A Disruptive Call for Innovation Focus

This week, Disruptive Women in Health Care unveiled a new eBook entitled, Innovation Nation: Recognizing the Benefits of Innovation in Health Care. This compilation of blog posts written by several esteemed women in the health care sector is an interesting read. Individually and collectively, their message is clear: Innovation is crucial to the well-being of our health care system.

As you might imagine, we couldn't agree more. We talk about innovation a lot, but it's not just about biopharmaceuticals. From wireless and Internet technologies to personalized medicine, innovation comes in a multitude of forms, all of which hold the potential to improve peoples' lives and, in the meantime, help the American economy recover. All too often, when it comes to health care, policymakers view medical advances as a cost driver or a luxury we can afford to do without, rather than a route to improving patient health and, importantly, achieving fiscal stability. Continued American leadership in medical innovation will require strong vision from our elected officials, new public-private partnerships, a welcoming investment climate, a smart regulatory infrastructure and a top-notch educational system.

The introduction to the Disruptive Women eBook cites the U.S. Patent and Trademark Museum as saying: "Today, America's inventive spirit is one of our most treasured and envied assets." Our history of medical innovation is second to none. We just need the right environment to stay on track.