Read the Conversation
Meeting Highlights:
- Baxter Healthcare: Eight patients per second are being treated with Baxter products.
- Hospital of the Future & Digital Integration: Connecting diagnostics, treatment, and outcomes across the patient journey, integrating EMR for seamless data exchange, optimizing patient management, and supporting HCPs.
- Public & Private Sector Impact: Full integration efforts aim to improve outcomes, reduce costs, shorten hospital stays through early mobilization and ready-to-use solutions, and optimize anesthesia usage — despite ongoing challenges.
- Innovation & Ecosystem Building: A "fail fast, learn fast" mindset drives partnerships with hospitals, supply chains, and strategic collaborators to foster innovation and efficiency.
- Technology & AI-Driven Transformation: Guadalajara serves as the "Silicon Valley" of IT for the Americas, leveraging AI and automation to enhance commercial operations, device support, and connectivity.
- Legacy & Future Vision: With more than 100 years worldwide and 80 years in Mexico of healthcare leadership, Baxter continues to shape the future by learning from past challenges and embracing new opportunities for transformation, building the future of healthcare.
EF: Baxter is undergoing significant changes with a recent spin-off. Meanwhile, political shifts in the U.S. are also affecting Mexico. What does this mean for Baxter’s key priorities and strategic focus areas in Mexico for 2025?
OP: Baxter is going through an exciting period as we celebrate 80 years of continuous presence in Mexico. The recent spin-off was a separation rather than a departure, and in August 2024, Carlyle acquired Baxter’s kidney care business.
For us at Baxter, our outstanding product line continues to shape the future in an environment that demands excellence. We are developing the Hospital of the Future, incorporating a comprehensive range of diagnostic capabilities. In emergency rooms, we will be able to measure eye pressure, assess ear health, and evaluate heart and vital signs in general. Baxter will supply IV pumps for liquid infusions to manage pain, along with stretchers for patient transport, all integrated into the hospital's electronic medical records (EMR) system for seamless data exchange.
Our goal is to optimize the patient’s journey throughout the hospital. For surgical patients, we provide fully equipped operating rooms with advanced tables, lighting, and integrated technology capable of intercommunication, including robotic interaction and real-time data transmission. We offer the highest-quality anesthetics and hemoderivatives, and leverage cutting-edge technology to reduce the need for surgery altogether.
In intensive care units (ICUs), our fully equipped beds enhance mobility and incorporate advanced nutrition technologies that measure patients' dietary needs and caloric intake. This data can even be transmitted to patients’ homes, ensuring continuity of care. Through these advancements, at Baxter we are improving clinical outcomes while reducing treatment costs.
Despite challenges—including ongoing discussions on tariffs and regulatory requirements—we continue to make progress. Collaboration remains key. Baxter offers exceptional solutions and plays a pivotal role in shaping the future healthcare system.
EF: Mexico’s healthcare landscape is complex, with significant gaps and diversity. What is your strategy for integrating your innovations into the region?
OP: We provide accessible technology for hospitals of all sizes, and many have already begun adopting these innovations, particularly in the private sector. The public sector is following suit—last year, we completed 21 Operation Rooms with SEDENA, a public client. Both sectors recognize the potential for investment to improve outcomes.
By enhancing efficiency—shortening surgical times with advanced anesthetics and robotic assistance and reducing ICU stays—our solutions ultimately help lower treatment costs across the system.
Our first challenge in Mexico was securing access to these technologies. Following our legal separation, we worked closely with COFEPRIS to transfer all sanitary licenses—a process we originally estimated would take 18 to 24 months but completed in just 8 to 12 months, thanks to our strong collaboration. This accelerated approval allowed us to demonstrate both the clinical and economic benefits of our innovations.
Mexico is open to adopting new technologies, and fostering collaboration with the medical community is essential. We have established an Experience Center—a hospital within our offices—where healthcare professionals can engage directly with our technologies and experience how Baxter can support them in their daily work. Our goal is to make their jobs more efficient and less stressful, ultimately leading to better medical outcomes.
By focusing on access, training, technological adaptation, and collaboration, we create the best possible environment for innovation. Technology is the foundation for building more sustainable healthcare systems and improving patient outcomes.
EF: Mexico is well-known for its manufacturing, but what is its broader contribution to healthcare innovation? How do you envision its development in this area?
OP: At Baxter, innovation is not just about new devices—it is about the people behind them, driving creativity and efficiency. We focus on making our technology accessible to the Mexican healthcare system, but true innovation comes from fostering a culture that embraces failure as part of the learning process.
We encourage our teams to think differently by failing fast in a controlled environment—analyzing, learning, and refining our approaches. This applies not only to major technology launches but also to how we collaborate with suppliers, engage with hospitals and physicians, and work alongside strategic partners. Innovation, for us, is deeply rooted in our mindset.
Being bold in innovation means bringing new ideas to the table, especially within hospitals receptive to fresh perspectives. Once we start creating, technology naturally becomes an integral part of the process. For example, robotics in the operating room enhance both safety and productivity, allowing for more efficient interventions. Ultimately, innovation is a combination of technology, mindset, and its real-world impact on the healthcare community.
EF: How do you cultivate this innovative mindset within the organization? Are you shifting toward more integrated solutions and data-driven devices? And what kind of talent are you looking to attract at Baxter?
OP: I like to say that a little bit of “craziness” is essential for innovation. Some of us are “crazier” than others, but that balance keeps the environment dynamic and creative. We encourage experimentation, learning from mistakes, and constantly pushing boundaries.
Our technology center in Guadalajara is a great example—it is like a mini–Silicon Valley. With over 300 engineers working on intellectual property services, AI development, and automation, we support clients across the Americas, from Canada to Argentina. This is not a call center; it is a hub for cutting-edge technology and operational efficiency.
To stay ahead, we need fresh perspectives and diverse talent. We look for people who may not initially see themselves in traditional roles but bring unique skills and innovative thinking. Agility is key for us—we continuously refine our processes to stay adaptable.
A great example of this innovation is our infusion pumps, which immediately intervene when they detect deviations from pre-set medication parameters, preventing potential errors. Similarly, our connected hospital beds send real-time alerts when patients attempt to move, ensuring rapid medical response. These solutions are possible because we integrate innovation across our supply chain, collaborate with hospitals, and manufacture high-quality medical devices in Tijuana and Monterrey. Our focus is on developing and delivering technology that enhances patient outcomes.
EF: Baxter will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2025. How do you plan to mark this milestone, and what legacy do you want to leave?
OP: At Baxter Mexico, we take immense pride in our work—80 years of serving, innovating, and saving lives. But the real question is: What do we want the next 80 years to look like? We must actively shape that future.
Some people see a glass of wine as half full, others as half empty—I want to be part of the group that asks for a new bottle. At Baxter, I hope to instill that mindset of always striving for more.
Of course, challenges lie ahead, but challenges also bring opportunities. Difficult times force us to think differently, adapt, and grow. If we embrace change with a proactive mindset, we can turn obstacles into catalysts for transformation.
I want to inspire people to always strive for excellence—not just for their careers but for the people we serve: the patients, the physicians, and the families that depend on us.
I work hard for my wife and children, just as every Baxter employee has their own reasons to give their best. When people bring passion and purpose to their work, magic happens.
On average, eight people in Mexico receive treatment with Baxter products every second. That statistic speaks volumes—but our legacy is about more than numbers; it is about the lives we touch every day.
