Ashley Asks: Driving Collaboration Across Medtech with Scott Whitaker

The annual AdvaMed MedTech Conference in Anaheim, California, is a chance for the industry to come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities that we’re facing and how we can work together to advance patient care.

With this year’s event fast approaching, I engaged AdvaMed’s President & CEO Scott Whitaker to share more about the conference, the Association, and the importance of industry collaboration.

Ashley: Scott, can you tell us a little about AdvaMed?

Scott: AdvaMed is the world’s largest medical technology association representing the companies that produce the medical devices, diagnostic tools, and digital health technologies that help patients through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures, and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. These companies have a presence in every state and serve patients all over the United States and the world.

The medtech ecosystem is diverse and complex. That’s why AdvaMed represents medtech’s needs at every stage, from a concept to a product that’s been tested, proven safe and effective, earned regulatory approval, manufactured, and distributed to healthcare professionals for use in treating patients. In the U.S., our advocacy occurs at the federal and state levels. We’re based in Washington, D.C., where we can reach the White House, executive branch agencies, and Congress. We also work in state capitals to track state legislative and regulatory developments.

Ashley: AdvaMed plays a vital role in advocating for patient access to innovative medical technologies. Can you tell us about your priorities for the year?

Scott: At the beginning of 2023, we released a nine-point Innovation Agenda for the 118th session of the U.S. Congress. The overarching principle is that every patient, everywhere, in every setting, should have access to the full range of medtech products that could lead to better outcomes, whether saving a life or enhancing a quality of life.

Starting with that idea, we identified the nine priority areas and specific policies Congress and the federal agencies should enact in each category to help medtech reach patients. The priorities are improving patient access to breakthrough medical technologies, including a predictable coverage pathway for Medicare beneficiaries; strengthening U.S. medtech’s global leadership position; securing American medtech supply chain resistance, with supplies such as semiconductor chips; ensuring patient access to accurate diagnostic tests; boosting next-gen medtech innovation through America’s startups; strengthening the FDA regulatory process to ensure the latest medical technologies reach every patient; closing the care gap for underserved communities, with clinical trial diversity as an important task; protecting medtech sterilization processes to protect public health; and ensuring tax law keeps pace with innovation.

But our advocacy doesn’t stop in the U.S. We collaborate globally to ensure patients around the world have access to safe and effective medical devices and technologies.

Ashley: How does AdvaMed facilitate collaboration among its member companies to drive innovation and tackle shared challenges?

Scott: AdvaMed represents the biggest medtech companies and the smallest startups. Through our Board of Directors and numerous committees, we bring the industry together to inform policy and regulatory debates with the insights and expertise of our member companies. We also form new committees as needs arise, and new divisions and sectors to better serve our member companies and their patients. For example, we recently elevated the digital health division within AdvaMed to form a Digital Health Tech sector, recognizing the increasing role of digital technology in healthcare. We also formed a new Health Equity and Diversity Committee to oversee AdvaMed’s work related to health equity, women’s health, and medtech workforce diversity. All of those aspects of our work are key to reaching every patient with medtech.

Additionally, AdvaMed events, such as The MedTech Conference every October and the CEO Summit every spring, bring the industry together to build the connections that make a difference in innovating medtech solutions.

Ashley: The MedTech Conference in Anaheim is always a must-attend event. Can you preview some of the highlights that attendees can expect?

Scott: I’m excited to be on the West Coast for The MedTech Conference this year – it’s a great way to celebrate California's role as a global leader in medtech innovation. California has 83,600 medtech professionals, and the industry contributes significantly to the state economy.

As always, the conference will prioritize diverse perspectives and engage emerging leaders in addition to the leaders of today. For example, we’ll launch a new student engagement hub and partnerships with organizations like the Scientist Mentor Diversity Program, MedTech Vets, MedTech Color, and the Women’s Executive Network. Ultimately, our goal is to foster innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity within the industry. The Student Hub connects students with medtech companies to explore careers.

We’ll also facilitate important conversations around the future of the industry. For example, there will be a fireside chat with former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty that will touch upon the ways AI is reshaping healthcare, creating a future where AI-powered innovations will drive efficiency, affordability, and accessibility.

Bill Longfield will receive a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his outstanding leadership and contributions to the medtech industry. His role as former C. R. Bard CEO and AdvaMed Chair highlight his dedication to patient needs and industry growth.

I’m also looking forward to the MedTech Innovator Finals, which will showcase early-stage companies from various sectors, reaffirming the industry's commitment to innovation and the promise of a brighter future for patients. The Investor Forum will also be returning for its second year, attracting increased investor presence. Corporate Reverse Pitches allow executives from leading companies to present their strategic priorities directly to potential partners and investors, creating invaluable networking opportunities. And, more than 1,000 one-on-one partnering sessions on the exhibit hall floor showcase the vibrancy of the industry.

In short, The MedTech Conference in Anaheim will celebrate the innovation, diversity, and collaboration that are delivering remarkable results for patients today and the promise of much more in the future.

I’m really looking forward to it.

Ashley: What excites you the most about the future of the medical technology industry and AdvaMed's role in shaping that future?

Scott: The digital transformation of healthcare, including the use of AI, has tremendous potential to help patients. Patients will continue to receive an accurate diagnosis or a clean bill of health sooner than ever before, regardless of whether they live in a city or a rural area, if the digital landscape unfolds to its fullest potential. The COVID-19 pandemic gave us a sense of what the digital future could look like, with patients benefiting from telehealth appointments like never before. Medtech is continuously envisioning the future of health care, and AdvaMed works with our medtech leaders to inform the policymaking that will help bring that vision into reality for patients.

In recent years, medtech has contributed to longer life expectancies and fewer days spent in the hospital, reduced fatalities from heart disease and stroke, and helped reduce deaths from breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cancer overall, all while maintaining stable costs and a fraction of health care spending.

Last year, Congress enacted legislation to improve the FDA’s process for considering new medical technology, including incentives to hire additional qualified medtech reviewers. The historic Medical Device User Fee Amendment (MDUFA) agreement, known as “MDUFA V,” resulted from the negotiations of AdvaMed, the FDA, and congressional leaders on a final agreement that provides FDA with the resources it needs to review device submissions in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective way. Building on those successes has tremendous potential to fulfill AdvaMed’s goal of reaching every patient, every time with life-changing, life-enhancing medtech.