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GE's healthymagination Exceeds Year Two Goals with $2.2b Invested and 43 Innovative Technologies Validated to Address World's Health Challenges
[May 16, 2011]

GE's healthymagination Exceeds Year Two Goals with $2.2b Invested and 43 Innovative Technologies Validated to Address World's Health Challenges


FAIRFIELD, Conn. --(Business Wire)--

GE (NYSE: GE) released today the second annual global report for healthymagination, the company's business strategy to revolutionize the world's healthcare by focusing on high costs, disparate quality and inadequate access. The report tracks progress GE has made against the commitments announced in May 2009, and details significant milestones of the past year, including 234 million lives touched through 43 innovative technologies, the investment of $2.2 billion against the committed $6 billion and the health certification of 87 GE sites around the world. The report also includes perspectives from some of the many external partners GE has collaborated with this year to advance its mission.

The cover of the 2010 GE healthymagination annual report. (Photo: GE)

The cover of the 2010 GE healthymagination annual report. (Photo: GE)

"Healthymagination has transformed the way we drive business growth, work with customers, launch new products and reduce our own employee health costs," GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said. "It continues to serve as our business strategy to help people live healthier lives, support customer success and help GE grow."

Working across GE Healthcare, GE Water, GE Global Research and GE Capital, healthymagination has expanded its global reach in 2010 to improve access to affordable health in developing markets. Through reverse innovation-a new model of product development that empowers local teams to develop technologies in their country, for their country-GE is enabling access to life-saving technologies that had never been available before.

"Healthymagination is a rallying cry for meaningful innovation and technologies that address the world's biggest health challenges," said Michael Barber, vice president, healthymagination. "We've made excellent progress against our commitments through the introduction of better products at more price points in more regions, support for sustainable delivery models, development of cutting-edge technologies, and facilitation of improved information sharing between patients and providers. We remain forward looking, optimistic and committed to building on the growth we've seen from the seeds planted two years ago.



Healthymagination's Commitments for 2015 and Year Two Progress:

Invest $3 billion in research and development to launch at least 100 innovations that lower cost, increase access and improve quality by 15 percent.


  • Introduced 43 healthymagination validated products that improve cost, quality and access by 15%, including: Optima MR 430s extremity scanner, Discovery CT750 HD, the world's first high-definition CT system, and the MAC 800 portable ECG.
  • Validated the first non-GE Healthcare product, the Sunspring water purification system which increases access to clean water.

Work with partners to focus innovations on four critical needs to start accelerating healthcare information technology; target high-tech products to more affordable price points; broaden access to the underserved; and support consumer-driven health.

  • Launched Qualibria in collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare. Qualibria is software that centralizes patient data to allow providers access to real-time information, allowing them to make better decisions and monitor their performance against quality metrics.
  • Acquired Clarient-a leader in the fast-growing molecular diagnostics sector. Clarient's technology, combined with GE's strength in diagnostic imaging, helps oncologists better predict, at lower cost, which treatment choice is best for an individual patient based on their personal biology.
  • Through partnerships with MedHelp, Healthline and WebMD, made healthcare information available, accessible and digestible for consumers through online and mobile applications.
  • Partnered with Grameen Kalyan-a sister company of Grameen Bank-to advance existing delivery systems in rural Bangladesh to improve maternal health and prevent unnecessary death using GE's portable ultrasound system, LOGIQ Book.
  • Collaborated with Embrace-a startup company from Stanford University-to distribute ultra-low cost infant warmers throughout rural India.

Expand its employee health efforts.

  • 87 GE sites around the world were certified by GE's Health Ahead employee initiative.
  • By the end of 2010, 120 of 295 GE-owned and -operated campuses were tobacco-free.

Increase the "value gap" between its health spend and GE Healthcare's earnings to drive new value for GE shareholders.

  • Continue to lower GE's healthcare costs by focusing on key cost drivers and making GE employees more aware of and responsible for cost-related decisions.

Engage and report on its progress.

  • In addition to the annual report, GE is keeping the public informed through healthymagination.com, the healthymagination blog, healthymagination on Twitter and Facebook (News - Alert), and its healthymagination Advisory Board.

To view and download the full healthymagination Annual Report visit: http://healthymagination.com/progress/

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

About healthymagination

Healthymagination is GE's $6 billion commitment that was launched in May 2009. Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. For more information, visit www.healthymagination.com.

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