By Stella Lohmann
Atlanta, GA-June 19, 2009

So how is GE able to introduce a 6 billion dollar initiative to advance not just national but world-wide healthcare? An expansionist attitude has served GE well over its past 130 years. Today GE employs more than 300 thousand internationally in 100 countries. In spite of reported profits upwards of 182 billion dollars yearly, GE boldly downsized its Milwaukee headquarters in 2004 and moved to London as well as outsourced jobs to India and Mexico. The new direction also includes the creation of a GE Healthy Advisory Board comprised of experts on policy to include former U.S. Senators Tom Daschle and Republican Bill Frist as well as other global health care leaders.

These strategic adjustments in GE infrastructure have caused concern not only by shareholders at the company’s most recent meeting in Orlando in December 2008, but also to those who believe GE is straying from historically more conservative activities—I.E.–GE’s ownership of National Broadcasting Company (NBC), CNBC, and MSNBC  amidst reported efforts to influence media support for the Obama Administration resulted in a nationwide boycott by some consumers and the shutting off of microphones when shareholders voiced concern with the use of their holdings.

In January 2008, GE was in the cross fire of controversy concerning its involvement in Iran as reported by Fox News and Bill O’Reilly: “Late today GE did issue a statement finally, saying it no longer does business with Iran, except fulfilling past contracts and humanitarian stuff. But “The Factor” has confirmed that through subsidiaries, GE is working with the Iranian government on hydroelectric, oil and gas, and medical projects. It should be noted that Iran is currently listed as a state that sponsors terrorism, and U.S. intelligence has confirmed Iranian weapons are being used to kill Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. (FoxNews.com 2008)

GE shifted by discontinuing those business activities and turned to the issues of worldwide recession, healthcare, global warming, by developing two pillar initiatives—Ecomagination and Healthymagination. GE Co-chairman and CEO of the Technology Infrastructure Division, John Rice, assured journalists at the Atlanta Press Club on Friday that GE is committed to solutions in an uncertain world both economically and cross-culturally.

“We are taxpayers just like everyone else. We don’t want to see waste in the stimulus bills,” Rice reassured the press. Rice, a resident of the Atlanta area and past President of the Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce, offered his support of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and her ‘bold’ leadership but was openly disappointed in the past GA legislative session and what he called inaction in passing bills because of subsequent taxes. When pressed for his pick for Governor, Rice said only, “There are a lot of good choices.”

The APC  journalists only luncheon was hosted by GE so Rice could explain its Healthymagination Initiative–a 6 million dollar aggressive move to improve healthcare for ‘underserved’ people worldwide at a reduced cost through more affordable diagnostic equipment and “improve access and quality of care by 15%,” according to the Business Journal of Milwaukee in May 2009.

Just hours before Rice stepped to the podium, news from Washington indicated consensus on a comprehensive healthcare bill appeared unlikely by end of year with projections of a 1 to 3 trillion dollars price tag by the Congressional Budget Office. A ‘public’ option received somewhat favorable responses. Rice said he is not in favor of universal healthcare but that ‘something needs to be done for the 50 million underserved people here in the United States.”

GE is positioned to produce and distribute medical information, products, and technologies to support whatever Congress passes on a massive scale. With recent bailouts of some of the largest industries and disgust over inflated bonuses paid to the failing companies’ CEO’s, can taxpayers trust another company giant? When does perceived support of the Obama administration through GE’s media division (NBC, MSNBC, CNBC) turn to major conflicts of interests and major public relations problems? And when is’ Buy America’ detrimental to the citizens of the US if other countries do the same and shut down trade with the US?

In a time of growing protectionism among at least 100 countries as reported by BusinessWeek June 22, 2009, GE is daring to expand its market against cautious worldwide consumer/investor trends. While Rice says he is against universal healthcare, GE stands to benefit greatly if the healthcare hot potato is tossed to the private sector. Certainly GE is poised to fill most government healthcare needs nationally if not globally.

But could affordable healthcare extend past US shores? President Obama is consistent in presenting his agenda in just six months and the year isn’t over yet. Could his Global Poverty Act of 2008 introduced by then Senator Obama again charge Congress to pass a “United Nations Global Tax, costing the U.S. at least $845 billion dollars over thirteen years in the name of fighting worldwide poverty, as well as banning “small arms and light weapons”. The tax would be .07% of the Gross National Product paid in foreign aid, above what is already being given.” –Watson 2008.

Could international healthcare be next?

“I am a citizen of the United States. But I am also a citizen of the world,” explained Rice.

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Note: Mr. Rice serves as and president and CEO of GE Technology Infrastructure. This is a $46 billion enterprise that makes, among other things, aircraft engines, locomotives and healthcare equipment. Rice earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees there. Rice is also a trustee of various other institutions including Emory University and the Walker School, and is on the International Advisory Board of King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia. In addition, he is past chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Part 1

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Part 2

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Stella Lohmann is a blogger and free lance journalist
living in the Atlanta area. http://www.linkedin.com/in/stellalohmann