Council for American Medical Innovation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 28, 2010)  “The Council for American Medical Innovation commends President Obama for his leadership in calling for a new agenda on job creation in America.  As Congress responds, we must recognize that few areas hold greater promise for putting Americans back to work than our medical innovation enterprise.

Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2010) – Debra Lappin, President of the Council for American Medical Innovation, released the following statement regarding President Obama’s State of the Union address:
 
“The Council for American Medical Innovation commends President Obama for his leadership in calling for a new agenda on job creation in America." 
 
"As Congress responds, we must recognize that few areas hold greater promise for putting Americans back to work than our medical innovation enterprise. Jobs in this sector are attractive and sustainable, spanning work within our large scale health services, manufacturing, research, and education enterprises, to employment in many of the nation's most promising small businesses and entrepreneurial start-up companies, to work within the nation's vast array of supportive construction and service industries."
 
"Waves of growth in the medical innovation sector are projected over the next decade.  The U.S. health care sector alone is expected to generate 3 million new jobs between 2006 and 2016. For our nation to move toward a time of sustained recovery and growth, investment in medical innovation with its generation of millions of jobs should become a national economic imperative. 
 
“Significant models are available for Congress to draw upon.   Prominent medical centers such as the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have made innovation a central part of their institutional fabric.  This has resulted in an array of promising outcomes, including the development of new treatments and inventions, as well as the launch of start-up companies that produce medical products and services.  Leaders of State bioscience initiatives and regional bio-tech parks, from Baltimore to Raleigh-Durham, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Denver and San Diego, understand what it takes to attract industry within this challenging global marketplace.  We need to be sure they have the tools and support they require to do just this.  
 
“Investing in medical innovation as a key component of a roadmap for economic recovery will not only be a nod to our country’s proud history of leadership in research, discovery and medical advances, but will ensure our nation's ability to remain competitive in one of today's most exciting and rapidly expanding global sectors.  The return on this investment for the nation will be measured not only in our improved economic health, but in the promise of improved personal health for every American.  Few ideas are more bi-partisan than this."

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About the Council for American Medical Innovation
The United States faces serious challenges to maintaining its leadership position in innovation. The Council for American Medical Innovation is bringing together leaders in research, medicine, public health, academia, education, labor, and business, who are working in partnership toward a national policy agenda aimed at preserving U.S. leadership in medical innovation. American medical innovators create millions of high-paying jobs, and their discoveries are integral in the fight to cure cancer and other illnesses. The Council for American Medical Innovation views leadership in medical innovation as a key part of America's economic recovery, future prosperity and health.
 
Media Contact
Sean Donahue
P: 202.347.7946 C: 202.316.8090
sdonahue@theheraldgroup.com