Chief executive officers, entrepreneurs and medical professionals gathered at the Fuqua School of Business Wednesday for Duke’s first Medical Innovation and Strategies Conference.
With multiple companies represented by attendees from around the country, the conference’s success largely exceeded organizers’ expectations, said Ana Quinn, associate director for the Business Development for the Health Sector Management program.
“We’re extremely excited,” Quinn said. “We were expecting 50 attendees and we surpassed 120 [attendees.]”
The focus of the conference was primarily to encourage discussion about technology within the health care system. Speakers relayed ideas covering wireless and mobile health care technology advances and gave references to other areas around the country where progress is being made in the field.
Jim Sweeney, CEO of Patient Safe Solutions and the keynote speaker for the conference, gave an example of hospitals in Hawaii that have mobile pediatricians—doctors who are available on call at any time—suggesting that attendees look to this kind of innovation for inspiration.
Attendee Dr. Wesley Valdes, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said he was particularly interested in Sweeny’s presentation.
“I came especially to see Jeff Miller [Managing Partner at Versum Health Advisors] and Jim Sweeney,” he said. “Most of their ideas will actually be implemented, the only question now is how.”
In addition to Sweeney, the conference hosted George Savage, chief medical officer of Proteus BioMedical, as well as representatives from Microsoft and other health care corporations.
“This is great exposure for the students, we didn’t realize how big it would be,” said Fuqua student Ankur Seth. “I’m most excited about the Microsoft presentations, they’re doing big things in the field”.
Coordinator Dr. Gopal Chopra, adjunct associate professor at the Fuqua School of Business, said he was also inspired by the conversation.
“Wireless is a solution that health care desperately needs,” Chopra explained. “Without a clear conversation with politicians and capital, it makes it difficult to implement. [Through conferences like these] we can bring more focus to the issue. Everyone was surprised by the caliber [of the attendees]. There are executives here who should be at other meetings in other places, but instead, they’re here.”
Attendees were particularly pleased with the “non-combative atmosphere” of the conference, Chopra said. Valdes noted that it was refreshing to see a positive discussion occurring at the event.
“There’s so much negativity in the field,” Valdes explained. “It’s great to know I’m not crazy.”
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