A few weeks back, I had the privilege to attend TEDMED 2011. TEDMED is an event like no other – the atmosphere was so rarified. In my 35+ years in the healthcare industry, this was the single best conference I’ve ever been to.
For me, I personally enjoyed Juan Enriquez’s (of Excel Venture Management) scathing indictment of the FDA. He asked the attendees to change the counting. In addition to counting how many people the FDA saves, we also need to count the number of people the FDA kills through their delays. And the number of “FDA kills” is probably as great or greater than the number of “FDA saves.”
I was also moved by the mushroom guy – Paul Stamets (of Fungi Perfecti). He is researching how certain mushrooms from old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest can treat cancer. I had no idea this research was going on.
The presentation by Lee Stein (Prize Capital LLC and Virtual Group LLC) about his son’s sky diving accident and subsequent MRI scans revealing a possibly fatal condition was moving. The way NYU was able to work with the MRI manufacturer to push the limits of research was noteworthy.
For those who haven’t been to TEDMED, it’s tough to explain how special it is – and it is special!! I absolutely can’t wait for TEDMED 2012 in Washington, DC.
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