Elizabeth Holmes To Deliver Keynote Address At 2015 Medical Innovation Summit

CLEVELAND, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Holmes, the catalyst behind one of the fastest growing companies in healthcare, will deliver the keynote address at Cleveland Clinic's  2015 Medical Innovation Summit, which begins October 25  in downtown Cleveland.

Holmes, the founder and chief executive officer of Theranos, will address the four-day summit at the end of its first full day, October 26, and discuss how innovators and investors can capitalize on an era of healthcare transformation.

Her California biotech firm is looking to upend one of the most common procedures in medicine with a faster, cheaper approach to blood testing. Theranos technicians conduct multiple diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood extracted with a finger prick. The patented technology, which was granted FDA approval in July 2015, could make long needles and blood-filled vials obsolete.

Holmes started Theranos in 2003, when she dropped out of Stanford University at age 19. Today, the Palo Alto-based company is valued at $9 billion and Holmes, 31, is touted in the financial press as the world's youngest self-made female billionaire. She was recently recognized as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People.

In March, Cleveland Clinic and Theranos announced a strategic alliance in which Cleveland Clinic will implement Theranos' laboratory services within some segments of its patient population and partner on research and clinical studies.

Holmes, who has said that new technologies can save lives by making healthcare more efficient, will join a summit of kindred spirits.

First and largest conference of its kind

More than 1,600 people are expected to descend on the 13^th annual Medical Innovation Summit—"Memory. Mood. Movement"—which this year highlights advances and breakthroughs in the neurosciences.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from more than 100 health experts, chief executives and innovation officers from some of the most innovative companies in the industry.

Breakout sessions and panel discussions will explore concussions in the NFL, big data in brain health, prospects for a cure for Alzheimer's disease and trends in healthcare venturing, patenting and public policy.

Once again, the summit will unveil the much anticipated Top 10 Medical Innovations of the coming year.

In addition to Holmes, who will speak Monday night, featured speakers include:

• Bruce Broussard, CEO and President, Humana
• Jeff Hersh, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, GE Healthcare
• Kevin Lobo, Chairman and CEO, Stryker Corp.
• Michael Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Watson
• Christi Shaw, President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals
• As well as speakers from Biogen, Google, Medtronic, Microsoft, Pfizer and the venture investment community

The summit is organized by Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the corporate venturing arm of Cleveland Clinic, which has spun off more than 75 companies in the past decade. Cox Enterprises, a global communications firm pioneering digital home health services, is the 2015 Presenting Sponsor.

Organizers promise an atmosphere rich in creativity and collaboration, with the opportunity to network and engage with entrepreneurs, medical experts, policy makers and investors.

"In this changing healthcare environment, innovation is even more important as we try to transform the way we treat patients," said Brian Donley, M.D., Cleveland Clinic's Chief of Staff.  "The summit is an opportunity for thought leaders from across the country and around the world to come together in an atmosphere where innovation is celebrated and encouraged. By bringing together experts from all the different disciplines, we can help move ideas down that path from bench to bedside."

As 12 years of summits have illustrated, he added, the impact of such a focused gathering can be powerful.

"It doesn't just stop at the end of the summit," Donley said. "The relationships that are formed and the ideas that are created continue to be strengthened throughout the year. I think we're most proud of that."

A crossroads of innovation

Thomas Graham,  M.D., Chief Innovation Officer for Cleveland Clinic, said the importance of the summit has helped to draw large crowds year after year.

"Innovation happens best at the intersection of knowledge domains. That's why it's important to be part of this gathering of key opinion leaders," he said.  "Stakeholders from across the entire medical innovation ecosystem convene in Cleveland each year to set the tone for global commercialization and corporate venturing in life sciences and biotechnology."

The summit will take place in the Cleveland Convention Center and the adjacent Global Center for Health Innovation, a showplace of healthcare technology in downtown Cleveland.  In addition to keynote addresses and panel discussions, it offers several platforms for healthcare innovators to showcase their work, view the latest technology, and enjoy camaraderie with kindred spirits.

The annual New Ventures Healthcare Challenge will showcase early-stage health IT companies as they compete for a chance to be named the 2015 Challenge Winner. Companies from around the world will present their technologies and services at speedy pitch sessions during Ground Waves and the Healthcare Transformer Showcase.

 The eclectic, upbeat summit includes an opportunity to "Dine Around" Cleveland, a city increasingly renowned for its culinary scene, attend networking receptions and witness performances by the acrobats and aerialists of Cirque-tacular Entertainment.

The summit opens its doors Sunday afternoon, October 25, with an Innovation Base Camp designed to help organizations create cultures of innovation. It closes Wednesday afternoon, October 28, with the unveiling of the Top 10 Medical Innovations of 2016.

For more information and to register, go to the website of the 2015 Medical Innovation Summit:  http://summit.clevelandclinic.org. 

About Cleveland Clinic Innovations
Cleveland Clinic Innovations (CCI) is the commercialization arm of Cleveland Clinic. CCI turns breakthrough inventions of Cleveland Clinic and Global Healthcare Innovations Alliance caregivers into patient-benefiting medical products and companies. Since it was founded in 2000, CCI has executed over 450 licenses and created 75 spin-off companies that have raised over $1 billion in equity investment and commercialization grants. These efforts have resulted in the creation of over 1,200 jobs. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, scheduled to begin seeing patients in 2015, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2013, there were 5.5 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org.  Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

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SOURCE Cleveland Clinic

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