Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

Dana Lindley

HCA459: Senior Project (BGM1046A

Instructor:  Kristin Akerele

November 18, 2010

      Medtronic, Inc. Is changing the face of chronic disease. By working closely with the physicians around the world, they create therapies to help patients do things they never thought possible.   Their medical technologies help make it possible for millions of people to resume everyday activities, return to work, and live better, longer. They are able to do this with the help of some very special people around the world: 38,000 dedicated employees who share a passionate purpose to improve lives, thousands of medical professionals who share their insights and ideas, and hundreds of advocacy associations that help us share information so people with debilitating diseases know relief is possible.
      MEDTRONIC PURPOSE
Medtronic is one of the largest medical technology companies that manufactures implantable biomedical devices, with sales in over 120 countries. The Company treats chronic diseases by offering products including bradycardia pacing, heart failure, atreal fibulation, coronary vascular disease, heart valve replacement, etc. They operate Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management, Spinal and Biologicals, CardioVascular, Neuromodulation, Diabetes, and Surgical Technologies.
      Medtronic, Inc. was founded in 1949   by Earl Bakken and his brother in law Palmer Hermundslie out of their garage in northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota. They turned their garage into a medical equipment repair shop. They originally wanted to sell basketball pumps since there was a shortage of them in the Midwest during this time. Bakken was a grad student in electrical engineering at University of Minnesota before he gave up his studies to focus on their new company.
      Bakken got to know a gentleman named C. Walton Lillihei through the repair business. He was a pioneer in heart surgeries at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Lillihei was upset with... [continues]

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