Gerald E. McGinnis

Gerald E. “Jerry” McGinnis founded Respironics, the leading worldwide resource in the medical device industry, in 1976.  He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company for 18 years until elected to Chairman of the Board and Advanced Technology Officer in November 1994.

Products developed by Respironics include devices for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, including CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and bi-level (BiPAP) machines, oxygen concentrators for patients requiring supplemental oxygen, infant apnea monitors for infants at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, asthma treatment solutions, and hospital ventilators. In 2007, Respironics entered into a merger agreement with Royal Philips Electronics.

Prior to his involvement with Respironics, McGinnis worked at Westinghouse Electric Corporation for 11 years, where he participated in a variety of health-related projects. While serving as the manager of the Bioengineering Department, he also was involved in projects that included the artificial heart, heart-assist devices, and the sensing and monitoring equipment for the measurement of blood and respiratory gases.

Following his service at Westinghouse, McGinnis worked at Allegheny General Hospital from 1969 to 1971, where he was head of the Surgical Research Department. In 1971, McGinnis founded his first company, Lanz Medical Products. At the same time, McGinnis served in the Critical Care Department at the Presbyterian University Hospital in Pittsburgh, where his work focused on methods of increasing applications of technology in critical care.

Degrees

BS, Mechanical Engineering, 1958