Baker to leave GE PACS unit

When GE Medical Systems bought PACS firm Lockheed Martin Medical Imaging Systems in April, it said its plan was to retain all 130 employees at the company, including chief executive Michael Baker (SCAN 4/30/97). Less than three months later, however, GE has confirmed that Baker is leaving the division, which has been incorporated into GE's Integrated Imaging Solutions business. Baker reported to Anthony Lombardo, the head of Integrated Imaging Solutions.

Nor is Baker the only one who has left the unit. Also leaving are several other Lockheed Martin veterans, including some engineering talent. The departures are not a sign of a culture clash between GE and Lockheed Martin, however, according to GE spokesperson Charlie Young. Rather, the moves are typical of the employee turnover that occurs after a change in corporate ownership.

"In any acquisition, you can expect a certain amount of churn in the organization," Young said. "Some people are energized by that, and others feel that they need to explore other options to stay on whatever career path they have set."

Young said GE has probably not moved as quickly as it might like in integrating the former Lockheed Martin unit with its own operations, due to the location of the division's headquarters, which is in the same building as the nuclear medicine unit of GE rival Siemens. GE has found a new location for the business, however, in Mount Prospect, IL, about 15 miles away from the Hoffman Estates building. The business should begin moving to the Mount Prospect facility in mid-August or early September.