Shane DeGaris heads to Tennessee
Shane DeGaris, our group chief executive, will lead a prestigious HealthTech trade mission to the United States this month as an ambassador for the NHS.
He is invited by the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) to represent the UK health sector in talks with leading US innovators, doctors and entrepreneurs.
His participation reflects growing interest in the potential of the Barts Life Sciences’ cluster development in Whitechapel to embed commercial innovation in a clinical environment.
The visit is one of three high-level trade missions the ABHI is taking to the US this year to accelerate transatlantic cooperation in states with strong health ecosystems.
The intensive five-day programme of workshops and exchanges involving hospitals, medical centres and universities in Nashville, Jackson and Memphis is billed as a unique example of peer-to-peer exchange.
Shane will travel with representatives of a dozen UK HealthTech companies looking to showcase their innovations and do business in the American market.
As well as learning how leading US healthcare organisations have embraced technology, he will have an unrivalled opportunity to meet potential US investors seeking partnerships to establish pilot schemes, clinical trials or commercial contracts.
Shane will also deliver a series of speeches and presentations on healthcare challenges and opportunities in the UK from the perspective of one of the country’s biggest hospital groups.
He said:
This mission presents a valuable opportunity to engage directly with US health system leaders and explore how we can collectively respond to shared challenges. I look forward to exchanging insights, learning from international counterparts, and strengthening our partnerships to adopt HealthTech solutions.
The ABHI is funding the visit and there is no cost to the trust. Barts Health joined forces with the ABHI last year to foster collaboration between clinicians and industry.
Prof Rakesh Uppal, chief executive of BLS, took part in a previous delegation to Florida and said:
I saw how quickly innovation takes hold when you are not afraid to take risks but are prepared to learn from either success or failure.
He added:
This is an opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from a mature healthcare system, support British start-ups pitching to US audiences, and get alongside those British innovators to understand what they are bringing to the life sciences market.
Read more
Providing more for our patients
Shane DeGaris talks leadership, operating models and integrated healthcare on podcast