Senior Specialist, Safety Vigilance

Stryker's story begins in 1941, when Dr. Homer Stryker, an orthopaedic surgeon from Kalamazoo, Michigan, found that certain medical products were not meeting his patients' needs. Driven by a desire to improve patient care, he invented new ones. As interest in these innovative products grew, Dr. Stryker founded The Orthopedic Frame Company to manufacture them. His initial inventions, such as the Turning Frame (a mobile hospital bed that allowed for repositioning of injured patients while maintaining immobility) and the cast cutter (an apparatus that removed cast material without damaging underlying tissues), laid the foundation for a company dedicated to making surgery and recovery simpler, faster, and more effective. The company's early years were characterized by this spirit of innovation and a commitment to addressing unmet medical needs.

In 1964, the company officially changed its name to Stryker Corporation, reflecting its expanding product lines and growing ambitions. A significant milestone occurred in 1979 when Stryker made an initial public offering of stock, providing the capital for further expansion and strategic acquisitions. This marked the beginning of a period of substantial growth, as Stryker strategically acquired companies like Osteonics Corporation, entering the market for replacement hip, knee, and other orthopedic implants. Throughout the following decades, Stryker continued to diversify its portfolio through acquisitions, venturing into new medical specialties such as neurotechnology, spinal surgery, and endoscopy. By the turn of the millennium, Stryker had established itself as a major player in the medical technology industry, being included in the S&P 500 and Forbes Platinum 400. Today, Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies, offering a diverse array of innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical (MedSurg), and Neurotechnology and Spine. With a presence in over 75 countries and impacting more than 150 million patients annually, the company remains true to Dr. Stryker's original mission: 'Together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better.' This enduring commitment to innovation and patient outcomes continues to fuel Stryker's growth and its position at the forefront of the medical technology field.