Global Scalpels | Episode 8: Walter Ulrich

Hundreds of millions of shipping containers are transported around the world annually. Some of them are filled with cars, toys, or cosmetics. Others are filled with perishable food items or electronics. As the world shut down in the wake of COVID-19, we all saw what happens when supply chains are disrupted. Supermarket shelves full of toilet paper and canned goods disappeared seemingly overnight. Genuine fear arose as resources became restricted. Supply chain is a big issue. In many countries around the world, it isn’t that their medical supply chain is disrupted – it is that it doesn’t exist. You can’t even get the medical device you need. Medical bridges is disrupting this cycle and creating new supply chains to support the needs of hospitals around the world who lack access to important medical devices and surgical supplies. Think x-ray machines, dialysis pumps, and life-saving ultrasound imaging all donated, renewed, serviced, and then shipped in big shipping containers to distant hospitals in need of these technologies. Partnerships with local NGOs for servicing these machines keep them up and running for years to come. Tune in as we talk about ethical issues around serving in developing countries, medical waste, and supply chain channels as we explore entrepreneurship and business principles to create new opportunities in global surgery.

Mr Walter Ulrich: President and CEO of Medical Bridges, Recipient of NASA’s Silver Achievement Medal, and former CEO of the Houston Technology Center

UNITED STATES

“GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN OF MEDICAL DEVICES AND SURGICAL EQUIPMENT”

We are excited to welcome another distinguished guest to our podcast. As President and CEO of Medical Bridges, our guest today has helped thousands of people around the world by connecting those in low resource countries with medical devices from the United States. Just in the last 12 months they have supplied over 100 tons of medical equipment and supplies to over 17 countries. They have also provided the items for a new regional hospital center for mothers and infants. He has served as the CEO of multiple organizations and is an expert in taking struggling companies and turning them around. In fact, he served as president and CEO of Houston Technology Center (HTC), named by Forbes as one of Twelve Business Incubators Changing the World. HTC companies have created nearly 6,000 jobs and received $3.5 billion in funding and financial transactions. He is also one of the 17 founding members of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund Committee and is the recipient of the prestigious NASA Silver Achievement Medal for leadership in growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the JSC area. Join us as we explore more of the exciting world of global surgery.