Georgia Center for Medical Robotics (GCMR) Seminar Series
“Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare Economics, Surgical Robotics, Value-based Healthcare”
Catherine Mohr, M.D.
President
Intuitive Foundation
ABSTRACT
In a traditional fee for service model for healthcare, new medical technology products were brought into a system that evaluated therapies by themselves in isolation – were they effective enough in the single patient to warrant use of this new device or drug? Even government-funded single-payer systems have traditionally used a population-based average of this same concept of cost effectiveness.
The current global move to true value-based healthcare requires an expansion from this traditional narrow focus of evaluating the therapies in isolation. It is a systems-based approach, that must take into account not just individual patient outcomes for the episode of care, but the effects of therapies on the workflow in the hospital, dynamics at a population level, and even has repercussions into how a country trains and credentials its doctors and nurses. This level of complexity presents challenges to both providers of care, and those who would develop tools for those providers to use.
In her talk, Dr. Mohr will explore the history of our technological medical interventions, understanding measurements of value with an eye towards developing the next generation of medical devices.
BIO
Dr. Catherine Mohr is President of the Intuitive Foundation, the corporate Foundation of Intuitive Surgical, a high technology Silicon Valley based company that makes the da Vinci surgical robot. In this role she invests in research and development programs aimed at understanding and improving education of medical practitioners around the world and applying novel technologies aimed at reducing the global burden of disease. In addition, she is on Faculty at Singularity University which studies the impact of exponentially changing technologies on our society.
Dr. Mohr has a diverse background which covers surgery, medical technology, engineering, product design, healthcare, alternative energy, automotive, aerospace, global entrepreneurship, IP litigation, FDA compliance, education, and product development. From this she brings extensive industry experience and deep insights into emerging opportunities, trends, issues and challenges. Proven history of visionary thought-leadership as an advisor on future technologies to a wide range of companies and government agencies, and a sought-after speaker/lecturer.
Dr. Mohr received her BS and MS in mechanical engineering from MIT, and her MD from Stanford University School of Medicine. She has been involved with numerous startup companies in the areas of alternative energy transportation, and worked for many years developing high altitude aircraft and high efficiency fuel cell power systems, computer aided design software, and medical devices.
Dr. Mohr has served as a scientific advisor for several startup companies in Silicon Valley, the NCI SBIR program, and government technology development programs in her native New Zealand, and entrepreneurship programs worldwide. She is the author of numerous scientific publications, the recipient of multiple design awards, and speaks regularly internationally on the subject of the future of surgery, technology and robotics.