A Medical Device Daily

GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) said last week that it plans to eliminate an unspecified number of jobs across its various locations and business units, according to the Business Journal of Milwaukee.

"To strengthen the company to better perform in the current economic environment and position it for profitable long-term growth, GE Healthcare is announcing plans to reduce costs including downsizing our work force," GE Healthcare spokesman Brian McKaig said.

McKiag blamed an overall weakness in the U.S. and a number of Western European healthcare markets for the pending cuts. Governments, insurance companies and state legislatures also are taking a number of actions aimed at reducing the amount spent on hospital procedures, he added.

"We regret the loss of any jobs but in the current economic climate we need to make tough decisions that are prudent and put the safety of the company first," McKaig said. "We are committed to mitigating these layoffs through redeployment where possible and by providing outplacement support and severance consistent with our local practices."

GE Healthcare has about 46,000 employees in 100 countries, including about 7,000 in Wisconsin, the majority of which are in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.

"We believe our long-term growth strategy and expertise in diagnostics, healthcare information technology and life sciences position GE Healthcare to navigate this economic slowdown and capture opportunities in the future," McKaig said.