For almost six decades, Medline has been at the heart of healthcare innovation in the Chicago area, evolving from a small medical-surgical manufacturer in 1966 to the largest provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving all points of care.

Today, more than 6,100 employees across nine locations in northeastern Illinois are among the 43,000 at Medline doing their part to make healthcare run better in their communities and beyond. The company’s footprint in the area includes critical manufacturing sites in Waukegan and Mundelein, a 1.4 million-square-foot distribution center in Grayslake – the crown jewel of a robust distribution network – the corporate headquarters in Northfield and satellite offices at the historic Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.

At Medline’s recently expanded in-house testing laboratory in Mundelein, employees such as Karen Ortega (left) are critical in validating Medline product claims. Recently promoted to formulations chemist, Ortega started her career at Medline in 2022.

“Medline was my first job after college and has propelled my career and personal growth,” she said.

Besides her role in testing products, Ortega is an integral part of A Latinx Medline Alliance (ALMA), one of seven Medline employee resource groups (ERGs) that offer team members a way to help foster a diverse, inclusive workplace that’s aligned with Medline’s mission, values and goals. As a member of the ALMA philanthropy board, Ortega is heavily involved in coordinating Medline volunteer efforts in Lake County.

“Medline’s employee resource groups have given me the opportunity to be active in my community and make a difference,” Ortega said.

In Grayslake, Demond Tatum (right) started with Medline in 2010 as a warehouse operator. Today, as a branch trainer, he prepares other Medline employees for the critical work being done to deliver life-saving medical supplies. In the United States, that work by the operations team ensures that 95% of customers receive their supplies by the next day.

Tatum has used many of the vast benefits offered to Medline employees. In 2017, with the help of a Medline education assistance program, he returned to school to earn his bachelor’s degree. He’s now working towards a master’s.

“Over the last 15 years, I have found a second family at Medline,” Tatum said. “Medline has supported me through many stages in my life and has provided me with the opportunity to further my education.”

Across the healthcare continuum, sterile procedure trays (SPTs) are a customizable solution for providers to help meet their patients’ needs. Medline is the largest kitting manufacturer in the U.S., producing more than 200 million of these SPT kits annually. Employees such as Lemuel Romero (left), a boxing lead at Medline’s SPT manufacturing facility in Waukegan, believe strongly in the work they do and the impact it has.

“Medline cares deeply about team members and their families,” Romero said. “I am proud to work toward such an important mission and am grateful for Medline providing me with the resources to succeed.”

At the Merchandise Mart, a diverse set of teams are focused on helping customers serve their communities. Yolanda Maung (right), an associate product manager in Medline’s vascular access division, sees the benefits of working in an office with multiple teams.

“There are so many possibilities for Medline employees to build relationships and grow professionally,” Maung said.

Since starting as a member of the rotational assignment program in 2023, she has seen firsthand Medline’s growth toward becoming a more diverse company across various teams.

“It has been great to see Medline grow and become more diverse, and I look forward to seeing it propel Medline forward,” she said.

If you or someone you know is interested in making healthcare run better through a career at Medline, helping to meet the needs of the ever-fluid healthcare sector, visit the company’s careers page to see current openings.