Carnegie Mellon University's Alan Russell Tapped to Participate in Conference Addressing Challenges for Medical Research

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare is ripe for disruption as more medical professionals, insurance providers, patient advocacy groups and hospitals work to provide better care at economical prices.

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Improving healthcare and many other medical issues will be discussed by Carnegie Mellon University'sAlan Russell at the fifth annual Partnering for Cures Conference sponsored by the Milken Institute, Nov. 3-5 in New York City.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss how we can all help to transform healthcare and provide better care to patients. At CMU, we have created the DHTI to help transform health services that have historically been very complicated and expensive into patient-centered solutions that will be affective, affordable and accessible," said Russell, the Highmark Distinguished Career Professor at CMU and chief innovation officer and executive vice president of the Allegheny Health Network.

Russell has been invited to present a session on the Carnegie Mellon Disruptive Health Technology Institute's model to develop healthcare innovations that can be clinically tested and rapidly delivered to patients. In addition, Russell will participate in a panel titled "Reimbursement: Can Value Drive Innovation" with the following experts: Robert J. Beall, president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Jo Carol Hiatt, chair of the National Product Council at Kaiser Permanente; Shari Ling, deputy chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and Dean Rosen, panel moderator and partner at Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc.

CMU's DHTI is a multi-year $11 million initiative aimed at transforming healthcare. The institute is focusing on seven key areas including accessibility of medical diagnostics, behavior change, chronic disease management, data mining, improved endoscopy, improved diagnostic ultrasound and infection prevention.

"DHTI has just launched our first series of research grants that span everything from improving retinal prosthesis for the blind to development of a rapid diagnostic tool for detection of infection during surgery," Russell said. "CMU researchers will develop and share innovative healthcare technology delivery technologies that will shape the future in partnership with Highmark."

About Carnegie Mellon University:Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 12,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon's main campus in the United States is in Pittsburgh, Pa. It has campuses in California's Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico.

About the Disruptive Health Technology Institute: After a $2.5 million grant from the Heinz Endowments, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Highmark, and Allegheny Health Network have created the Disruptive Health Technology Institute (DHTI), a multi-year $11 million initiative aimed at increasing the affordability, simplicity, and accessibility of healthcare. DHTI is an environment where healthcare innovations can be clinically tested and rapidly delivered to patients. CMU researchers are leading the development of engineering, science, biomedical, and healthcare delivery technologies with new institute colleagues. DHTI is currently focusing on accessibility of medical diagnostics, behavior change, chronic disease management, data mining, improved endoscopy, improved diagnostic ultrasound, and infection prevention. DHTI funds projects that can impact a large population, provide substantial healthcare savings, and have likely success in improving patient safety and quality of life.

SOURCE Carnegie Mellon University