BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2025--
Swisslog Healthcare, a leading supplier of transport and pharmacy automation solutions, announces the appointment of Maria Garces as Vice President of Product Management. Garces brings deep experience in global product management, strategy, and business development across healthcare and technology sectors. In her new role, Garces will lead product management initiatives, develop strategic roadmaps, and drive innovation across Swisslog Healthcare's portfolio of solutions.
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"Maria's appointment reflects our commitment to developing solutions that directly address the evolving needs of healthcare providers," said Cory Kwarta, CEO of Swisslog Healthcare. "Her expertise will help us create technology that enables hospitals to enhance patient care through more efficient medication management and delivery systems, ultimately improving outcomes across the continuum of care."
Throughout her career, Garces has successfully led global product portfolios, introduced new go-to-market models, and guided product transitions through periods of transformation and growth. She joins the company from Omnicell, where she served as Product Management Director for their EnlivenHealth Division, delivering a successful SaaS clinical product launch and achieving a 20% increase in product margins. Garces brings extensive experience in channel development, product roadmaps, and growth strategies within the healthcare and retail pharmacy sector. She will bring her background to the Swisslog Healthcare portfolio management and continue to drive customer centricity across the globe.
"Healthcare providers face real challenges in medication management that directly impact patient care," said Maria Garces, Vice President of Product Management at Swisslog Healthcare. "Our job is to make sure our products solve those problems in practical ways. When we get pharmacy automation right, clinicians spend less time on logistics and more time with patients."
In addition to her professional achievements, Garces has taught graduate courses in product management as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and enjoys mentoring emerging product managers. Garces is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in Italian, supporting the company's global operations.
The company also announced that Michael Palone will transition to a new role as Pharmacy Affairs Executive, where he will serve as Subject Matter Expert and Ambassador for Swisslog Healthcare in key customer engagements, industry events, and academic collaborations.
About Swisslog Healthcare
Swisslog Healthcare provides pharmacy workflow automations through robotic solutions and operational technology that enable hospitals and health systems to assist providers in treating patients across the continuum of care. Integrating transport and pharmacy automation, value-added services, and intelligent software, Swisslog Healthcare enables healthcare providers to respond to patients' needs quickly and with greater accuracy. The company minimizes many sources of operational waste, so providers achieve higher levels of productivity to impact the well-being of patients in positive ways. For more information, visit www.swisslog-healthcare.com.
Maria Garces, Vice President of Product Management at Swisslog Healthcare Headshot
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in afternoon trading on Wall Street Friday and pushed several major indexes toward weekly gains.
The S&P 500 jumped 0.9%, adding to gains made on Thursday. The index is now on track for a weekly gain.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 256 points, or 0.5%, as of 2:59 p.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq jumped 1.2% and is now also on track for a weekly gain.
Technology stocks with a focus on artificial intelligence once again led the market. Nvidia jumped 3.5% and Broadcom rose 1.9%.
The sector has been the driving force for Wall Street throughout the year as companies with outsized values like Nvidia exert more pressure on markets. Those pricey stock values have come under more scrutiny from investors wondering whether they are justifiable.
Oracle rose 7.3% on news that it, along with two other investors, had signed agreements to form a new TikTok U.S. joint ventur e. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX each get a 15% share in the popular social video platform, ensuring that it can continue operating in the U.S.
Company earnings and how companies are performing amid tariffs and inflation were a key focus for Wall Street.
Nike slumped 10.6%, as the impact from tariffs overshadowed an otherwise strong quarterly profit report. Frozen potato maker Lamb Weston fell 25%, despite also beating Wall Street's profit and revenue forecasts.
Winnebago Industries jumped 8.4% after turning in profits and revenue for its latest quarter that easily beat analysts’ estimates.
Homebuilders dropped following a report showing that home sales slowed from a year earlier for the first time since May. Lennar lost 1% and KB Home fell 8.3%.
A survey from the University of Michigan showed that consumer sentiment in December improved slightly from November, but is deeply diminished from a year ago.
“Despite some signs of improvement to close out the year, sentiment remains nearly 30% below December 2024, as pocketbook issues continue to dominate consumer views of the economy,” wrote Surveys of Consumers Director, Joanne Hsu.
Consumer confidence has been weakening throughout the year as persistent inflation squeezes consumers. The job market is also slowing while retail sales weaken. Business and consumers are also worrying about the continued impact of a wide-ranging U.S.-led trade war that has targeted key partners including China and Canada.
The latest inflation update on Thursday revealed a surprise cooling of prices in November. The Labor Department reported that its consumer price index rose 2.7%. But economists quickly warned that those numbers were suspect because they’d been delayed and likely distorted by the 43-day federal shutdown.
“The wave of economic data did little to provide clarity for investors this week, keeping the market in the trading range it has been in since September,” said. Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, in a note to investors.
Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate at its most recent meeting. It has been concerned about the slowing job market hurting the economy. But cutting interest rates could add more fuel to inflation, which could also stunt economic growth.
The Fed has maintained a cautious stance about interest rate policy heading into 2026 and Wall Street is mostly betting that it will hold steady on rates at its next meeting in January.
Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.15% from 4.11% late Thursday.
Japanese stocks rose after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in 30 years. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 1%, leading the rise across Asia's key markets. Markets in Europe also gained ground.
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AP Business Writer Matt Ott contributed.
Specialist Glenn Carell, left, and trader Robert Charmak work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Jonathan Mueller works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Medline Industries signage is displayed outside the Nasdaq MarketSite, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Trader Vincent Vincent Napolitano, surrounded by holiday decorations, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Specialists Alex Weitzman, left, and Meric Greenbaum work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People stand in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing the market indexes of Shanghai, Tokyo and New York Dow at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person walks in front of a chart showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
