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Eureka! Now What? Second Annual Donaghue Medical Research Foundation Symposium Examines How Philanthropy, Business and Medicine Can Bring Healthcare Breakthroughs to Life

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Medical breakthroughs happen every day, with the potential to impact millions of people, here in Connecticut and around the world. Yet years can elapse between breakthrough and practical application, according to experts and healthcare leaders set to assemble at the second annual Beyond Eureka! Conference, being held on May 10 at the Hartford Hilton Hotel. Offered by the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation, the conference will examine how philanthropy, business and the healthcare community can bridge the gap between scientific discovery and everyday care delivery, benefiting millions.

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It takes, on average, 17 years for a medical breakthrough to become part of widely accepted clinical practice. Though "evidence based" treatments exist for many medical conditions, recent studies indicate that these established treatments are used only about 50% of the time. What's more, many doctors -- overwhelmed by the volume of new research -- seem unaware of some evidenced-based treatments or find it difficult to incorporate so much information into practice.

As home to prestigious academic institutions conducting landmark research with often groundbreaking implications, Connecticut stands to benefit from reducing the time between scientific breakthrough and practical application. With research more widely publicized and the findings used, Connecticut residents and their physicians could be taking advantage of effective clinical treatments and disease prevention techniques. So too would Connecticut-based insurance providers and employers realize the benefits of these care improvements in the face of escalating costs.

The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Foundation funds Connecticut-based researchers whose work shows promise of a practical benefit. Having witnessed the so-called 'black hole' of scientific discovery, the Foundation works to facilitate the adoption of new findings into practice to improve the health of Connecticut residents.

Experts agree that stronger relationships between philanthropy, businesses and healthcare providers - with common, shared objectives - may be the key to bridging the gap between discovery and application. "The objectives of businesses and healthcare providers are not at odds on this issue," said Donaghue Foundation trustee Ray Andrews. "Each entity has a desire to vastly improve the quality and effectiveness of care for employees and patients, while controlling spiraling healthcare costs. Philanthropies, our Foundation included, want to support research that can make a positive impact on people's lives - here in Connecticut and around the world - and see that research get implemented day-to-day."

The conference will feature keynote speakers representing all sides of the research to application equation presenting real-world examples of the strategies they are using to drive research to achieve results. These examples encompass the way that research is structured to the application of clinical advancements to the very makeup and organization of healthcare delivery systems.

Scott Johnson, Founder and President of the Myelin Repair Foundation will discuss how new philanthropy must expand beyond its traditional funding capacity and play a pivotal role in aligning structures and incentives for academic researchers and industry to fast-track the development of treatments and cures.

Dale Whitney, President of Bridges to Excellence and Vice Chair of the Leapfrog Group, will describe the business partnerships that are changing the dynamic between employers and healthcare providers and the role the business community can play by using its collective purchasing power to drive the use of evidence-based healthcare policy, coverage and quality.

Michael Mustille, MD of the Permanente Federation and the Council for Accountable Physician Practices will consider the role that clinicians and health system leaders play in creating best practice health care institutions and determining where and how evidence gets used effectively to produce the best patient outcomes.

"Philanthropies, businesses and healthcare providers can no longer afford to operate at odds with each other. Doing so will only perpetuate this problem," said Lynne Garner, Donaghue's Executive Director. "By focusing on our common objectives, we have the ability to impact the health of individuals, our communities and our society in general in remarkable and tangible ways."

Following keynote addresses, a reactor panel led by Deans Robert Alpern, MD of Yale Medical School and Peter Deckers, MD of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine & Dental Medicine, will address the way that academic medical centers in Connecticut are responding to this challenge in the way that they conduct research.

A number of the Donaghue Foundation's grantees and their research will also be recognized at the conference. Attendance is free and open to the public, with a simple pre-registration required. Those interested can log on to www.donaghue.org to register or for more information.

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Eureka! Now What? Second Annual Donaghue Medical Research Foundation Symposium Examines How Philanthropy, Business and Medicine Can Bring Healthcare Breakthroughs to Life

Business Wire, April 23, 2007

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