Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Medtronic’s priority in Argentina is to treat more patients with the same healthcare budget, focusing on efficiency and system sustainability.
- The company is strongly centered on minimally invasive therapies, which shorten procedures, speed recovery, and reduce overall system costs.
- Argentina is strategically important due to its large population and exceptionally high density of well-trained medical professionals, making it a regional knowledge hub.
- Access to innovation depends on strong clinical evidence, early-adopter physicians, and risk-sharing models, including outcome-based guarantees from Medtronic.
- While Argentina generates vast health data, progress requires national data governance and interoperability to turn fragmented data into system-wide patient benefit.
EF: As we begin 2026, what does this year look like for Medtronic in Argentina? What are the main priorities on your agenda?
JC: At Medtronic in Argentina, our main focus remains very clear: how we can help the healthcare system treat more patients using the same, or even fewer, resources. We know that healthcare budgets are limited, and that reality doesn’t change. Therefore, companies like Medtronic have a responsibility to support the system so it can care for more Argentinians without increasing overall spending.
That is the core idea guiding our strategy. When it comes to innovation specifically, our primary focus is on minimally invasive therapies. The objective is always the same: less invasiveness, better outcomes, faster recovery, and more efficient use of healthcare resources.
To give a concrete example, performing a traditional cardiac valve replacement involves opening the chest, using extracorporeal circulation, and a long procedure that can last four or five hours, followed by a lengthy recovery period. Returning to normal life after such an invasive surgery takes time. Today, that same condition can often be treated with a TAVR procedure, one of our therapies, where the valve is implanted through the femoral artery in a procedure that may take around an hour. The patient can recover in a day and return to normal life much faster. The difference is significant.
Another major priority for us is process standardization. Medtronic is a global private company with extensive experience in operations, commercialization, imports, and logistics. We work to transfer this know-how to our customers so they can also operate more efficiently.
EF: From a strategic perspective, why should Medtronic continue investing in Argentina?
JC: As Argentinians working for a multinational company, we have a dual role: we represent Medtronic, but we also represent the local workforce. Argentina has some very distinctive characteristics at the regional level.
We are a country with a significant population compared to our neighbors, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, and while for a global company the absolute market volume may not be the primary attraction, Argentina offers something very unique: a very high number of healthcare professionals per capita. In fact, it is one of the highest rates in the region and possibly among the highest globally.
This makes Argentina an extremely valuable knowledge hub. A company like Medtronic can introduce innovation quickly and establish itself as a reference point in the sector. Argentine physicians are highly recognized regionally and, in many cases, globally. Being present in a market with this level of professional expertise is always a competitive advantage.
EF: How does Medtronic work to improve access to innovation in Argentina, and how do partnerships play a role?
JC: Access is always a challenge, especially in stressed healthcare systems where purchasing decisions are still often based on unit cost rather than overall clinical and economic benefit. One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that innovations can be incorporated into the healthcare system.
I often tell students, young biomedical engineers, and new hires that even though we represent a small part of the global system, our role is critical. We are responsible for ensuring that innovations developed globally become available treatment options for Argentine patients. That responsibility includes navigating imports, regulatory registrations, and access recognition.
We work very closely with healthcare professionals to clearly demonstrate the benefits of a therapy, not only in terms of patient recovery, but also in how it benefits the healthcare system by allowing it to do more with the same resources. That is the key to access.
This is not easy. It requires strong evidence, sometimes international evidence, sometimes locally generated evidence, to demonstrate that a technology should be recognized as a new therapeutic option. We work with early adopters and leading physicians who test these therapies, often in collaboration with peers abroad. This professional exchange helps accelerate acceptance and access.
Additionally, Medtronic has developed outcome protection agreements. When our therapies are used under the correct conditions, and an issue arises that is directly linked to the product, Medtronic assumes the economic responsibility. This demonstrates our confidence in our technology and helps reduce barriers to adoption.
EF: Data is becoming central to healthcare transformation. How do you see the role of data in Argentina, and what needs to change to maximize its value for patients?
JC: It’s a fascinating challenge. Medical devices are, by nature, generators of data. Pacemakers, neurostimulation devices, and insulin pumps all collect valuable patient data. The data already exists and is available.
In Argentina, some private institutions and even some public ones have made individual strategic decisions to use data for clinical and operational decision-making. But these are isolated efforts. What is missing is a national, strategic decision around interoperability and data governance.
Argentina has a very fragmented healthcare system, with three subsystems: public, private, and social security. This fragmentation makes data integration extremely complex. Without a clear national direction defining which data will be collected, how it will be managed, and for what purpose, each institution acts independently.
At Medtronic, we try to promote this conversation through industry organizations such as CADIEM, the Argentine Chamber for Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Importers. Ultimately, what is needed is clear data governance, interoperability, and a shared objective focused on improving patient outcomes.
EF: How open are Argentine physicians to adopting new technologies, including AI-enabled and advanced medical devices?
JC: Medtronic launches technologies that are globally anticipated. There is often a gap between global launch and local availability due to regulatory processes, but this also means that by the time the product arrives in Argentina, physicians already know it from international congresses in Europe, the US, or Asia.
Argentina has a high density of physicians and a very high level of medical education. That creates a strong culture of early adopters. Additionally, Medtronic invests heavily in medical education. Last year alone, we organized about 500 medical training events across 70 clinical conditions.
These programs are not just about products; they focus on therapies, clinical decision-making, and outcomes. This continuous education ensures that physicians understand the full value of the technology and are confident in adopting it.
EF: Regulatory timelines are often cited as a barrier. What progress has been made in Argentina, and what still needs to improve?
JC: Historically, regulatory approval could take a year or more. Today, the situation has improved significantly. With proper documentation and complete dossiers, approval timelines are much shorter.
There have also been deregulation efforts. For example, Class I and Class II products now only require notification at customs, which facilitates market entry. The current administration has taken a more market-friendly approach and is actively reducing bureaucracy.
In some cases, products are now launched in Argentina even before the US, where FDA approvals can also be lengthy. Argentina’s regulatory authority, ANMAT, is highly respected and focused on ensuring product quality while also working to streamline processes. This approach accelerates access to innovative technology while ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and clinical quality.
EF: From a leadership perspective, what kind of talent does Medtronic need in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world?
JC: Argentina is a country with exceptional talent, and Medtronic has been very successful in attracting it. We are a well-positioned employer, and when we open a position, we receive very strong candidates.
Leadership today must adapt to different generational expectations. Younger generations seek flexibility and autonomy, while more senior professionals value stability and security. Offering options for different life stages is a key differentiator.
At Medtronic, continuous training is essential. Just as we train healthcare professionals, we rigorously train our own teams. No one can represent or promote a Medtronic therapy without proper certification. We invest heavily in ongoing education to maintain technical excellence.
Equally important is empathy. We spend a large part of our lives at work, and leadership has an active responsibility to create an environment where people can grow professionally and personally. Our internal organizational health indicators are very strong, and that is the result of long-term, deliberate leadership decisions.
EF: You’ve spent 17 years in the Medtronic–Covidien legacy. What personal legacy do you hope to leave behind?
JC: Of course, commercial success matters, and we’ve achieved that. But beyond numbers, my greatest pride comes from the culture we’ve built.
Today, I truly believe there is no one at Medtronic Argentina who comes to the office with a sense of dread about working with a colleague. We’ve built an environment of empathy, collaboration, and mutual respect. We work hard, we face pressure, and we have demanding targets, but we remain human.
We often say that we are people who work at Medtronic, not employees who stop being human at the door. People go through good and difficult moments in life, and understanding that makes us stronger as a team. If there is one legacy I want to leave, it is that Medtronic Argentina is a place where people can develop both professionally and personally, and feel proud of that experience.
EF: Finally, how can we keep healthcare at the top of the agenda?
JC: Healthcare is often seen primarily through the lens of pharmaceuticals, but medical devices are a different, and complementary, world. This industry saves lives every day.
Medtronic’s mission, defined more than 75 years ago, is to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Globally, Medtronic touches two patients every second. That’s two lives improved, every second, somewhere in the world.
This impact is not always visible to society, and that’s why giving greater visibility to medical devices is so important. With far fewer resources than pharma, this sector systematically changes lives, every minute, every hour, every day. If we can make that impact more visible, healthcare will naturally remain at the center of the public agenda.
