The year started with ongoing challenges in healthcare—nursing and other staff shortages, high healthcare-associated infection rates, and the need for data, innovation and vigilance in the supply chain. At the same time, care models were shifting, accreditation standards easing, and sustainability and ethical practices in healthcare were moving to the forefront.

“Right now we’re at a starting point, with healthcare likely to continue to evolve,” Angela Newman, Medline director of clinical services, wrote in February. “Five years from now when we look at some of the pre-pandemic healthcare processes and protocols, we know they are going to be different.”

In 2023, Medline collaborated closely with customers, providing the agility and scale to help healthcare providers meet evolving clinical, workforce, logistical, supply chain and educational obstacles and opportunities. Medline also welcomed new leadership in 2023; continued to invest in the company’s multi-year, multi-billion dollar capital expenditure campaign; and released the company’s first Environmental, Social and Governance report. These topics, trends and achievements comprised the top stories of 2023.

Medline partnerships: Working together to make healthcare run better

When Tampa General Hospital needed several truckloads of supplies delivered in a two-hour window—before the Level 1 trauma center’s flood-barrier system was raised in anticipation of Hurricane Idalia—Medline’s Auburndale warehouse and MedTrans drivers came through. Said Mark Campbell, FACHE, CMRP, TGH vice president of supply chain, of the effort: “There are only a few suppliers we truly consider strategic partners but you are one of them. Thank you and the entire Medline team for delivering (literally) when you said you would every time.” In 2023, Medline’s agility and scale also helped  Renown Health receive consistent, timely medical supply deliveries during a historic Sierra Nevada snow season, and Northern Nevada HOPES to fully furnish and equip a temporary structure to accommodate expanded services and more clinicians while renovations continued at the facility’s flagship health center. Medline also partnered with AdventHealth this year to co-develop a consolidated service center in Apopka, Florida, part of a collaborative effort to strengthen the health system’s supply chain and operations, and stepped up for Advantus Health Partners to help a large health system improve efficiencies and standardize care.

An ongoing investment in healthcare resiliency

Medline continued to support the company’s multi-year, multi-billion dollar Healthcare Resilience Initiative, investing an additional $300 million in 2023 to improve operations, manufacturing, technology and sustainability, helping to strengthen the healthcare supply chain. The company officially opened distribution centers this year in St. Peters, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; Mebane, North Carolina; Hammond, Louisiana; and West Jefferson, Ohio. Since 2018, Medline has opened 20 distribution centers, bringing the total to more than 50 throughout North America. Nineteen of these distribution centers have state-of-the-art AutoStore automated warehouse picking systems—the most of any company worldwide. Medline also doubled the size of its ReNewal medical device reprocessing center in Redmond, Oregon, and completed a 17,000-panel community solar installation atop the company’s Montgomery, New York distribution center. The New York installation expands the company’s portfolio to 60,000 solar panels atop nine locations in the U.S., Germany, Australia and Japan—part of a $34.4 million solar investment since 2016. In addition, MedTrans, Medline’s privately owned transportation fleet, added another 400 trucks, bringing the total to more than 1,700. Thanks to Medline’s growing fleet – the largest in healthcare—and added distribution locations and efficiencies, Medline offers one-day shipping to 95% of the U.S.

A commitment to clinical solutions

Clinical solutions and training remained front and center this year as healthcare facilities across the continuum of care continued to face staff shortages, high infection rates, and the need for improved processes and protocols. FirstHealth of the Carolinas and Allegheny Health in Pittsburgh were among the hospitals and health systems benefitting from Medline’s Urological and Vascular Access Health solutions, providing assessments, tools and training to help reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Medline also turned to frontline clinicians to help develop new, intuitive packaging for the company’s Remedy Skin Care line, while also supporting and facilitating the new Coalition for At-Risk Skin’s 21 consensus statements. Finally, Medline continued to develop new and innovative ways to help train and educate busy staff. Medline’s acute care team visited more than 30 hospitals this year to demonstrate the Apple P.I.E. (Pressure Injury Explanation) concept that uses an apple to demonstrate the four stages of a pressure injury, and 20 Gentiva hospice nurses visited Medline headquarters for a Skin Health Boot Camp.

New Medline leadership

After more than 26 years at the helm, Charlie Mills, Andy Mills and Jim Abrams—Medline’s CEO, president and COO, respectively—retired, effective October 1, ushering in a new leadership team and era at Medline. Jim Boyle is the company’s new CEO, and Jim Pigott, President and COO. The transition culminated a five-year succession planning process: “Jim Boyle and Jim Pigott have been instrumental in Medline’s growth and success during nearly 60 years combined with the organization, and we are excited for them to lead us in the future,” said Charlie Mills. Boyle joined Medline in 1996 and served as executive vice president since 2018, managing the company’s customer base of over 5,000 healthcare providers across the continuum of care and overseeing more than $21 billion of annual sales. Pigott joined Medline in 1992 and most recently served as executive vice president, overseeing the strategy and execution of Medline’s 27 product divisions, comprised of more than 20 manufacturing sites and 14,000 employees.

Medline releases first global ESG Report

This year, Medline released the company’s first global Environmental, Social and Governance Report, highlighting strategies, successes and future priorities to help make healthcare more sustainable and equitable. The report introduces the company’s ESG pillars—climate resilience and environmental action, responsible products, people and communities, and robust governance—and outlines Medline’s focus areas and priorities. In addition to expanding the company’s ReNewal medical device reprocessing facility and completing the company’s 10th solar installation in 2023, 98% of Medline distribution centers are now LEED-certified or pending certification. Medline also unveiled new products and packaging to help minimize exam glove waste this year, supported the installation of water dispensing systems in India, planted more than 20,000 trees in fire-damaged and deforested areas in California and Florida, and awarded Community Impact Grants to 10 nonprofit organizations promoting health equity.

Read more about how Medline does it: Agility & Scale.
Read Medline’s media coverage in 2023. Visit Medline in the News.