Dec. 5th, 2012 Annual Life Science Alley Conference

LifeScience Alley (LSA), a great non-profit industry group here in the Twin Cities, held its annual conference in Feburary at the Mpls. Convention Center on Dec. 5th.

Earl Bakken started "Medical Alley" likely in the 70's-80's to help industry professionals establish career networks; he recognized the importance of this when big computer firms like Control Data and Honeywell had layoffs and people needed to find new careers (in fact, Medtronic and other device firms probably benefited from the skilled labor pool in MN from those industries.)  When Pawlenty was governor in the mid-90's, the name was changed to reflect a broader-based view of the medtech industry to include biotech and perhaps even agritech.

Often, I feel that LSA's meeting reflects the themes of the times.  Over the years, the keynotes and presenters have focused less on clinical benefits of individual technologies to broader healthcare system issues, and the presenters, panelists, and conference-goers have evolved over time as well.  This year, there was even greater involvement on the part of insurers and providers, offering the medtech world a deeper view into those stakeholders needs and challenges.

LSA makes note-taking easy, and has posted the keynote lectures from the session:
http://www.lifesciencealleyconference.org/2012-keynote-speaker-videos-2

Videos from the 2012 Conference are now available online.  Click here for speaker videos.
Morning Keynote: Julie McHugh, MBA, COO, Endo Health Solutions	Luncheon Keynote: Véronique Roger, MD, MPH, Director, Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic	Afternoon Keynote Panel: Rob Clark, Vice President, Healthcare Modernization, Optum Brent A. Del Monte, JD, Vice President, Federal Government Relations, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Raymond Frost, Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Bayer HealthCare Mark Leahey, President & CEO, Medical Device Manufacturers Association

Here are my takeaways as well.

Morning Keynote with Julie McHugh, COO Endo Health Solutions

• Key now for medical device manufacturers is to focus on CARE PATHWAY OPPORTUNITIES.  We need to comprehend and look a the healthcare market a different way.  Having electronic data remains a key gap.
• Economic value is a must.  Innovations must improve outcomes while taking cost out of the system.  Innovation is being redefined by what is needed in healthcare delivery and information technology, (not in meeting unmet clinical needs with new technology solutions - exactly my thinking with the industrialization of healthcare!)
• 5-10 years from now, Julie sees a time when the industry has dismantled the old model and built a new one.

Luncheon Keynote with Veronique Roger, MD, MPH, Director of the Center for the Science of HC Delivery, Mayo Clinic

• Basic though this is for all of us MBA's out there, after reviewing a lot of wonderful history of Mayo and how care has evolved there, Dr. Roger outlined (in a lovely French accent) the Mayo's "new" foundation for re-engineering healthcare delivery: the Patient-Physician-Payer triangle, and the concept that Value = Quality (in terms of Outcomes, Safety) over Cost.  Old news to some of us, but I guess it's new to healthcare!
• She also introduced the idea of "Design Thinking," which again, is an old concept to industry (particularly high-tech companies like Apple) but is mission-critical to the age-old healthcare industry as it seeks to develop new solutions that will WORK for its multiple constituents.

Afternoon Keynote Panel: 2012 Election Results

I found this session to be a bit deep in the weeds of singular issues with FDA & reimbursement, but perhaps some good points to take away....

• FDA needs to be appropriately funded to manage user fee program across med device, pharmal, biosimilar, generic drug
• Most pressing issue from Affordable Care Act  / Blind Spots:
• More unknowns that knowns - 9 proposals since election
• What do small employers do in 2014? Exchanges or offer the benefit?
• How will states deliver?  Commission and independent advisory group...
• For Optum, cost, quality, and access are key, as is the escalation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO's)
• Sunshine Act...
• 2013 Cost of Care is issue.  What is the solution?  Tech is the solution to the HC problem, not he cause.  4% of the cost, vs. 70% of the cost is labor (one could argue the point that the labor is there to utilize the tech...).  Have to think of new ways to skin the cat.
• Data from devices such as EHR; value vs. fee for service.  MDT, BSX, STJ --> how about # of times lives are saved?
• More work between companies and payors - what do they define as value?
• 2d --> 2 yr plan.  Drive consistency in FDA approval.
• Ideas: Risk sharing contracts between payor and ACO
• Get Payers involved in clinical trial design and patient advocacy (oncology)
• Concern - lack of importance we have on Physicians.  Vital communication between Dr.'s and industry reps.  Shortage of PCP's.
• Need to recognize tha tfor a new technology to be adopted, there has to be a bridge between collecting data and reimbursement.