue to cause, a slowdown of economic activity (including volatility in demand for our products, services, and solutions), disruptions in global supply chains, and significant volatility in financial markets. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect economic activity globally or in various regions, the extent to which this will adversely impact our future operations and financial performance is uncertain. Across all of our businesses, we have experienced and expect to continue to experience operational challenges from the need to protect employee health and safety; site shutdowns; workplace disruptions; restrictions on the movement of people, raw materials, and goods (both at our own facilities and at those of our customers and suppliers); global supply chain disruptions; and price inflation. We also have experienced, and may continue to experience, unpredictable demand for our products, services, and solutions; customer requests for potential payment deferrals or other contract modifications; supply chain under-liquidation; delays of deliveries and the achievement of other billing milestones; delays or cancellations of new projects and related down payments; and other factors related, directly and indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on our customers that adversely impact our businesses.
The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial performance depends on many factors that are not within our control, including, but not limited to: the severity and duration of the pandemic; the impact of coronavirus variants and resurgences; governmental, business, and individuals’ actions in response to the pandemic; the impact of the pandemic on global and regional economies, travel, and economic activity; the development, availability, and public acceptance of effective treatments or vaccines; our employees’ compliance with vaccine mandates that may apply in various jurisdictions; the availability of federal, state, local, or non-U.S. funding programs; global economic conditions and levels of economic growth; and the pace and extent of the ultimate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of accounting estimates that we make have been and will continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties related to these and other factors, and our accounting estimates and assumptions may change over time in response to COVID-19 (see the financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect our operating and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors described below.
Risks Relating to Technology and Intellectual Property
Our research and development efforts may not succeed in developing commercially successful products and technologies, which could adversely affect our business.
To remain competitive, we must continue to launch new products, services, and solutions, requiring substantial investment in R&D. If we cannot successfully introduce new offerings that address the needs of our customers, our offerings may become obsolete, and business results, cash flows, and financial condition could suffer.
Many of our offerings have lengthy development and commercialization cycles. Promising new products, services, and solutions may fail to reach the market or may only have limited commercial success because of safety or efficacy concerns, failure to achieve positive outcomes, inability to obtain necessary regulatory authorizations, or third-party reimbursement decisions. Additionally, new offerings may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences, changing industry standards, or competitors’ innovations or reverse engineering efforts. It is uncertain when or whether our products, services, or solutions currently under development will be launched or will be commercially successful. Any of these developments may have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, and prospects.
We may be unable to obtain, maintain, protect, or effectively enforce our intellectual property rights.
We place considerable emphasis on obtaining, maintaining, and using our intellectual property to support our business strategy. We pursue intellectual property protection in key jurisdictions to protect our R&D investment and limit the risk of infringing third-party intellectual property rights. However, we cannot assure that our means of obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing our intellectual property rights will be adequate to maintain a competitive advantage.
The laws of many jurisdictions may not protect our intellectual property rights or provide an adequate forum to effectively address situations where our intellectual property rights have been compromised. Furthermore, protecting against the unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive and we may need to litigate with third parties to enforce or defend patents issued to us or to determine the enforceability and validity of our proprietary rights or those of others. Determining whether an offering infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates a third party’s intellectual property rights involves complex legal and factual issues, and the outcome of this type of litigation is often uncertain and inconsistent. An adverse determination in any such litigation could materially impair our intellectual property rights and may harm our business.
From time to time, we receive notices from third parties asserting infringement, misappropriation, or violation of their intellectual property rights. We are also subject to lawsuits alleging infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of third-party intellectual property rights. When such claims are asserted against us (or to avoid such claims), we may seek to license the third party’s intellectual property rights, which may be costly. We may be unable to obtain necessary licenses on satisfactory terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain an adequate license, we may be subject to lawsuits seeking damages or an injunction against the manufacture, import, marketing, sale, or operation of our offerings or against the operation of our business as presently conducted. We do not maintain insurance for claims or litigation involving the infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of intellectual property rights. Regardless of the merits or outcome, the resolution of any intellectual property dispute could require significant financial and management resources.
Adverse judicial rulings or our entry into any license or settlement agreement in connection with third-party claims could affect our ability to compete and have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects. Our agreements with our customers and other third parties typically include indemnification or other provisions under which we agree to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of intellectual property claims. We may not always be successful in limiting our liability with respect to such obligations and could become subject to large indemnity payments or damages claims from contractual breach, which could harm our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Furthermore, protecting confidential information and trade secrets can be difficult and, even if a successful enforcement action is brought, such action may not be effective in protecting our intellectual property rights. Additionally, the increased sharing of our data with third parties as a result of right-to-repair legislation could increase the risk of loss or damage to our intellectual property. If we cannot adequately obtain, maintain, protect, or enforce our intellectual property rights, our competitors may be able to compete more successfully against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We may not receive protection for pending or future applications relating to intellectual property rights owned by or licensed to us and the claims allowed under any issued intellectual property rights may not be sufficiently broad to protect our products, services, solutions, and any associated trademarks. Products sold by our competitors may infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate intellectual property rights owned or licensed by us. Any issued intellectual property rights owned by or licensed to us may be challenged, invalidated, held unenforceable, or circumvented in litigation or other proceedings, and these limited intellectual property rights may not provide us with effective competitive advantages. Intellectual property rights may also be unavailable, limited, unenforceable, or practically unenforceable in some countries, and some governments may require us to transfer our intellectual property rights to local entities to do business in the jurisdiction, either of which could make it easier for competitors to capture increased market position and compete with us. We may also incur substantial costs to protect ourselves in litigation or other proceedings involving the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property rights. If claims against us are successful, we could lose valuable intellectual property rights. An unfavorable outcome in any such litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We do not own the GE trademark or logo, and we entered into a Trademark License Agreement with GE in connection with the Spin-Off, pursuant to which GE will grant us a license to use specified trademarks, which will include the GE Monogram and the “GE HealthCare” word mark for use in connection with certain of our products, services, and solutions, as well as the right to use the GE brand in connection with certain legal entity names within our corporate structure. GE owns and controls the GE brand, and the integrity and strength of the GE brand will depend in large part on the efforts and businesses of GE and other licensees of the GE brand and how the brand is used, promoted, and protected by them, which will be outside of our control. Furthermore, there are certain circumstances under which the Trademark License Agreement may be terminated. Termination of the Trademark License Agreement would eliminate our rights to use the specified trademarks granted to us under this agreement and may result in our having to negotiate a new or reinstated agreement with less favorable terms or cause us to lose our rights under the Trademark License Agreement, which would require us to change our corporate name and undergo significant rebranding efforts. These rebranding efforts may require significant resources and expenses and may affect our ability to attract and retain customers, all of which could have an adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Increased cybersecurity requirements, vulnerabilities, threats, and more sophisticated and targeted computer crimes pose a risk to our systems, networks, products, solutions, services, and data, as well as our reputation, which could adversely affect our business.
We manufacture and sell products that rely upon software and computer systems to operate properly and process and store confidential information. Our products often are connected to, and reside within, our customers’ information technology (“IT”) infrastructures. In some jurisdictions, we are expected to design our products to include appropriate cybersecurity protections, and regulatory authorities review such protections when granting marketing authorizations. While we seek to protect our products and IT systems from unauthorized access, these measures may not be effective, particularly because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently, increase in sophistication, and often are not recognized until launched against a target. These risks apply to our installed base of products, products we currently sell, new products we will introduce in the future, and older technology that we no longer sell or service but remains in use by customers. Additionally, we offer software, cloud, and edge products that are developed by, reside with, or are hosted by third-party providers. A cybersecurity breach of our systems or products, of
our customers’ or service providers’ network security and systems, or of other third-party services could disrupt treatment being delivered to patients or interfere with our customers’ operations, and could lead to the loss of, damage to, or public disclosure of our employees’ and customers’ stored information, including personal data. Such an event could have serious negative consequences, including alleged customer or patient harm, obligations to notify enforcement authorities or users of our products, voluntary or forced recalls of or modifications to our products, regulatory actions, fines, penalties and damages, reduced demand for or use of our offerings by customers, harm to our reputation, and time-consuming and expensive litigation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
IT helps us operate efficiently, support our customers, maintain financial accuracy, and produce our financial statements. There are increasingly large volumes of information, including patient data, being generated that need to be securely processed and stored by healthcare organizations. However, like most, if not all, multinational corporations, our IT systems have been subject to computer viruses, malicious code, unauthorized access, and other cyber-attacks. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the data security threats we and our service providers face. We may also be exposed to a more significant risk if such actions are taken by state or state-affiliated actors. The objectives of these cyber-attacks vary widely and may include, among other things, unauthorized access to personal, customer, or third-party information, disruptions of operations and the provision of services to customers, or theft of intellectual property or other sensitive assets or information belonging to us, our business partners, or customers. As such attacks become more effective, the risks in this area continue to grow. Although we have back-up systems in place, they may not be adequate in the event of a failure or interruption. We could suffer significant business disruption, including transaction errors, supply chain or manufacturing interruptions, processing inefficiencies, data loss, loss of customers, reputational damage, the loss of or damage to intellectual property or other proprietary information, litigation, investigation, and possible liability to employees, customers, suppliers, patients, and regulatory authorities as a result of a successful cyber-attack. Further, our ability to effectively plan, forecast, and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations may be impaired by such cyber-attacks. Any of the above could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects, and on the timeliness of reporting our operating results.
We rely on software, hardware, and other material components from a number of third parties to manufacture our products. If a material cyber incident impacting a supplier were to result in its prolonged inability to manufacture and/or ship such components, this could impact our ability to manufacture our products. In addition, third-party sourced software components, malicious code, or a critical vulnerability emerging within such software could expose our customers to increased cyber risk. From a cybersecurity perspective, for the former, we address these risks through our robust supplier cybersecurity assessment process though which suppliers are classified by risk, assessed and approved prior to onboarding (per standards including ISO 27001 and NIST 800-53) and, for critical suppliers, continuously monitored through the use of third-party services to identify fluctuations in security posture. For the latter, we address potential software vulnerability risks through robust pre-market verification, validation, and security testing (including both internal and industry-leading third-party security testing) and our post-market vulnerability management program with response service level agreements and safety risk integration, continuous vulnerability intake, assessment from relevant sources, coordinated vulnerability disclosure program, and customer security portal for vulnerability communication and related information. While we have undertaken these efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks, these efforts may not prevent all incidents.
If we were to experience a significant cybersecurity breach of our information systems or data, the costs associated with the investigation, remediation, and potential notification of the breach to customers, regulators, and counterparties could be material. In addition, our remediation efforts may not be successful. We currently maintain data privacy and IT security insurance; however, such coverage may be inadequate. In addition, the market for such insurance continues to evolve and, in the future, our data privacy and IT security insurance coverage may be prohibitively expensive or not available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts, or at all.
We are subject to stringent privacy laws and information security policies and regulations.
Our products and systems receive, generate, and store significant volumes of sensitive information, such as employee, customer, patient, and other personal data. Moreover, our digital ecosystem, which is intended to provide our customers with greater access to a broad array of personal and sensitive information to improve delivery of care to their patients, heightens our risks associated with the protection of such information. We have legal and contractual obligations regarding the protection of confidential and personal information and the appropriate collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer, and other processing of such data. We are subject to various privacy law regimes in the different jurisdictions in which we operate, including comprehensive regulatory systems in Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific and sector-specific requirements in the United States. Certain international jurisdictions have enacted or are enacting data localization laws mandating that certain types of data collected in a particular jurisdiction be physically stored within that jurisdiction.
There are numerous U.S. federal and state laws and regulations related to the privacy and security of personal information. In particular, regulations promulgated pursuant to HIPAA, establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information (“protected health information” or “PHI”), require the implementation of safeguards to protect the privacy and security of PHI and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic PHI, and require the provision of notice in the event of a breach of PHI. If we are unable to properly protect the privacy and security of PHI, we could face liability for breach of our contracts with our customers. Further, if we fail to comply with applicable HIPAA privacy and security standards, we could face civil and criminal penalties. In addition, there are also various state-level laws (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act), both enacted and proposed, that we must monitor for applicability and impact to our business and for which we must implement necessary controls and other requirements (if applicable).
In addition, we are subject to the laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions including, without limitation, the GDPR in the EU and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) data protection legislation (including the GDPR, as it forms part of the law of the U.K. by virtue of the U.K. GDPR and the U.K. Data Protection Act 2018 (the “U.K. Data Protection Act”)). The GDPR contains robust, direct obligations on data processors in addition to data controllers, heavier documentation requirements for company data protection compliance programs, and a prohibition on the transfer of personal data from the EU to other countries whose laws do not protect personal data to an adequate level of privacy or security (unless an approved cross-border transfer mechanism, such as binding corporate rules for personal data transfers, is maintained). Data protection authorities have the power to impose substantial administrative fines for violations of the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR. Such penalties are in addition to any civil litigation or damages from claims by data controllers, customers, and data subjects. If we fail to comply with the GDPR, the U.K. GDPR, and the U.K. Data Protection Act, we could face fines and penalties.
In China, we are subject to laws and regulations governing both the use and disclosure of confidential patient medical information that may become more restrictive in the future, including restrictions on transfer of healthcare data (e.g., China PIPL). In China, we are also subject to the Cyber Security Law of China and accompanying regulations, which designate healthcare as a priority area that is part of critical information infrastructure and has recently increased privacy protections. Some of our products may be required to comply with detailed standards or guidance documents on cybersecurity and privacy issued by various regulatory authorities. Should the privacy or cybersecurity regime in China become more stringent, we could be required to implement additional safeguards and systems, which could be costly and cause disruption to our business in China.
In addition, privacy laws and regulations in other regions of the world, such as Asia and Latin America, are becoming stricter and may potentially impose additional requirements on our business (e.g., Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoias)), and certain jurisdictions have implemented data localization laws which can be costly and operationally difficult to satisfy. We cannot be sure how these laws and regulations will be interpreted, enforced, or applied to our operations. In addition to the risks associated with enforcement activities and potential contractual liabilities, our ongoing efforts to comply with evolving laws and regulations may be costly and require ongoing modifications to our policies, procedures, and systems. If we, or third parties, fail to adequately safeguard confidential personal data, or if such information or data are wrongfully used by us or by third parties, or disclosed to unauthorized persons or entities, such an event could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Our increasing focus on and investment in cloud, edge, AI, and software offerings presents risks to our business. We may not be successful in driving the successful global deployment and customer adoption of digital offerings characterized by digital applications and solutions.
A growing part of our business involves cloud, edge, and software solutions, and we are devoting significant resources to develop and deploy such strategies. Our success with these solutions will depend on the level of adoption of our offerings. We incur costs to develop cloud, edge, and software solutions and to build and maintain infrastructure to support cloud and edge computing offerings. Success with these solutions depends on execution in many areas, including:
•establishing and maintaining the utility, compatibility, and performance of our cloud, edge, and software solutions (including the reliability of our third-party software vendors, network, and cloud providers) on a growing array of medical devices, software, and equipment;
•continuing to enhance the attractiveness of our solutions to our customers in the face of increasing competition from a significant number of existing and new entrants in the market, while ensuring these solutions meet their reliability and security expectations; and
•ensuring these solutions meet regulatory requirements in a fast-moving space disrupted by changing regulations around data and the need for innovation, including obtaining marketing authorizations when required.
It is uncertain whether our strategies will attract customers or generate revenue required to succeed in this highly competitive and rapidly changing, global market. We commit substantial efforts, funds, and other resources to R&D and IT infrastructure for our digital offerings, and the risk of failure is inherent. Even where our digital offerings satisfy applicable regulations and reimbursement policies, customers may not adopt them due to concerns about the security of personal data or the absence of digital infrastructure to support and effectively use the offerings, a hesitancy to embrace new technology, or for other reasons. We also may not effectively execute organizational and technical changes to accelerate innovation and execution. In a number of countries, certain cloud, edge, and software solutions are restricted areas of foreign investment. Collaborating with a domestic, qualified third party will increase the costs and may create uncertainties in such jurisdictions. The legality or validity of any collaboration may be challenged or subjected to scrutiny in such jurisdictions and the relevant governmental authorities have broad discretion in addressing such arrangements. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Cloud, edge, and software solutions in healthcare must comply with stringent regulations, including certification requirements, in many of the countries in which our customers are located, particularly in relation to obtaining, using, storing, and transferring personal data. Our software solutions must be compliant with applicable regulations in the country in question before we can launch our offerings. In some jurisdictions, we must obtain marketing authorizations before commercializing software solutions. Ensuring such regulatory compliance may take longer or cost more than expected or require that design changes be incorporated into our offerings. In addition, changes to reimbursement policies for digital healthcare offerings could potentially lead to delays and additional expense. The inability of customers to obtain adequate reimbursement from private and governmental third-party payers could adversely affect purchasing decisions and prices and cause our revenue and profitability to suffer.
We are building AI into many of our digital offerings, which presents risks and challenges that could affect its acceptance, including flawed AI algorithms, insufficient or biased datasets, unauthorized access to personal data, lack of acceptance from our customers, or failure to deliver positive outcomes. These deficiencies could undermine the decisions, predictions, or analysis AI applications produce, as well as their adoption, subjecting us to competitive harm, legal liability, regulatory actions, and reputational harm. In addition, some AI scenarios present ethical, privacy, or other social issues, risking reputational harm. We have safeguards designed to promote the ethical implementation of AI but these safeguards may not be sufficient to protect us against negative outcomes. Furthermore, we contract with numerous third parties to offer our digital content to customers as well as to assist with the development of their own software applications and services, and our reliance on access to these third parties' healthcare digital applications, which may not continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, could impact our ability to offer a wide variety of our own digital offerings at reasonable prices with acceptable usage tools, or continue to expand our geographic reach. The occurrence of any of the above could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
LEGAL RISKS.
The failure to comply with the FCPA and similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws globally has resulted and could continue to result in civil or criminal sanctions and adversely affect our business.
The FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 (“UKBA”), and similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies from offering and making corrupt payments to or otherwise engaging in bribery of government officials. We operate in many parts of the world that have experienced elevated levels of public sector corruption. Because of the predominance of government-sponsored healthcare systems around the world, many of our customer relationships outside of the United States are with governmental entities, the employees of which may be considered government officials under such laws. Many anti-corruption laws, such as the UKBA, also prohibit bribery of private sector individuals, and thus extend far beyond interactions with government officials. We also are subject to the FCPA’s accounting provisions, which require us to keep accurate books and records and to maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances of management’s control, authority, and responsibility over our assets. Non-U.S. companies, including some of our competitors, may not be subject to the provisions of the FCPA. If these competitors engage in corrupt practices, they may gain a business advantage.
Global enforcement of anti-corruption laws has increased substantially in recent years, with more frequent voluntary self-disclosure by companies, aggressive investigations (including coordinated investigations across countries and governmental authorities) and enforcement proceedings by U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies, and assessment of significant civil and criminal fines, penalties, and other sanctions against companies and individuals. Companies in the healthcare sector have been a particular focus of government enforcement in recent years. We also face the risk of unauthorized payments, offers of payments, or requests for payments being made by our employees, intermediaries, channel partners and their sub-parties, customers or customer representatives, consultants, or other representatives. We may face liability under anti-corruption laws based upon the actions or inactions of these parties even when they are not subject to our control and/or are not contractually bound to us. We may also face liability from employee misconduct, such as fraud, which cannot always be deterred or prevented. Enforcement of anti-corruption laws in the healthcare industry in recent years has focused on international operations, particularly in countries such as China, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia. China’s anti-corruption agency, the National Supervisory Commission, has the power to investigate government officials and individuals employed by state-owned entities and public institutions and to collect evidence (including from private companies and individuals), seize assets, and recommend cases for prosecution. In recent years, the Chinese judicial branch has publicly disclosed an increasing number of judgments against government officials and others found to have engaged in corruption and other misconduct across many industries; certain of these judgments contain references that identify some of our products, employees, and channel partners. We review these judgments and other concerns we identify and conduct internal inquiries where appropriate. Additionally, 2018 amendments to China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law revised the definition of commercial bribery to include conduct “seeking transaction opportunities or competitive advantage.” Consequences for violations include civil, administrative, and criminal penalties for businesses that commit acts of unfair competition (including commercial bribery).
It is our policy to develop and implement safeguards and to educate our employees and certain third parties concerning these legal requirements and to prohibit improper practices. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may not always be effective, and employees or certain third parties may engage in conduct for which we may be held responsible or suffer reputational harm.
Any alleged or actual violations of these laws or regulations may subject us to government scrutiny, criminal, civil, or administrative sanctions, stockholder lawsuits, reputational damage, and other liabilities. In some instances, we make self-disclosures to relevant authorities who may pursue or decline to pursue enforcement proceedings against us. A violation of certain anti-corruption laws could result in exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, governmental entities may seek to hold us liable for violations committed by any companies in which we invest or that we may acquire. The costs associated with the investigation, remediation, and potential notification of any violation to customers, regulators, and counterparties could be material. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We are subject to anti-kickback and false claims laws and failure to comply with these laws could adversely affect our business.
The commercial practices of companies selling medical devices, pharmaceutical products and related services, and other arrangements with customers are generally subject to various U.S. federal, U.S. state, and foreign healthcare laws intended to prevent fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry and protect the integrity of government healthcare programs. These laws include anti-kickback laws and false claims laws. Anti-kickback laws, such as the AKS, generally prohibit anyone from soliciting, offering, receiving, or paying any remuneration to generate or reward business, including the purchase of a particular product or service for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program. The U.S. Department of Justice has interpreted the AKS to cover any arrangement where one purpose of the remuneration is to induce or reward referrals of products or services reimbursable under U.S. federal healthcare programs. False claims laws generally prohibit anyone from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, any claims for payment for goods or services to third-party payers that are false or fraudulent. Claims generated as a result of kickbacks may be treated as false or fraudulent. In the U.S., the FCA imposes civil liability on any person or entity that submits, or causes the submission of, a false or fraudulent claim to the U.S. government. The FCA also allows a private individual or entity with knowledge of past or present fraud against the federal government to sue on behalf of the government to recover civil penalties and treble damages. In certain cases, manufacturers have entered criminal and civil settlements with the federal government under which they entered into plea agreements, paid substantial monetary amounts, and entered into corporate integrity agreements that require, among other things, substantial ongoing reporting, monitoring, and other remedial actions.
We often enter complex contractual research agreements, collaborations, and similar arrangements with our customers and other healthcare professionals. These arrangements may result in transfers of value from us to our customers and other healthcare professionals (and vice versa), which require appropriate implementation to ensure compliance with anti-kickback and false claims laws and regulations. While we have policies and procedures in place to comply with these laws and regulations, a failure by any of our employees or agents to abide by such policies and procedures could result in potential criminal or civil penalties and damages against us, which may include treble damages, fines, or penalties under the FCA. Addressing such claims could generate significant expenses and take up significant management time, even if such claims are without merit.
If we are not successful in defending ourselves, violations of fraud and abuse laws could have a significant impact on our business, including the potential imposition of civil, criminal, and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, monetary fines, individual imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in certain government healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment or restructuring of our operations. The U.S. federal government, various states, and certain foreign governments have also enacted other laws to regulate the sales and marketing practices of companies selling medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and related services. These laws and regulations generally define permissible and impermissible financial interactions between manufacturers or service providers and healthcare providers, require disclosure to the government and public of such interactions, and require the adoption of compliance standards or programs. Individual U.S. states have become active in seeking to regulate the marketing of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and related services under state consumer protection and false advertising laws. Other laws require disclosure of certain interactions with, or payments to, healthcare providers (e.g., the Sunshine Act). Given the evolving nature of these laws, their implementation, and increasing enforcement activity, compliance efforts can be resource-intensive and costly, and we could be subject to penalties and damages if the government finds deficiencies. The costs associated with the investigation, remediation, and potential notification of any violation to customers, regulators, and counterparties could be material. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We are subject to antitrust and competition laws that can result in sanctions and conditions on the way we conduct our business.
We are subject to antitrust and competition laws, which generally prohibit certain types of conduct deemed to be anti-competitive, including price fixing, bid rigging, cartel activities, price discrimination, market monopolization, tying arrangements, acquisitions of competitors, and other practices that have, or may have, an adverse effect on competition. Regulatory authorities may have authority to impose fines and sanctions or to require changes or impose conditions on the way we conduct business in connection with alleged non-compliance with applicable law. Under certain circumstances, violations of antitrust laws could result in suspension or debarment of our ability to contract with certain parties or complete certain transactions. In addition, an increasing number of jurisdictions also provide private rights of action for competitors or consumers to seek damages asserting claims of anti-competitive conduct. Increased government scrutiny of our actions or enforcement of private rights of action could adversely affect our business or damage our reputation. Conducting internal investigations or responding to audits or investigations by government agencies could be costly and time-consuming. An adverse outcome under any such investigation or audit could subject us to fines or criminal or other penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
If we do not successfully manage our collaboration arrangements, licensing arrangements, joint ventures, or strategic alliances with third parties, we may not realize the expected benefits from such arrangements, which could adversely affect our business.
From time to time, we enter into collaborations, licensing arrangements, joint ventures, or strategic alliances with third parties to complement or augment our capabilities, including in R&D, product development, manufacturing, and marketing. Evaluating, appropriately structuring, negotiating, and implementing such arrangements may be a lengthy and complex process and must meet with applicable business, legal, and compliance requirements. Other companies may compete with us for these opportunities. As a result, we may not identify, secure, or complete such arrangements in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or on otherwise favorable terms, if at all.
We may not realize the expected benefits from these arrangements. We may not be able to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding any such collaboration, licensing arrangement, joint venture, or strategic alliance. This could create the risk of impasses on decisions, given that our partners in these arrangements may have economic or business interests that diverge from our interests. Conflicts may arise in these arrangements concerning the achievement of performance milestones or the interpretation of significant terms under any agreement (including financial obligations), termination rights, or the ownership or control of intellectual property developed during the arrangement. Our partners may suffer adverse commercial, financial, or legal circumstances that are outside of our control and may jeopardize their success, our partners may terminate their relationships with us, or breakdowns in these relationships may give rise to disputes. Given the potentially different interests of the parties involved, we could suffer delays in product development or other operational difficulties.
These arrangements may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase expenditures, or disrupt our ordinary business activities. These arrangements may expose us to known and unknown risks, including unique risks with respect to the economic, political, and regulatory environment of any foreign entities with which we partner, quality control, and legal and regulatory violations committed by partners whose actions are outside of our control. See “Risks Relating to Quality, Regulation, and Compliance.” Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We are subject to laws and regulations governing government contracts, public procurement, and government reimbursements in many jurisdictions, as to which the failure to comply could adversely affect our business.
We have agreements relating to the sale of our offerings to government entities around the world. Additionally, we are directly or indirectly subject to government policies governing reimbursement for healthcare procedures and services. As a result, we are subject to various statutes and regulations in a variety of jurisdictions that apply to companies doing business with the government. The laws governing government contracts can differ from the laws governing private contracts and government contracts may contain terms and conditions that are not applicable to private contracts or that expose us to higher levels of risk and potential liability than non-government contracts. Similarly, most jurisdictions have public procurement laws and reimbursement policies that set out rules and regulations for purchases and reimbursements by governmental entities. These jurisdictions may modify their laws, policies, rules, or regulations, or impose new requirements that could adversely affect our business. We are subject to investigation for non-compliance with the regulations governing government contracts, public procurement, and government reimbursements. A failure to comply with these regulations could result in suspension of these contracts, delayed or reduced payment, criminal, civil, or administrative penalties, contract termination, reputational harm that diminishes our ability to successfully compete for new government work, or debarment.
For contracts with the U.S. federal government, with certain exceptions, we must comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and applicable agency rules, the Procurement Integrity Act, the Buy American Act, and/or the Trade Agreements Act. Because the use of our products, services, and solutions is often reimbursed by the U.S. federal government through Medicare and Medicaid, we must comply with the AKS, the Sunshine Act, and the FCA. See “We are subject to anti-kickback and false claims laws and failure to comply with these laws could adversely affect our business.” We must also comply with various other domestic and foreign government regulations and requirements as well as various statutes related to employment and labor practices, supply chain requirements, reporting and disclosure obligations, EH&S matters, recordkeeping, and accounting. Certain countries impose additional requirements on government suppliers as a prerequisite to doing business in the country. These can include, among other things, local headcount requirements, local manufacturing and supplier requirements, and technology or intellectual property transfers.
China has a government-run procurement system for public hospitals to obtain medical devices (mainly high value medical consumables) and drugs. The system for reimbursing the costs of these medical devices and drugs for patients is also set by the central and local governments. Medical device and drug distribution chains may be restricted in certain provinces by a policy that requires that at most two tax invoices may be issued throughout the distribution chain, which effectively prohibits sale of products through multi-layer distributors (even between wholly owned subsidiaries). The continued existence, and any expansion and tightening, of this policy, could present significant challenges for our relevant products to reach a larger geographic area in China. Failure to comply with this policy may preclude us from participating in the government-run procurement processes with public hospitals or result in our disqualification from engaging in respective medical device or product sales to public hospitals in a certain locality. These regulations and requirements affect how we transact business with our clients and, in some instances, impose additional costs and risks on our business operations for the relevant products.
Additionally, some governmental entities, including the U.S. federal government, can terminate contracts for their convenience or for our default. These governmental entities may also be subject to continued legislative funding approval. Early termination for convenience of one or more of our contracts, or a change in a government customer’s funding levels, could impact our expected revenues. See “Demand for some of our products depends on capital spending policies of our customers and on government funding policies.” A termination for default of one or more of our contracts could subject us to penalties and damages resulting from the default, including costs for the governmental entity to reprocure the items under contract, in addition to other penalties previously listed.
The U.S. federal government could also invoke the Defense Production Act (“DPA”), requiring that we accept and prioritize contracts for materials deemed necessary for national defense, regardless of loss in revenue incurred on such contracts. In such circumstances, we may be required to reallocate time and resources away from our customers to fulfill U.S. federal government requests under the DPA. This could cause us to be unable to fulfill contractual obligations to non-U.S. federal government customers and harm long-term business relationships with our customers, suppliers, and channel partners, which could adversely affect our business.
We are also subject to government audits, investigations, and oversight proceedings. Efforts to ensure our business arrangements comply with applicable laws involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, defense can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant financial and personnel resources. If we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal, and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, monetary fines, individual imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in certain government healthcare programs (including Medicare and Medicaid in the United States), contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment or restructuring of our operations. In addition, any of our government contracts could be terminated or we could be suspended or debarred from all government contract work. We also possess dependencies on governments relative to workforce protocols and customs decisions due to events that are difficult to predict, such as pandemics and regional conflicts. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition, results of operations, or prospects.
Efforts by public and private payers to control the growth of healthcare costs may lead to lower reimbursements or increased utilization controls related to the use of our products by healthcare providers, which may affect the price of and demand for our products, services, or solutions.
Sales of many of our offerings directly or indirectly depend on the availability of reimbursement and the amount of reimbursement that our customers may seek from various third-party payers, including government programs, authorities, or agencies (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid in the United States), and private health plans. In general, employers, and third-party payers, particularly in the United States, have become increasingly cost-conscious, with higher deductibles imposed in many medical plans. The imposition of higher deductibles tends to inhibit individuals from seeking the same level of medical treatments as they might seek if the costs were lower, particularly in the medical diagnostic portion of our business. Third-party payers have also increased utilization controls related to the use of our offerings by healthcare providers.
Without adequate support from third-party payers, the market for our offerings may be limited and adversely impacted. Governments and other payers may institute changes in healthcare delivery systems that reduce funding for services or encourage greater scrutiny of healthcare costs. The ability of customers to obtain appropriate reimbursement for our offerings from third-party payers is critical to the success of medical technology companies because it affects which offerings customers purchase and the prices they are willing to pay. Some countries impose drug price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products. Even if we develop promising new offerings, we may find limited demand for the offerings unless reimbursement approval is obtained from third-party payers. Further legislative or administrative reforms that impact reimbursements or pricing could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
In the United States, private third-party payers, although independent from Medicare, sometimes use portions of Medicare reimbursement policies and payment amounts in making their own reimbursement decisions. As a result, decisions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to reimburse for a diagnosis or treatment, or changes to Medicare’s reimbursement policies or reductions in payment amounts with respect to a diagnosis or treatment, sometimes extend to U.S. third-party payers’ reimbursement policies and amounts for that diagnosis or treatment. Decision-making by our U.S. customers is complicated by the uncertainty surrounding Medicare reimbursement rates for certain procedures. From time to time, CMS and third-party payers may review and modify the factors upon which they rely to determine appropriate levels of reimbursement for certain diagnoses or treatments. In China, government authorities control the inclusion or removal of drugs from the Essential Drug List and the National Reimbursement Drug List, which govern reimbursement under state-sponsored health plans. The removal or reclassification of our products on Chinese national or provincial lists can affect the reimbursement or reimbursement rate of our products in China. Any significant cuts in reimbursement rates or changes in reimbursement methodology or administration for procedures that use our offerings, or concerns or proposals regarding further cuts or changes in methodology or administration, could further increase uncertainty, adversely affect our customers’ decisions, reduce demand for our offerings, cause customers to cancel orders, and could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We are exposed to risks associated with product liability claims that have been and may be brought against us or as a result of the actions or inactions of our customers or third parties that are outside of our control.
We design, manufacture, sell, install, and service a wide range of products, including products and related services that are at the cutting edge of existing technologies and medical advances. Our products are used by healthcare providers to diagnose, monitor, and treat a wide range of medical conditions. We are required to comply with the highest quality standards in product manufacturing and quality management plays an essential role in determining and meeting customer requirements, preventing defects, improving our offerings, and assuring the safety and efficacy of our products. As a result, our business exposes us to potential product liability claims. Customers or their patients may bring product liability claims if our products fail, or allegedly fail, to perform as expected or show a failure rate that is higher than expected, or the use of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury, death, or property damage. Claims may allege that our products cause or result in alleged new disease states. Even if these or similar claims are without merit, they can result in costly and time-consuming litigation. We may also be exposed to claims or regulatory action if our products do not conform or are alleged not to conform to applicable product or design specifications, labeling, or manufacturing requirements. Quality issues could result in warranty, guarantee, or other claims, including with respect to performance guarantees under service contracts. Even if such non-conformance has no actual impact on the quality of our products, we may be exposed to claims, regulatory actions, or negative press reports, or may be required to modify our products or their labeling, conduct a recall or take other actions, any of which could adversely affect our reputation or our relationships with customers and users of our products.
Because some of our products are involved in the intentional delivery of radiation to the human body and other situations where people may be exposed to radiation, including X-rays, the possibility for significant bodily injury or death exists for the intended or unintended recipient of the delivery. Our products are used to diagnose and treat acutely ill patients and at critical moments in the patient care continuum, and the failure (or alleged failure) of our products to perform as expected in such moments could compromise patient treatment, which, depending on the circumstances, could be life-threatening to patients.
Product and other liability actions, claims, or injunctions are subject to significant uncertainty and may be expensive, time-consuming, and disruptive to our operations. For these and other reasons, we may choose to settle product liability claims and other liability actions against us, regardless of their actual merit. If such action or injunction were finally determined adversely to us, it could result in significant damages and reputational harm, including the possibility of punitive damages, and our financial position could be adversely affected. Adverse publicity regarding patient outcomes, accidents, failure rates, misdiagnoses, and resulting mistreatments, even ones that do not involve our products, could result in additional regulation of our products or the healthcare industry in general, cause reputational harm and adversely affect our ability to promote, manufacture, and sell our products, even if the claims against us are later shown to be unfounded or unsubstantiated.
Moreover, if our products gain a reputation for being unreliable, unsafe, or ineffective, our relationships with governmental authorities may be adversely affected, which could result in increased scrutiny by regulatory authorities. In addition, if one of our products is determined to be defective (whether due to design, labeling, or manufacturing defects or other reasons) or found to be so by a regulatory authority, we may be liable for damages or fines or be required to correct, remove, or recall the product or notify competent regulatory authorities. See “Risks Relating to Quality, Regulation, and Compliance.” The adverse publicity resulting from a recall could damage our reputation and cause customers to review and possibly terminate their relationships with us, potentially beyond the product that was the subject of the action. A correction, removal, or recall could consume management and employee time, and adverse publicity, harm to our reputation, or increased regulatory scrutiny could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We maintain product liability insurance coverage, among other liability insurance coverage, which includes deductible amounts and self-insured retentions. Our insurance coverage may prove to be inadequate and future policies may not be available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts, if at all. If a material claim is successfully brought against us relating to a self-insured liability or a liability that is in excess of our insurance coverage, or for which insurance coverage is denied or limited, we could be required to pay substantial damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, financial position, or prospects. Any litigation, investigation, or complaint and any adverse publicity surrounding such allegations or actions could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Moreover, we may face substantial liability to patients, customers, and others for damages resulting from the faulty, or allegedly faulty, design, manufacture, installation, servicing, support, testing, or interoperability of our products with other products, or their misuse or failure. Our products generally operate within our customers’ facilities and network systems. Human and other errors or accidents may occur during the operation of our products in complex environments, particularly where our products are used in conjunction with products from other vendors, where interoperability or data sharing protocols may result in unsatisfactory performance even though the equipment operates according to specifications. In addition, independent service organizations could fail to adequately perform their obligations or to properly service our products, which could subject us to further liability. We may also be subject to claims for property damage, economic loss, or bodily injury, or death related to or resulting from the installation, servicing, and support of our products. Any accident, mistreatment, or related injury or death could cause us to incur legal costs, subject us to litigation, recall, or regulatory enforcement actions, or generate negative publicity and cause damage to our reputation, whether or not we or our products were at fault and could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We may become involved in litigation, arbitration, and governmental proceedings, including those stemming from third-party conduct beyond our control.
We are involved in, or threatened with, legal, arbitration, and governmental proceedings or investigations from time to time in the ordinary course of our business as well as heightened scrutiny in the healthcare industry, including disputes with employees, competitors, customers, suppliers, competition authorities, regulators and other authorities, purported whistle-blowers, or regulatory agencies concerning allegations of, among other things, breaches of contract, product liability, product defects, intellectual property infringement, logistics or manufacturing related topics, quality regulations, EH&S or employment issues, termination of business relationship, or alleged or suspected violations of applicable laws in various jurisdictions. The outcome of pending or potential future legal, arbitration, and governmental proceedings is difficult to predict, and excessive verdicts do occur. If such proceedings are determined adversely to us, we may be required to change our business practices or we may incur fines, penalties, or monetary losses, some of which may be significant or could disrupt the operation of our business. Exposure to litigation or other government action, whether directed at us, our customers, suppliers, or channel partners, or our or their respective business partners, could also result in the distraction of management resources and adversely affect our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects. Like other companies in our industry, we are subject to investigations and extensive regulation by government agencies around the world. As a result, we have interactions with government agencies on an ongoing basis. Criminal charges and substantial fines or civil penalties, as well as limitations on our ability to conduct business in applicable jurisdictions, could result from government investigations.
GENERAL RISKS.
Global geopolitical and economic instability as well as continuing uncertainties and challenging conditions in regional economies could adversely affect our business.
We generate the majority of our revenue outside the United States and our business is sensitive to global economic conditions. Slower global economic growth, actual or anticipated default on sovereign debt, volatility in the currency and credit markets, high levels of unemployment or underemployment, reduced levels of capital expenditures, changes or anticipation of potential changes in government fiscal, tax, import and export, and monetary policies, changes in capital requirements for financial institutions, government deficit reduction and budget negotiation dynamics, sequestration, austerity measures, and other challenges that affect the global economy could adversely affect us and our customers, suppliers, and channel partners. Economic instability could also cause renewed uncertainty in global markets and the investment climate to deteriorate.
Our business is affected by global geopolitical conditions. Future geopolitical factors that have the effect of reducing capital expenditures generally, and for healthcare products, services, or solutions, specifically, may negatively impact sales of our offerings and, as a result, make it more difficult for us to attract new customers, retain existing customers, or maintain sales at existing levels. In particular, the imposition of import and export restrictions and trade tariff developments have contributed to increased global economic uncertainty. In addition, the rise of economic nationalism could make it more difficult for us to attract new customers, retain existing customers, or maintain sales at existing levels in countries other than the U.S. Geopolitical and economic risks have increased over the past few years as a result of increasing trade tensions between the United States and China. Our operations expose us to the risk that increased trade protectionism from China or other nations may adversely affect our business. Any of these risks or the further deterioration of trade relations between countries could make our offerings more expensive or non-competitive in the affected countries. Growing tensions may also lead to a deglobalization of the world economy, a general reduction of international trade in goods and services, and a reduction in the integration of financial markets, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition or prospects.
Further risks stem from geopolitical tensions (such as in Cuba, Iran, Syria, Russia, and North Korea), the conflicts that may potentially arise, and economic sanctions imposed relating to such regions and persons included on sanctioned party lists. In particular, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia may negatively impact our revenue to the extent the conflict and the sanctions significantly impact our ability to sell products or services to customers in the affected regions or collect receivables from such customers. Given the nature of our products, we do not believe that the current sanctions and other measures imposed by the United States and other countries preclude us from conducting business in the region. However, these sanctions have made and will continue to make it more burdensome and costly to serve customers in these regions, and if the sanctions and other retaliatory measures imposed by the global community change, we may be required to cease or suspend our operations in the region or we may voluntarily elect to do so. We are continuously monitoring economic, political, and geopolitical developments to assess any potential future impact that may arise.
The impact of geopolitical and economic developments globally will depend on a number of factors, including the effectiveness of measures by central banks and financial authorities. Such developments may also result in or coincide with reduced budgets for capital equipment and services, particularly if it becomes more difficult for our customers to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. This, in turn, may cause our customers to reduce, delay, or abandon purchases of our offerings. An uncertain economic environment may also adversely affect our customers’ budgets and may result in pricing pressure, requests for extended warranty provisions, cancellation of service contracts, and could make it more difficult for us to collect outstanding receivables, especially in emerging markets. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Increasing attention to ESG matters, including EH&S matters, may impose additional costs on our business and expose us to new risks.
Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny from investors, regulators, and other stakeholders related to their ESG commitments, performance, and disclosures, including related to climate change, diversity and inclusion, and governance standards. Investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, lenders, investment funds, and other influential investors are increasingly focused on companies’ ESG commitments, performance, and disclosures, and in recent years have placed increasing importance on social costs and related implications of their investments. Furthermore, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their respective approaches to ESG matters. Unfavorable ESG ratings may be used by investors, lenders, and customers to inform their investment, financing, or purchasing decisions, which could have a negative impact on our business.
There is also increased legal and regulatory focus on ESG commitments, performance, and disclosures both in the United States and around the world. Continuing political and social attention to these issues, particularly climate change, has resulted in both existing and pending international agreements and national, regional, or local legislation and regulatory requirements specific to ESG matters. We expect regulatory requirements related to ESG matters to continue to expand globally, particularly in the United States and the European Union. A failure to adequately meet regulatory or stakeholder expectations may result in non-compliance, the loss of business, reputational impacts, diluted market valuation, an inability to attract customers, and an inability to attract and retain top talent. In addition, meeting future regulatory requirements or our adoption of certain voluntary or other ESG-related standards could necessitate additional investments that could impact our profitability.
We are also subject to international, national, state, and local laws, regulations, and industry and customer standards, including licensing and authorization requirements, related to EH&S matters. These EH&S laws, regulations, and standards apply to a broad range of activities across our whole product lifecycle and our entire global organization, including those related to (i) protection of the environment, protected species, and use of natural resources; (ii) occupational health, safety, and well-being; (iii) the use, handling, management, release, storage, transportation, remediation, and disposal of, and exposure to, hazardous waste (including biohazardous waste), radiochemical materials, and other hazardous or toxic materials; (iv) our products, including the use of certain chemicals in our products and production processes; (v) emissions to air and water; and (vi) climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. EH&S laws, regulations, and standards vary by jurisdiction and have become increasingly stringent over time. These requirements impose certain responsibilities on our business, including the obligation to install pollution control technologies and obtain and maintain various environmental permits, the cost of which may be substantial. They can also impose cleanup liabilities, including with respect to discontinued or predecessor operations or third-party waste disposal sites. In some jurisdictions we may increasingly be subject to climate change mitigation and adaptation regulation, tax, disclosure, and reporting requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, or fail to obtain or maintain a required permit, we could be subject to administrative, civil, or criminal fines and penalties, remediation costs, enforcement actions, the suspension or termination of our permits, licenses, and authorizations or operations, third-party claims, or other sanctions. In addition, private parties, including current or former employees, could bring personal injury or other claims against us due to the presence of, or exposure to, hazardous substances used, stored, or disposed of by us or contained in our products. Strict, as well as joint and several, liability may be imposed on us under EH&S laws, which could render us liable for the conduct of others or for consequences of our own actions that were compliant with all applicable laws at the time those actions were taken. Insurance coverage from which we benefit as a named insured only covers a limited scope of potential liability under EH&S laws and regulations in the United States and Canada. In connection with certain acquisitions, we could acquire, or be required to provide indemnification against, EH&S liabilities that could expose us to material losses. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Our products and operations utilizing radioactive materials are subject to varying international, federal, state, and local regulation and must be conducted in accordance with a number of licenses and certifications. The handling and disposal of radioactive materials and wastes may impose significant requirements and costs, including with respect to the decommissioning of facilities handling radioactive materials. Disposal sites for the lawful disposal of materials or wastes associated with our products may be limited or non-existent, may no longer accept these materials in the future, or may accept them on unfavorable terms, which could adversely impact our operations.
The implementation of new or existing EH&S laws, regulations, and industry and customer standards, and any changes to them, which we cannot predict and which have historically become more stringent over time, could increase our costs. Administrative decisions, legal developments, or other governmental or judicial actions may influence the interpretation or enforcement of EH&S laws, regulations, and industry standards, and may thereby increase compliance or other costs. In addition, EH&S laws, regulations, and standards may also have an adverse impact on our ability to develop our products and to maintain our access to certain markets. EH&S laws and regulations enacted world-wide may require us to re-design products or production processes, or to cease using certain substances, leading to detrimental operational impacts and an increase in operating costs. Any of these risks or costs, and any future violations or liabilities under existing or future EH&S laws or regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Future material impairments in the value of our long-lived assets, including goodwill, could adversely affect our business.
We review our long-lived assets, including identifiable intangible assets, goodwill, and property, plant, and equipment (“PP&E”), for impairment at least annually. All long-lived assets are reviewed when there is an indication that impairment may have occurred. Changes in market conditions or other changes in the outlook of value may lead to impairment charges in the future. In addition, we may sell assets that we determine are not critical to our strategy. Future events or decisions may lead to asset impairments or related charges. Certain non-cash impairments may result from a change in our strategic goals, business direction, or other factors relating to the overall business environment. Material impairment charges could negatively affect our results of operations.
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates could adversely affect our business.
We generate the majority of our revenue outside of the United States. Fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar could adversely affect our financial results. As of the year ended December 31, 2022, our largest currency exposures are the European euro, Chinese renminbi, and Japanese yen. Sales and expenses of our non-U.S. businesses are translated into U.S. dollars for reporting purposes and fluctuations of foreign currency against the U.S. dollar impact U.S. dollar denominated earnings. In addition, our assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies can also be impacted by foreign currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar, which could result in exchange gain or loss from revaluation. We also face exchange rate risk from our investments in subsidiaries owned and operated in foreign countries. The effectiveness of cash flow and balance sheet hedging programs intended to mitigate currency exposures related to earnings cannot be reliably predicted given the uncertainty of changes in foreign exchange risks. Therefore, our financial results may adversely be affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange risks. Furthermore, foreign exchange hedging activities bear a financial cost, do not offer permanent or comprehensive protection, and may not always be available or we might not be successful in completely mitigating such exposures.
We are also exposed to changes in interest rates, which primarily impact our borrowings and our cash investments. We manage interest expense using a mixture of fixed-rate and variable-rate debt. As part of our 2022 funding actions, we incurred $8,250 million of fixed-rate debt as of December 31, 2022. A change in interest rates could impact the fair value of this debt and may indirectly impact our earnings or our cash flow. On January 3, 2023, we completed a $2,000 million drawdown on the Term Loan facility, which carries a variable interest rate. As a result, the primary direct interest rate exposure on our earnings and cash flow arises from the Term Loan facility, which currently comprises approximately 20% of our total debt obligations. We began operations as an independent company with approximately $1,800 million of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, which are invested in short-term investments that generate income based on a variable interest rate. Changes in interest rates also impact our earnings and cash flow generated from these investments, which could ultimately have a negative impact on our financial results and prospects.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results or financial condition.
U.S. GAAP and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines, and interpretations regarding a wide range of matters relevant to our business, including revenue recognition, business combination-related measurements, pensions, and taxes, are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates, or judgments could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance or financial condition.
RISKS RELATING TO TAXATION.
Changes in applicable tax laws and regulations could adversely affect our business.
We are subject to income and other non-income taxes (including sales, excise, and value-added) in the United States and foreign jurisdictions. Thus, the tax treatment of transactions executed by our company is subject to changes in tax laws or regulations, tax treaties, or positions by the relevant authority regarding the application, administration, or interpretation of these tax laws and regulations. These factors, together with the ambiguity of tax laws and regulations, the subjectivity of factual interpretations, and uncertainties regarding the geographic mix of earnings in any period, can affect our estimates of our effective tax rate and income tax assets and liabilities, result in changes in our estimates and accruals, and have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, or financial condition. We are unable to predict what tax reforms may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business; however, such changes could potentially result in higher tax expense and payments, along with increasing the complexity, burden, and cost of compliance.
Our tax burden could increase as a result of ongoing or future tax audits.
We are subject to periodic tax audits by tax authorities. Tax authorities may not agree with our interpretation of applicable tax laws and regulations. As a result, such tax authorities may assess additional tax, interest, and penalties. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits and other tax disputes to determine the appropriateness of our tax provision and establish reserves for material, known tax exposures. However, the calculation of such tax exposures involves the application of complex tax laws and regulations in many jurisdictions. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will accurately predict the outcomes of any tax audit or other tax dispute or that issues raised by tax authorities will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserves. As such, the actual outcomes of these disputes and other tax audits could have a material impact on our business results or financial position.
Our ability to use deferred tax assets may be subject to limitation.
We have deferred tax assets in certain countries and our ability to use such assets will depend on taxable income generation in the relevant countries. Further, while the majority of these assets either do not currently have an expiration date or have an expiration date that is later than when we expect to use such assets, subsequent changes to applicable tax laws in these jurisdictions could impact our ability to fully benefit from the deferred tax assets.
RISKS RELATING TO QUALITY, REGULATION, AND COMPLIANCE.
Our business operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations, and any changes thereto or violations thereof could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our business operations are subject to various national, regional, and local laws and regulations relating to healthcare, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, consumer protection, privacy and security, employment, accounting, EH&S, import and export, product promotion, tax, antitrust, anti-corruption, anti-bribery, financing, and competition matters.
In particular, the sale, manufacturing, distribution, servicing and marketing of many of our offerings are highly regulated and we are subject to heightened scrutiny by regulators and other authorities, including with respect to our collaborations with third parties. Regulatory scrutiny may increase in the future and could require us to change the way we operate, including the way in which we offer certain services. These laws and regulations are complex, change frequently, are subject to changes in interpretation and enforcement, and have tended to become more stringent over time. Moreover, certain fields, such as cloud, clinical decision support software, cybersecurity, and AI, are rapidly evolving within the industry and particularly subject to changing law and regulation.
Furthermore, regulatory and legislative changes, such as the adoption of right-to-repair laws in the United States, could further strengthen the ability of ISOs to obtain valuable service contracts and directly compete with us in the services area. Right-to-repair legislation may require us to provide ISOs with increased access to our service tools, parts, documents, software updates, and training. ISOs have also brought lawsuits against original equipment manufacturers in the United States requesting such access. In Europe, ISOs have supported investigations by competition authorities into alleged anti-competitive conduct by OEMs. If ISOs succeed in implementing legislative and/or regulatory reforms such as right-to-repair laws, prevail in lawsuits against OEMs, or if competition authorities confirm ISO claims, our service business could be adversely affected. The activities of ISOs could expose us to a number of risks, including (i) loss or damage to our intellectual property; (ii) fines, penalties, and injunctive relief; (iii) costly, time-consuming litigation or other enforcement actions; (iv) reputational harm from adverse publicity concerning product safety or reliability issues; and (v) heightened risk of a cyber-attack from increased access to our products, service tools, and software updates. The strengthening of ISOs and enactment of right to repair legislation could increase compliance costs, require changes to our business practices, or otherwise impact our ability-to-compete in the services and repairs area. Our ability to effectively compete with an increased number of ISOs and the continued momentum surrounding right-to-repair legislation (and similar campaigns) could adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
The need to comply with regulations is a substantial controlling, operational, and reputational risk. A failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in governmental investigations, fines, and other sanctions, the temporary or permanent shutdown of production facilities, recalls of products, product withdrawals, revocation of marketing authorizations, disqualification from participation in healthcare activities, third-party and purported whistleblower claims, import detentions, and negative publicity, which could have adverse consequences on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects. Any new legislation or regulation or any changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing legislation or regulation may impose significant and costly new obligations on us, which may interrupt our supply of products, delay launch of new offerings, or negatively affect our cost of doing business. Given all of the foregoing, future costs and liabilities relating to compliance with applicable laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We operate in a strictly regulated industry, and changes in regulations or the implementation or enforcement of existing regulations could adversely affect our business.
We are subject to rigorous regulation governing the protection of the health and safety of patients and users of our products, as well as, regulation governing development, product testing (including clinical evaluations or clinical investigations), manufacturing, labeling, safety, storage, marketing clearance or approval, advertising and promotion, import and export, sales and distribution, and performance and effectiveness. Certain laws and regulations may also affect the purchasing decisions of our customers. For example, policies in countries such as China and Russia that require purchase of locally manufactured products may affect customer purchasing decisions or our ability or voluntary decision to comply with such policies.
Additionally, our HealthCare Financial Services business is subject to various laws, rules, and regulations administered by authorities in jurisdictions where it does business, including the United States, Canada, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and certain countries in Latin America. Our business may also be affected by new laws and regulations, in particular laws and regulations that may govern innovative offerings and business activities, including digital offerings, such as cloud and edge computing, software, mobile medical applications, and AI.
The U.S. FDA, the various competent authorities of the European Union member states or other European countries that enforce the EU’s Medical Device Regulation, and the NMPA in China are the regulatory authorities affecting us most prominently with respect to the commercialization of our medical device products, services, and solutions. There are numerous other regulatory schemes at the international, national, and sub-national levels. Regulations pertaining to our offerings are increasing in previously unregulated countries and are becoming more stringent in already regulated countries. Regulatory premarket clearance, approval, or conformity assessment requirements may affect or delay our ability to market new offerings.
The same oversight is reflected for our pharmaceutical products with stringent regulatory requirements to demonstrate safety, efficacy, and quality. For these products, we must conduct clinical trials on humans before we commercialize certain products. Delays and complications in planned clinical trials can result in increased development costs and delays in regulatory authorizations and products reaching the market. These regulations can be burdensome and subject to change, exposing us to the risk of increased costs and business disruption.
Both before and after an offering is commercially distributed, we have ongoing responsibilities under various laws and regulations, including the monitoring of product safety throughout the lifecycle, taking corrective and preventive actions to assure product quality, and reporting certain events and actions to regulatory authorities. For both medical devices and pharmaceutical products, if a regulatory authority concludes that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, or that any of our offerings are defective, ineffective, or pose an unreasonable risk for patients, users, or others, the authority may ban such offerings, detain or seize adulterated or misbranded products, order a recall, repair, replacement, or refund of such products, or require us to notify healthcare professionals and others that the offerings present unreasonable risks of substantial harm to public health. A regulatory authority may impose operating restrictions or enjoin certain violations of applicable law pertaining to medical devices or pharmaceutical products and assess civil or criminal penalties against us. The regulatory authority may also recommend prosecution by law enforcement agencies. Any governmental law or regulation, whether now existing or imposed in the future, or enforcement action taken could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
The U.S. FDA and other regulatory agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations governing the development, approval, or clearance and commercialization of medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
Our activities related to the development, manufacture, marketing, servicing, and sale of medical devices and pharmaceuticals are subject to extensive federal and state government laws and regulations in the U.S. Compliance with these laws and regulations is expensive and time consuming. Failure to comply could adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Before we can market a new medical device or make substantial changes to a previously cleared or approved device, we must receive either FDA clearance under Section 510(k) of the FDCA or FDA approval of a Premarket Approval Application (“PMA”), unless an exemption applies. To obtain 510(k) clearance, the FDA must conclude that the device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally marketed predicate device, which generally refers to a device that itself has already received 510(k) clearance. To obtain PMA approval, we must provide FDA with valid scientific evidence demonstrating that there is a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended uses. Clinical development of a new investigational device or an existing device for a new intended use may require FDA approval of an Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”), if the device at issue meets the criteria for a “significant risk” device. Even if FDA approval of an IDE is not required, clinical studies of non-significant risk devices are still subject to significant regulation and oversight, including requirements for monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting, obtaining informed consent, and institutional review board approval. A similar set of requirements governs FDA approval of pharmaceuticals. Development of new pharmaceuticals, such as imaging agents, typically begins with extensive pre-clinical R&D, followed by approval of an IND, and then, upon successful completion of several phases of rigorous clinical trials, the filing and request for FDA approval of a NDA. The FDA premarket review process is rigorous and not always predictable. FDA can delay, limit or deny clearance or approval of a product, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Once a medical device or pharmaceutical is cleared or approved, a manufacturer must notify FDA of certain changes to the product. In the case of 510(k) medical devices, FDA requires a device manufacturer to document its determination of whether or not a modification requires a new clearance. FDA can review a manufacturer’s decision not to file and may disagree and require a 510(k) submission or take other regulatory actions or enforcement. Modifications to a PMA-approved device may require either submission of a PMA supplement for review and approval by FDA prior to implementing the modification or a notification in an annual report. For pharmaceuticals, FDA approval is required before making changes to the product’s formulation, dosage, or strength, and we must submit an IND if we intend to market an approved pharmaceutical product for a new use or in a new form. We may not be able to obtain additional FDA clearance or approval for new products or for modifications to, or additional indications for, already approved or cleared products in a timely fashion, or at all. Delays in obtaining required future clearances or approvals could harm our financial performance and future growth. If we make additional modifications in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional clearances or approvals and FDA disagrees and requires a submission, we may be required to recall or to stop selling our products as modified, which could impact our reputation, harm our operating results, or require us to redesign our products. In these circumstances, we may also be subject to legal or regulatory actions.
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) also regulate the advertising and promotion of our offerings to ensure that our claims are consistent with our regulatory clearances and approvals, that there is data to substantiate the claims, and that our materials are not false or misleading. If we or any of our suppliers, channel partners, or agents fail to comply with FDA, FTC, and other applicable U.S. regulatory requirements or any such promotional labeling and advertising is perceived to potentially be false, misleading, or otherwise not permissible, we may face legal or regulatory actions.
As a device manufacturer, we are required to report to the FDA within specific timelines when any of our devices may have caused or contributed to death or serious injury, or when any of our devices has malfunctioned and it would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur. We are also required to report adverse drug events associated with use of our pharmaceutical products. If these reports are not filed in a timely manner, regulators may impose sanctions impacting product sales, and we may be subject to product liability or regulatory enforcement actions, all of which would harm our business.
We also cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either in the United States or abroad, particularly with respect to emerging technologies. Failure to comply with new requirements or otherwise maintain regulatory compliance could limit or delay regulatory authorization of our products and adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
In the United States, the FDA actively enforces laws and regulations governing the manufacture of medical devices and pharmaceutical products, and failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could adversely affect our business.
Following FDA clearance or approval of a medical device or pharmaceutical product, our activities are subject to ongoing FDA regulation and monitoring. We are subject to FDA’s requirements for registration and listing, as well as cGMPs, which are intended to ensure that our products are safe and consistently meet applicable requirements and specifications. FDA’s cGMPs (referred to in the medical device context as the medical device Quality System Regulation (“QSR”)) set forth minimum requirements for the methods, facilities, and controls used in the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, inspection, complaint handling, recordkeeping, management review, adverse event reporting, labeling, packaging, sterilization, storage, and shipping of our medical devices and pharmaceutical products. We are also required to comply with other federal and state regulations for medical devices, radiation-emitting products and pharmaceutical products. In addition, we must engage in extensive recordkeeping and reporting and must make available our manufacturing facilities and records for periodic announced or unannounced inspections by the FDA to determine compliance with QSR, cGMPs and similar regulatory requirements. In connection with these inspections, if the FDA believes a manufacturer has failed to comply with applicable regulations or procedures, it may issue observations through a “Form 483.” If these observations are not addressed sufficiently or in a timely manner and to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA may issue a Warning Letter or proceed directly to other forms of enforcement. If a Warning Letter is issued, prompt corrective action is required to come into compliance. Failure to respond timely to Form 483 observations, a Warning Letter or other notice of non-compliance and to promptly come into compliance could result in the FDA bringing enforcement action against us, which could include the partial or total shutdown of our affected production facilities, denial of importation into the United States for products manufactured in affected non-U.S. locations, adverse publicity, and criminal and civil fines. The FDA also may request that we enter into a consent decree imposing substantial fines or permanent injunction under which our activities are substantially curtailed or subject to rigorous ongoing regulatory scrutiny. A failure to enter into or comply with a consent decree with the FDA or similar agreements with governmental entities could result in enforcement actions by the FDA or other governmental entities, liquidated damages, fines, penalties, civil or criminal liability, and other interruptions to, or expenses for, our business.
We also participate in the MDSAP, which is recognized by regulators in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the United States. Audits are conducted by a third-party audit organization that has been approved by the MDSAP consortium and include audits against ISO 13485, a standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization and the specific regulatory requirements of the five participating countries. We are participating in MDSAP across all of our relevant medical device manufacturing sites. A satisfactory audit with no significant findings will result in acceptance of the audit results by all five regulators and will be in lieu of a routine audit by each of these regulators. However, an audit that results in significant non-conformances will highlight the relevant issues to all five regulators and will likely result in follow-up inspections by one or more of these regulators. In addition, participating regulators reserve the right to conduct directed inspections if any other items rise to their attention, such as product recalls or other post-market issues. We are MDSAP-certified at all of our relevant sites; further, MDSAP certification is mandatory in Canada as of January 1, 2019 in order to maintain regulatory licenses and to sell products in Canada. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Compliance with laws and regulations applicable to the manufacture and distribution of our products outside the United States may be costly, and failure to comply may result in significant penalties.
In general, outside the United States, our products are regulated as medical devices or pharmaceuticals by foreign governmental agencies similar to FDA, but regulatory requirements affecting our operations and sales vary from country to country. To market our products internationally in compliance with applicable medical device and pharmaceutical regulations, we must obtain approvals for products and product modifications. These processes can be time-consuming, expensive, and uncertain, which can delay our ability to market products in those countries. Delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, the inclusion of significant limitations on the indicated uses of a product, the loss of previously obtained approvals, or failure to comply with existing or future regulations could restrict or prevent us from doing business in a country or subject us to enforcement actions and civil or criminal penalties, which would adversely affect our business.
Failure to obtain premarket regulatory approval of medical devices or pharmaceutical products will impact our ability to sell products in those jurisdictions. Regulatory requirements and interpretations change frequently, leading to increased scrutiny and uncertainty. As a result, market access may be delayed and additional investment may be needed. In addition to health authorities, other related healthcare, quality, consumer protection, and advertising regulators have become increasingly active in the enforcement of laws and regulations governing our products. This trend in increased enforcement could result in civil or criminal penalties, which could adversely affect our business.
In the EEA, if we cannot support our performance claims and demonstrate compliance with the applicable regulations, we would lose our right to affix to our devices a European marking of conformity that indicates that the device meets the essential requirements of the Medical Device Regulations (a “CE marking”), which would prevent us from selling our devices in countries that recognize the CE marking. We must also comply with post-market surveillance requirements and requirements applicable to economic operators. Globally, we are required to file various reports with regulatory authorities in many countries, including reports for adverse events associated with our products.
Some of our products are also regulated under other product-specific laws and regulations. Any efforts to send direct marketing to potential consumers of our products would need to comply with EU rules regulating such marketing, including the e-Privacy Directive 2002/58 and member state laws transposing that Directive. There are, additionally, EU laws regulating e-commerce activities more generally. Failure to comply with any such applicable laws, rules, or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In addition to the above, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control administers laws and regulations that restrict U.S. persons and, in some instances, non-U.S. persons, in conducting activities, transacting business with, or making investments in certain countries or with governments, entities, and individuals subject to U.S. economic sanctions. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security administers export controls that apply to products, software, and technology. Due to our international operations, we are subject to such laws and regulations, which are complex, restrict our business dealings with certain countries and individuals, and are constantly changing. There can be no guarantee that policies and procedures we have that are designed to assist us in complying will be effective in preventing us from a violation of these laws and regulations. Such a violation could result in potential civil penalties or criminal fines or imprisonment and have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
The misuse or off-label use of our products may harm our reputation or, if we are deemed to have engaged in the promotion of these uses, result in costly investigations, fines, or sanctions by regulatory bodies.
Regulatory authorities, including the FDA, strictly regulate the indications for use and associated promotional safety and effectiveness claims that may be made about medical devices and pharmaceuticals. In general, we are prohibited from promoting our medical devices or pharmaceutical products for uses that are not consistent with each product’s labeling, or for anticipated uses prior to regulatory approval. For any products we may develop, we receive marketing approval or clearance for specific uses. Physicians may nevertheless lawfully choose to use such products on their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the label (“off-label use”), as the FDA, for example, does not restrict or regulate a physician’s choice of treatment within the practice of medicine.
However, if regulatory authorities determine that our external-facing materials, oral statements, or physician training constitute promotion of an off-label use, or promotion of a product prior to obtaining necessary regulatory authorization, such authorities could request that we modify our training, promotional, or other external-facing materials or subject us to enforcement action, including the issuance of warning or untitled letters, fines, penalties, or seizures. If we are found to have promoted such uses, we may become subject to significant liability. Regulatory authorities may also request that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional or other conduct is changed, curtailed, or prohibited. If we cannot successfully manage our external-facing materials or the advertising and promotion of and training for our products, we could become subject to significant liability and restrictions, which could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business. Additionally, the intentional misuse of our products, whether by customers or third parties, for non-medical purposes could result in allegations of product liability or otherwise harm our reputation. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
We face similar risks in China. Medical device and pharmaceutical product labels and advertising and promotion materials must be in accordance with the approval from the NMPA. The Advertisement Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, and related medical device and pharmaceutical regulations require government approval of advertising and prohibit the advertisement of medical devices and pharmaceutical products for off-label uses. The failure to follow these rules could lead to government investigations, significant fines, seizures of advertising material, and disqualification from participation in medical device and pharmaceutical product activities, among other penalties. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Developments following regulatory authorization, including results in post-approval device or pharmaceutical Phase 4 trials or other studies, could adversely affect sales or decrease demand for our medical devices or pharmaceutical products.
As a condition to granting marketing authorization of a medical device or pharmaceutical product, FDA may require a company to conduct additional clinical trials or surveillance studies. Outcome of these post-market trials could result in the loss of marketing authorization, changes in product labeling, or new or increased concerns about the safety or efficacy of a product. Regulatory agencies in countries outside the United States often have similar authority and may impose comparable requirements. Post-marketing studies, whether conducted by us or by others and whether mandated by regulatory agencies or voluntary, and other emerging data about marketed products, such as adverse event reports, may also adversely affect the availability or commercial potential of our products. Further, the discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate (or are perceived to implicate) an entire class of products could have an adverse effect on the availability or commercial potential of the affected products. Accordingly, new data about our products, or products similar to our products, could negatively impact demand for our products due to real or perceived safety issues or uncertainty regarding efficacy and, in some cases, could result in updated labeling, restrictions on use, product withdrawal or recall. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Demand for some of our products depends on capital spending policies of our customers and on government funding policies.
Our customers include hospitals, universities, healthcare providers, government agencies, and public and private research institutions. Many factors, including public policy spending priorities, available resources, and product and economic cycles, have a significant impact on the capital spending policies of these entities. Impasses in national, regional, or local government budgeting decisions could lead to substantial delays or reductions in governmental spending.
Many of our products have lengthy sales and purchase order cycles or are subject to competitive bidding or public tender processes. As a result, customers may delay or accelerate system purchases in conjunction with timing of their capital budget timelines or be unable to complete such purchases at all. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Consolidation in the U.S. healthcare industry and other changes to the U.S. healthcare environment may adversely affect our business.
In recent years, U.S. healthcare industry participants, including distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmacy chains, have consolidated or formed strategic alliances. Consolidations create larger enterprises with greater negotiating power and may result in the loss of a customer where the combined enterprise selects one distributor from two incumbents. If consolidation trends continue, it could adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
Additionally, the U.S. healthcare industry has undergone significant changes designed to increase access to medical care, improve safety and patient outcomes, contain costs, and increase efficiencies. These changes include a general decline and/or changes in public and private insurer reimbursement levels and payment models and the industry shifting away from traditional healthcare venues like hospitals and into clinics, physician offices, and patients’ homes. We expect the U.S. healthcare industry to continue to change in the future, which may adversely affect our business results, cash flows, financial condition, or prospects.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR RECENT SPIN-OFF FROM GE.
Our recent Spin-Off from GE could result in significant tax liability to GE and its stockholders if it is determined to be a taxable transaction.
GE has received a private letter ruling from the IRS to the effect that, among other things, our recent Spin-Off from GE, including the retention of up to 19.9% of the shares of our common stock, will qualify as a transaction that is tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Completion of the Spin-Off was conditioned on GE’s receipt of a written opinion from each of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Ernst & Young, LLP to the effect that the Spin-Off will qualify for non-recognition of gain and loss under Section 355 and related provisions of the Code.
The opinion of counsel and the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP do not address any U.S. state or local or foreign tax consequences of the Spin-Off. Each opinion assumed that the Spin-Off was completed according to the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement and relies on the facts as stated in the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Tax Matters Agreement, the other ancillary agreements, the Company's Form 10 filing, and a number of other documents.
In addition, the opinion of counsel, the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP, and the private letter ruling rely on certain facts, assumptions, representations, and undertakings from GE and us regarding the past and future conduct of the companies’ respective businesses and other matters. If any of these facts, assumptions, representations, or undertakings are incorrect or not otherwise satisfied, GE and its stockholders may not be able to rely on the opinion of counsel, the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP, or the private letter ruling and could be subject to significant tax liabilities.
The opinion of counsel and the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP will not be binding on the IRS or the courts, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position. Notwithstanding the opinion of counsel, the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP, or the private letter ruling, the IRS could determine on audit that the Spin-Off or any of certain related transactions is taxable if it determines that any of these facts, assumptions, representations, or undertakings are not correct or have been violated or if it disagrees with the conclusions in the opinion that are not covered by the private letter ruling, or for other reasons, including as a result of certain significant changes in the stock ownership of GE or us after the Spin-Off. If the conclusions expressed in the opinion of counsel or the opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP are challenged by the IRS, and if the IRS prevails in such challenge, the tax consequences of the Spin-Off (including the tax consequences to GE and the U.S. Holders (as defined in the Code)) could be materially less favorable.
If our recent Spin-Off were determined not to qualify for non-recognition of gain or loss under Section 355 and related provisions of the Code, each U.S. Holder who received our common stock in the Spin-Off would generally be treated as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value of our common stock received, which would generally result in: (i) a taxable dividend to the U.S. Holder to the extent of that U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of GE’s current or accumulated earnings and profits; (ii) a reduction in the U.S. Holder’s basis (but not below zero) in GE common stock to the extent the amount received exceeds the stockholder’s share of GE’s earnings and profits; and (iii) taxable gain from the exchange of GE common stock to the extent the amount received exceeds the sum of the U.S. Holder’s share of GE’s earnings and profits and the U.S. Holder’s basis in its GE common stock.
If our recent Spin-Off from GE were determined not to qualify as tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we could have an indemnification obligation to GE, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations.
If, as a result of any of our representations being untrue or our covenants being breached, the Spin-Off were determined not to qualify for non-recognition of gain or loss under Section 355 and related provisions of the Code, we could be required by the Tax Matters Agreement to indemnify GE for the resulting taxes and related expenses. Those amounts could be material. Any such indemnification obligation could adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations.
For example, if we or our stockholders were to engage in transactions that resulted in a 50% or greater change by vote or value in the ownership of our stock during the four-year period beginning on the date that begins two years before the date of the Spin-Off, the Spin-Off would generally be taxable to GE, but not to GE stockholders, under Section 355(e), unless it were established that such transactions and the Spin-Off were not part of a plan or series of related transactions. If the Spin-Off were taxable to GE due to such a 50% or greater change by vote or value in the ownership of our stock, GE would recognize a gain equal to the excess of the fair market value on January 3, 2023 (the "Distribution Date") of our common stock distributed to GE stockholders over GE's tax basis in our common stock, and we generally would be required to indemnify GE for the tax on such gain and related expenses. Those amounts could be material. Any such indemnification obligation could adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations.
We may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve from the Spin-Off.
We may be unable to achieve the full strategic and financial benefits expected to result from our recent separation and distribution, or such benefits may be delayed or not occur at all. We believe that, as an independent, publicly traded company, we are able to, among other things, more effectively focus on our own distinct operating priorities and strategies, enhance our ability to better address specific market dynamics and target innovation, create incentives for our management and employees that align more closely with our business performance and the interests of our stockholders, and allow us to articulate a clear investment proposition and tailored capital allocation policy to attract a long-term investor base best suited to our business needs. We may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve as an independent company in the time we expect, if at all, for a variety of reasons, including: (i) compliance with the requirements of being an independent, publicly traded company has required and will continue to require significant amounts of our management’s time and effort, which may divert management’s attention from operating and growing our business; (ii) our businesses is now less diversified than GE’s businesses prior to the Separation; and (iii) under the terms of the Tax Matters Agreement, we are restricted from taking certain actions that could cause our recent Spin-Off from GE to fail to qualify as a tax-free transaction and these restrictions may limit us for a period of time from pursuing strategic transactions and equity issuances or engaging in other transactions that may increase the value of our business. If we fail to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve as an independent company, or do not achieve them in the time we expect, our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We agreed to numerous restrictions to preserve the non-recognition tax treatment of our recent Spin-Off from GE, which may reduce our strategic and operating flexibility.
To preserve the tax-free nature of the Spin-Off and related transactions, we agreed in the Tax Matters Agreement to covenants and indemnification obligations that address compliance with Section 355 and related provisions of the Code, as well as state, local and foreign tax law. These covenants include certain restrictions on our activity for a period of two years following the Spin-Off.
Specifically, we are subject to certain restrictions on our ability to enter into acquisition, merger, liquidation, sale, and stock redemption transactions with respect to our stock or assets and we are required to indemnify GE against any resulting tax liabilities even if we do not participate in or otherwise facilitate the acquisition. Furthermore, we are subject to specific restrictions on discontinuing the active conduct of our trade or business, the issuance or sale of stock or other securities (including securities convertible into our stock but excluding certain compensatory arrangements), and sales of assets outside the ordinary course of business. These covenants and indemnification obligations may limit our ability to pursue strategic transactions or engage in new businesses or other transactions that may maximize the value of our business, and might discourage or delay a strategic transaction that our stockholders may consider favorable.
As an independent, publicly traded company, we do not enjoy the same benefits that we did as a part of GE.
By separating from GE, we may continue to become more susceptible to market fluctuations and other adverse events than we would have been if we were still a part of the current GE organizational structure. As part of GE, we were able to enjoy certain benefits from GE’s operating diversity, size, purchasing power, cost of capital, and opportunities to pursue integrated strategies with GE’s other businesses. As an independent, publicly traded company, we do not have the same benefits. Additionally, as part of GE, we were able to leverage GE’s historical reputation, performance, and brand identity to recruit and retain key personnel to run and operate our business. As an independent, publicly traded company, we need to continue to develop new strategies, and it may be more difficult for us to recruit or retain such key personnel.
We have no operating history as an independent, publicly traded company, and our historical combined financial information is not necessarily representative of the results we would have achieved as an independent, publicly traded company and may not be a reliable indicator of our future results.
We derived the historical combined financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K from GE’s consolidated financial statements, and this information does not necessarily reflect the results of operations, cash flows, and financial position we would have achieved as an independent, publicly traded company during the periods presented, or those that we will achieve in the future. This is primarily because of the following factors:
•Prior to the Spin-Off, we operated as part of GE, and GE performed various corporate functions for us. Our historical combined financial information reflects allocations of corporate expenses from GE for these functions. These allocations may not reflect the costs we will incur for similar services in the future as an independent, publicly traded company.
•We entered into transactions with GE that did not exist prior to the Spin-Off, such as GE’s provision of transition and other services, and undertake indemnification obligations, which will cause us to incur new costs.
•Our historical combined financial information does not reflect changes that we expect to experience in the future as a result of our separation from GE, including changes in the financing, cash management, operations, cost structure, and personnel needs of our business. As part of GE, we enjoyed certain benefits from GE’s operating diversity, reputation, size, purchasing power, ability to borrow, and available capital for investments, and we do not have these benefits after the Spin-Off. As an independent entity, we may be unable to purchase goods, services, and technologies, obtain insurance and health care benefits, computer software licenses, or other services or licenses, or access capital markets, on terms as favorable to us as those we obtained as part of GE prior to the Spin-Off, and our results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, our historical combined financial data does not include an allocation of interest expense comparable to the interest expense we incurred as a result of the Spin-Off, including interest expense in connection with our incurrence of indebtedness.
Following the Spin-Off, we will also face additional costs and demands on management’s time associated with being an independent, publicly traded company, including costs and demands related to corporate governance, investor and public relations, and public financial reporting. For additional information about our past financial performance and the basis of presentation of our combined financial statements, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our historical combined financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, we are subject to reporting and other obligations under the Exchange Act. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. Beginning with our second required Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes Oxley Act”), which will require annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and a report by our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Under the Sarbanes Oxley Act, we are also required to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures. To comply with these requirements, we may need to upgrade our systems, implement additional financial and management controls, reporting systems, and procedures, and hire additional accounting and finance staff. These reporting and other obligations may place significant demands on management, administrative, and operational resources, including accounting systems and resources. If we are unable to upgrade our financial and management controls, reporting systems, information technology systems, and procedures in a timely and effective fashion, our ability to comply with financial reporting requirements and other rules that apply to reporting companies under the Exchange Act could be impaired, and we may be unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in a timely manner, or if we or our independent registered public
accounting firm identify deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of shares of our common stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
Moreover, we cannot be certain that these measures would ensure that we implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Even if we were to conclude, and our auditors were to concur, that our internal control over financial reporting provided reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP, because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting might not prevent or detect fraud or misstatements. This, in turn, could have an adverse impact on trading prices for shares of our common stock, and could adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets.
We incurred indebtedness in connection with our recent Spin-Off from GE, and the degree to which we are leveraged could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.
We have historically relied upon GE to fund our working capital requirements and other cash requirements. As a result of the Spin-Off, we are no longer able to rely on the earnings, assets, or cash flow of GE, and GE will not provide funds to finance our working capital or other cash requirements. As a result, we are responsible for servicing our own debt and obtaining and maintaining sufficient working capital and other funds to satisfy our cash requirements. Our access to and cost of debt financing is different from our historical access to and cost of debt financing under GE. Differences in access to and cost of debt financing may result in differences in the interest rate charged to us on financings, as well as the amount of indebtedness, types of financing structures and debt markets that may be available to us. Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness, including the debt incurred in connection with the Spin-Off, as well as any future debt that we may incur, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future from operations, financings, or asset sales. Our ability to generate cash is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control.
Certain of our directors and employees may have actual or potential conflicts of interest because of their financial interests in GE or because of their previous or continuing positions with GE.
Because of their current or former positions with GE, certain of our executive officers and directors own equity interests in both us and GE. Continuing ownership of GE shares and equity awards could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest if we and GE face decisions that could have implications for both us and GE. For example, potential conflicts of interest could arise in connection with the resolution of any dispute between us and GE regarding the terms of the agreements governing the Separation and Distribution and our relationship with GE. Potential conflicts of interest may also arise out of any commercial arrangements that we or GE may enter into in the future.
We or GE may fail to perform under various transaction agreements that were executed as part of the Separation.
In connection with the Spin-Off, we and GE entered into various transaction agreements related to the Spin-Off. All of these agreements govern our relationship with GE and we rely on GE to satisfy its performance obligations under these agreements. If we or GE are unable to satisfy our or its respective obligations under these agreements, including indemnification obligations, our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely affected. See “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.”
RISKS RELATING TO FINANCING AND CAPITAL MARKETS ACTIVITIES.
We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.
The capital and credit markets may experience extreme volatility or disruptions that may lead to uncertainty and liquidity issues for both borrowers and investors. We expect to access the capital markets to supplement our existing funds and cash generated from operations to satisfy our needs for working capital, to meet capital expenditure and debt service requirements, and for other business initiatives, including acquisitions and licensing activities. In the event of adverse capital and credit market conditions, we may be unable to obtain capital market financing on favorable terms, or at all, and changes in credit ratings issued by nationally recognized credit rating agencies could adversely affect our ability to obtain capital market financing and the cost of such financing. Additionally, a large portion of our total consolidated cash will be held overseas and may not be efficiently accessible to fund our third-party debt and other financial obligations, which are expected to be primarily held in the United States. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business results, cash flows, financial condition, prospects, and the market price of our securities.
In addition, a prolonged period of extremely volatile and unstable market conditions may increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies. We may experience additional volatility because of increasing inflationary pressures and other macroeconomic factors, including in emerging market countries. High inflation rates could have an adverse effect on economic growth and the business climate and could dampen consumer purchasing power.
A lowering or withdrawal of the ratings, outlook, or watch assigned to our new debt by rating agencies may increase our future borrowing costs, reduce our access to capital, and adversely impact our financial performance.
Our indebtedness has investment-grade credit ratings, and any credit rating, outlook, or watch assigned could be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a credit rating agency if, in that credit rating agency’s judgment, current or future circumstances relating to the basis of the credit rating, outlook, or watch such as adverse changes to our business so warrant. Any future lowering of our credit ratings, outlook, or watch likely would make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing. Moreover, a reduction in our credit rating to below investment-grade could cause certain customers to reduce or cease to do business with us, which would adversely impact our financial performance.
Substantial sales of our common stock may occur in the future, including the disposition by GE of shares of our common stock that it retained after the Spin-Off, which could cause our stock price to decline or be volatile.
In connection with the Spin-Off, GE owns up to 19.9% of the economic interest and voting power of our outstanding common stock. We understand that GE currently intends to dispose of all of our common stock that it retained in connection with the Spin-Off, based on market and general economic conditions and sound business judgment, (A) through one or more subsequent exchanges of our common stock for GE debt held by one or more investment banks, (B) through distributions to GE stockholders either pro rata as dividends or in exchange for outstanding shares of GE common stock, or (C) in one or more public or private sale transactions (including potentially through secondary transactions). Prior to the Spin-Off, we entered into a stockholder and registration rights agreement under which we agreed, upon the request of GE, to use our reasonable best efforts to effect a registration under applicable federal and state securities laws of any shares of our common stock retained by GE to facilitate GE’s disposition of our common stock. The sales of significant amounts of our common stock or the perception in the market that such sales might occur may decrease the market price of our common stock.
We evaluate whether to pay cash dividends on shares of our common stock from time to time, and the terms of our indebtedness may limit our ability to pay dividends on shares of our common stock.
We evaluate whether to pay cash dividends to our stockholders from time to time. The timing, declaration, amount, and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, will fall within the discretion of our Board. Our Board’s decisions regarding the payment of dividends will depend on consideration of many factors, such as our financial condition, earnings, sufficiency of distributable reserves, opportunities to retain future earnings for use in the operation of our business and to fund future growth, capital requirements, debt service obligations, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, and other factors that our Board deems relevant.
There can be no assurance that we will pay a dividend in the future or continue to pay any dividend if we do commence paying dividends.
Holders of our common stock may be diluted due to equity issuances.
In the future, holders of our common stock may be diluted because of equity issuances for acquisitions, capital market transactions, or otherwise, including any equity awards that we will grant to our directors, officers, and employees. Our employees have stock-based awards that correspond to shares of our common stock after the Spin-Off as a result of the conversion of and/or adjustments to their GE stock-based awards. Such awards will have a dilutive effect on our earnings per share, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. We also plan to issue additional stock-based awards, including annual awards, new hire awards and periodic retention awards, as applicable, to our directors, officers, and other employees under our employee benefits plans as part of our ongoing equity compensation program.
Certain provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware law may discourage takeovers and limit the power of our stockholders.
Several provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware law may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition. These include, among others, provisions that (i) establish advance notice requirements for stockholder nominations and proposals; (ii) limit the ability of stockholders to call special meetings or act by written consent; (iii) provide the Board the right to issue shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval; and (iv) provide for the ability of our directors, and not stockholders, to fill vacancies on the Board (including those resulting from an enlargement of the Board). In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), which could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control that you may favor.
These and other provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware law, as well as the restrictions in our Tax Matters Agreement, may discourage, delay, or prevent certain types of transactions involving an actual or a threatened acquisition or change in control of GE HealthCare, including unsolicited takeover attempts, even though the transaction may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock at a price above the prevailing market price. Our Board believes these provisions will protect our stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with the Board and by providing the Board with more time to assess any acquisition proposal. These provisions will apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that the Board determines is not in our and our stockholders’ best interests.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that certain courts in the State of Delaware or the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery located within the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee, agent, or stockholder to us or our stockholders, any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation, or the bylaws, or any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. However, if the Court of Chancery within the State of Delaware lacks jurisdiction over such action, the action may be brought in another court of the State of Delaware or, if no court of the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, then in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Additionally, our certificate of incorporation states that the foregoing provision will not apply to claims arising under the Securities Act. Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. The exclusive forum provisions will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provisions will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. There is, however, uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the exclusive forum provisions, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have consented to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above. The choice of forum provision may result in increased costs for investors to bring a claim. Further, the choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, other employees, or stockholders, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, other employees, or stockholders. However, the enforceability of similar forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings. If a court were to find the exclusive choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.