MATTER is Home to More Than 100 Health Technology Startups; Senator Kirk is an Author of Job-Creating Policy: Healthier Innovations for America Bill
CHICAGO –-(ENEWSPF)–August 28, 2015. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today visited Chicago’s healthcare technology incubator MATTER to discuss the future of healthcare innovation with their executives, entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Senator Kirk toured the MATTER health technology innovation hub, which gives startups the rare opportunity to collaborate with and learn from industry leaders that can help them develop and launch their innovations.
“From the invention of the cell phone to the zipper, Illinois has long been a center of innovation,” Senator Kirk said. “MATTER’s elevation of our entrepreneurs, startups and industry leaders is a reason why Chicago stands among the global players of healthcare innovation.”
During his visit, Senator Kirk met with Steven Collens, CEO of MATTER, Jeff Aronin, co-chair of MATTER and CEO of Marathon Pharmaceuticals, and representatives from AbbVie, Astellas Pharma and BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois to discuss MATTER’s efforts to support the success of next-generation health technology startups.
Senator Kirk also met with some of the entrepreneurs working at MATTER to learn more about their work to create innovative healthcare solutions. This impressive group of entrepreneurs included the founders of MedMatch, a new technology for hiring medical professionals; SuperBetter, an app that has been shown to reduce depression & anxiety; Innoblative, a medical device company; and GTX Surgery, a company that makes surgical simulation available on mobile devices.
Senator Kirk has a record of innovative healthcare initiatives in the Senate. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Kirk has been instrumental in drafting the Healthier Innovations for America Bill. This legislation would be a Senate counterpart to the House’s 21st Century Cures Act, passed this year with bipartisan support 344-77, which brings health care innovation into the 21st Century and encourages the development of the next generation of cures and treatments. As a member of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Kirk worked to increase funding for the National Institute of Health (NIH) to $32 billion in FY16, which is a $2 billion increase from FY15 making it the largest increase in over a decade.
“MATTER is honored to host Senator Kirk and discuss how entrepreneurs are working to build the future of healthcare here in Chicago,” said MATTER CEO Steven Collens. “We’re grateful for Senator Kirk’s commitment to supporting business growth and healthcare innovation, and we look forward to working with him as MATTER continues to grow.”
“MATTER is helping to make Chicago a global hub for healthcare innovation, and we are fortunate to have leaders like Senator Kirk who are aligned with the mission of health care innovation,” said Jeff Aronin, co-chair of MATTER and CEO of Marathon Pharmaceuticals. “By working together with entrepreneurs, we can build the next generation of healthcare technology that will improve patient lives.”
MATTER, launched in February 2015, accelerates innovation by connecting major healthcare institutions with entrepreneurs at the forefront of health technology. Home to more than 100 health technology startups, MATTER has partnered with over 40 industry leaders, three world-class research institutions and eight healthcare systems to create the next generation of health IT, medical devices, diagnostics and biopharmaceuticals.
Source: www.kirk.senate.gov
