Tag Archives: innovation

Can You Hear Me Now?

Posted on July 30, 2010 by

In my last post I talked about robots and other technologies used for remote monitoring of patients who are seeking to lose weight or achieve other healthcare goals. One of the biggest challenges with remote monitoring systems, particularly as it relates to consistently and frequently monitoring people with chronic illness, such as heart or lung disease, is compliance. Even when the technology is sitting right there on their kitchen counter, as the Autom or Health Buddy does, sometimes people just ignore it. If you let the system know you were experiencing shortness of breath or a rapid, irregular heartbeat, your doctor could be on the phone to you in well, a heartbeat. Instead, that fancy remote monitoring device sometimes gets used as a handy dandy towel rack, just like that exercise bike in your bedroom does an excellent job of holding up your clothes.

Of course, we all recognize this is just human nature. Your spouse says to you, “don’t talk on the cell phone while you’re driving, “ and, while you’re responding with “don’t tell me what to do, “ you slam into the back of a Mercedes. Human … (read the rest)

Posted in Healthcare Information Technology, Healthcare Venture Capital, Real Science, Venture Capital | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Government as an Engine for Innovation

Posted on July 21, 2010 by

I’ve been thinking a great deal about the newly formed Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. (CMI). This entity was established as a result of the Affordable Care Act (the new healthcare reform legislation) and its purpose is to “research, develop, test and expand innovative payment and service delivery models that will improve the quality and reduce the costs of care for” patients covered by CMS-related programs. The legislation gives this entity over $10 billion dollars initially and broad authority to figure out new ways of doing things better and differently than before. What is great about CMI is that they have the authority to run their programs much more like a business would without many historical governmental constraints. That’s great news for innovation, which is sorely needed in the U.S. healthcare system.

Among the key objectives that the administration has discussed is how to transition the collective mindset from one of healthcare to one of health. In other words, if a person is healthy, they do not need health CARE. This is a very important distinction; it puts the emphasis on prevention and wellness as opposed to what … (read the rest)

Posted in Girls Rule!, Healthcare Reform, Healthcare Venture Capital, Venture Capital, Women in Venture Capital & Private Equity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

U.S. Medical Innovation: Win the Pennant or Strike Out Looking?

Posted on July 14, 2010 by

Yesterday I attended a meeting of a group of venture capitalists and NVCA representatives who came together to discuss the formation of a new industry group focused on preserving the spirit and business of medical innovation that has for so long been the unchallenged purview of the United States. The group is tentatively to be called MedIC , which stands for the Medical Innovation and Competitiveness Coalition. Notably, the group’s Chairman is Dr. Beth Seidenberg, a life sciences partner at Kleiner Perkins, and the lead organizer is Kelly Slone, Director of Federal Life Science Policy of the National Venture Capital Association. Great to see such a show of gal-power driving the effort to address such a critical issue for our industry.

The U.S. healthcare ecosystem, to use a trendy VC word, has long been notable for its global leadership in the development of new drugs, new medical devices, and other healthcare products and services. Despite its limitations and challenges, our medical industry has for decades been the go-to incubator of a seemingly boundless array of new medical inventions that spread throughout the world. Bash America all you want, but … (read the rest)

Posted in Girls Rule!, Healthcare Venture Capital, Venture Capital, Women in Venture Capital & Private Equity | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment