CLEVELAND, Ohio – National experts in health care, government, community organizations and foundations plan to convene in Cleveland to choose an issue related to the opioid crisis, such as opioid-dependent babies, then gather data and define a solution.
More than 70 of the experts gathered privately on Monday at the Global Center for Health Innovation to begin the discussions. It was the second private meeting organized by BioEnterprise, which manages the Global Center and promotes and nurtures health-care companies and bio-science technologies.
Global Center for Health Innovation evolving from showcase to workspace
“We want to take on big challenges that no one can do on its own, identify areas and find collaborators across sectors that can deliver value,” BioEnterprise CEO Aram Nerpouni said Monday following the executive briefing titled “The Role of Private Capital in Attacking the Opioid Crisis.”
He was joined by Dr. Michael Petersen, medical director with Accenture’s health-management delivery operations team in Austin, Texas. Accenture, a consulting company based in Chicago that works with top companies, is partnering with BioEnterprise on the endeavor.
Petersen said Monday’s gathering was unique.
“Most opioid summits discuss the common problem and educate those who attend,” he said. “Everyone here understood the problem and could accelerate ideas and push for collaborations. It is a multi-faceted problem that not one entity can solve.”
From the 70 attendees of Monday’s session, a working group of about 20 people will be defined within a few months and will likely meet regularly at the Global Center for up to a year to develop a solution to the identified issue.
“There are places we feel this group can make meaningful progress,” Petersen said.
He said the working group will chose a specific issue related to the opioid crisis, such as opioid-dependent babies, gather data and define a solution.
He and Nerpouni said the solution might initially be defined for a specific geographic area but could likely be adapted nationally.
They acknowledged that there are numerous local, statewide and national efforts to battle the crisis, but said their effort differs because it includes experts who can develop innovative solutions.
They said there will likely be other working groups from Monday’s meeting that will prioritize opioid issues once the initial effort concludes.
Nerpouni said the initiative will receive input from the Global Center’s tenants, including the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.He added that the initiative is part of the center’s new focus of participating in solving health-care issues.
According to BioEnterprise, those attending the seminar Monday included representatives from the offices of Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and Attorney General Mike DeWine; the Ohio Development Services Agency; Ohio Third Frontier; the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium (Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, St. Vincent’s Charity Medical Center and University Hospitals); Surescripts; Appriss Health; Groups Recover Together; Self Refind; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Health Velocity Capital; Cordata; Axial Healthcare; and The Dalton Foundation.
