Amanda Pullinger, Chief Executive Officer at Debbie’s Dream Foundation, shared on LinkedIn:
“Day 1 of the Milken Institute Future of Health conference in Washington DC was opened by Esther Krofah, Milken Institute, and was focused on the question – how do we collectively accelerate innovation in healthcare and get healthcare solutions to as many people as possible as quickly and effectively as possible?
Sessions:
Engineering the Next Era of Human Health
Panelists discussed how, as the pace of innovation accelerates, we can ensure that solutions translate into better health for more people. There were some fascinating insights that focused on the current hurdles to access where only 1 in 5 cancer patients go to an NCI-designated center for care.
Moderated by Meg Tirrell, speakers were Noubar Afeyan, Co-founder and Chairman, Moderna; Chris Boerner, CEO, Bristol Myers Squibb, David Rhew, Global Chief Medical Officer, Microsoft; Robert Stone, CEO, City of Hope.
How Investors and Innovators Are Building the Future of Health Care
VC has become one of the most consequential forces shaping the next generation of health care.
Moderated by Tina Reed, we heard from Nancy Brown, Oak HC/FT; Navid Farzad, Frist Cressey Ventures; Sofia Guerra, Bessemer Venture Partners; Erin Harkless Moore, Pivotal on how they assess entrepreneurial ideas and determine which innovations can scale and succeed.
A Conversation with National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director, Anthony Letai
Great to see Mike Milken interviewing Tony Letai about the key priorities for NCI which include funding early career researchers (news to Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer ears!) and the cancer vaccine project.
Rural Health at the Inflection Point
More than a year after the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program committed funds to all 50 states, implementation has started. The panelists discussed the challenges that still exist in getting funding into operational reality, and how they are working to address them. One solution: giving more resources to local pharmacies that play such an important role in local care.
Moderated by Sarah Jane Tribble, the speakers were: Chuck Divita; Cara James, Grantmakers In Health; and Nandini Selvam, President, IQVIA.
Clinical AI: The Future of Care Delivery
Practitioners are increasingly encountering AI tools in the exam room, at the point of care, and throughout the patient journey. But as the panelists noted, technology piled onto an antiquated US healthcare system, where, for example, fax machines are still in wide use, doesn’t solve the problem. AI can be a valuable tool but only if it is either part of a systemic operational overhaul of existing practices or used as a ‘better than human’ autonomous option in specific scenarios where speed of access to patients is critical, or in underserved communities.
Speakers were David Cordani, Executive Chair, The Citco Group Limited; John D’Angelo, President and CEO, Northwell Health; Ezekiel Emanuel, The Wharton School; Suchi Saria, Founder, Bayesian Health and Munjal Shah, Hippocratic AI, brilliantly moderated by Mike Milken.
A Conversation with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya
The first day concluded with a frank conversation between Mike Milken and Jay Bhattacharya about the challenges and opportunities for the NIH. Jay noted that the NIH remains focused on:
- Supporting basic research
- Encouraging translational research through initiatives such as National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Focusing on increased effectiveness and efficiency of clinical trials
During the Networking reception, it was good to get everyone’s perspectives on the challenges and opportunities discussed during the day.
Thanks again to Raymond P. at Milken, FasterCures for the opportunity to attend on behalf of Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer.”
You can also read:
Amanda Pullinger: How Can We Accelerate Innovation and Improve Access to Care?
