Baxter is a global leader in innovative healthcare solutions, delivering essential medical products and technologies that advance patient care across the continuum. With a legacy of trust and a focus on life-saving therapies, Baxter empowers clinicians to deliver better outcomes worldwide.

Baxter International Inc. is a global healthcare leader with a legacy dating back to 1931. Known for pioneering life-sustaining therapies and medical technologies, Baxter offers a broad portfolio that spans critical care, surgical, renal, and hospital-based solutions. With the acquisition of Hillrom in 2021, Baxter expanded its capabilities to include leading brands such as Welch Allyn, which is widely recognized for its trusted diagnostic tools including otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, vital signs monitors, and cardiopulmonary devices. This strategic integration allows Baxter to provide more connected and patient-focused care across the healthcare continuum.

Baxter is guided by a mission to save and sustain lives and a strong commitment to integrity, innovation, and accountability. The company maintains the highest standards of quality and safety in all its products, from advanced diagnostics to smart infusion systems. By combining its global presence with decades of clinical expertise and the reliability of brands like Welch Allyn, Baxter empowers healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes and deliver high-quality care in a wide range of medical settings.

Welch Allyn History

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  • In 1915 Dr. Francis Welch and William Noah Allyn created a business and marketed the first handheld illuminating ophthalmoscope, created by inventor Dr. Welch.
  • William Noah Allyn began to manufacture and market Dr. Welch's invention from a small building in Auburn, NY
  • Sadly, in the second half of 1915 Dr. Welch died suddenly
  • Sometime in the 1920s, William Noah Allyn attended the American Medical Association in Chicago where he sold all available samples and gained orders from several surgical supplies dealers
  • The product line expands to include sigmoidoscopes and proctoscope
  • The 1930s brings expansion to the company; distributors increase to 100 and the product line grows to include the direct intubation laryngoscope
  • Expansion continues in the 1940s; the company moved to the Glenside Woolen Mill in Skaneateles Falls with the purchase of modern machinery
  • In 1947 William Noah Allyn is named Chairman and his son, William G. Allyn, was elected president
  • Welch Allyn begins to get international sales and recognition
  • In the 1950s, rechargeable batteries in diagnostic instruments are introduced
  • The 1960s brings innovations: miniature lamps, fiber optics, and the first fiber optic otoscope in 1964
  • In the 1970s William G. Allyn's sons move into leadership roles; William F. becomes president and Lew becomes vice president
  • In 1980 sales continue to grow both nationally and internationally thanks to pioneering of medical imaging technology
  • In 1986 Welch Allyn acquires Tycos' a leading manufacture of stethoscopes and blood pressure gages.
  • The 1990s continues to bring acquisitions: Speidel and Keller, Diatek, Schiller
  • In 2005, Trumpf Medical developed the world's first OR lights with LED technology
  • In 2008, Trey Lauderdale, Oscar Callejas, Benjamin King and Rob Campbell founded Voalte
  • Jump to 2015; Hillrom a global medical equipment company headquartered in Chicago, purchases Welch Allyn
  • Baxter, a medical products company Deerfield, Illinois, acquires Hillrom in 2021
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