Becton Dickinson President, Chairman and CEO Vincent Forlenza speaks to IN VIVO about the business prospects at Becton Dickinson as it integrates its major acquisition, CareFusion, and oversees a major internal group restructuring, and about his role as the current chairman of AdvaMed.

Patient safety dominated the discussions at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Although medtech manufacturers have long focused on improving safety, that movement is being further fueled by a growing number of performance measures and documentation requirements. In addition, pay-for-performance initiatives are gaining in popularity as health care buyers seek ways to drive quality improvements, putting more pressure on hospitals and physicians to provide and document quality care in order to maximize their reimbursements.

Long part of a German foundation dedicated to improving optical science, Carl Zeiss Meditec has transformed itself into a more entrepreneurial entity, hoping to capitalize on the booming ophthalmics market. For Zeiss, the timing couldn't be better--driven by soaring demographics and new technology, the industry is hot. Plus an industry ripe for consolidation plays well into Zeiss' plans. The only question is: does Zeiss' foundation heritage help or hinder its efforts?

Following its 1985 acquisition of American Hospital Supply, Baxter International reigned as one of the leading hospital suppliers, with a strong distribution component and an extremely broad product line. But though the strategy seemed right to appeal to a new kind of hospital customer, it did little to help Baxter grow as a corporation, and the company's stock hit a fallow period in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in the mid 1990s, Baxter embarked on a program to bring focus and discipline, in the process turning itself into a very different kind of business. By the end of the decade, it had shed virtually all of the businesses it acquired in the AHSC deal, re-focused on long-time efforts in dialysis and IV/medication delivery, and quietly built a huge biopharmaceutical business. Some questions linger for Baxter as it pursues a strategy with one foot in the medical device industry and one in biotech, most notably whether Baxter's R&D team can expertly maneuver in biopharmaceuticals. Still, the strategy seems to be working: Baxter is a leader in dialysis and IV solutions, has built a $2.5 billion biotech business, and has seen its market cap soar.