The statistics are staggering. About 20 million people in the US had a substance use disorder in 2019, and during the COVID pandemic it got worse. Beyond the numbers, the true tragedies of addiction are found in the lives lost and families destroyed. Two thirds of adults have been touched by alcohol or drug addiction. Yet, in 2021, the odds of recovery for someone with the disease of addiction was only 2%.
After personally being cured of Stage 4 melanoma in 2014 – a disease that had only a 5% survival rate in 2000, yet reached 60% survival by 2020, our Featured Member, Gene Barduson, Founder & CEO of the Addiction Research Institute, determined it was time to start funding research to cure addiction. Gene Barduson healthcare career began as a serial senior executive with Siemens Medical Systems, then he became CEO for health tech companies EDiX/IDX, Appexion, Alteer Corporation, and Edge Health. In more recent years, he’s served as Exec Chair of PerfectServe, Board Trustee for Western University of Health Sciences (where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters), and founded La Jolla Wellness Studio. Since 2017, Gene’s been a Trustee for Scripps Health System.
In founding ARI, Gene was in large part inspired by Nobel Laureate James Allison, PhD, whose pioneering research in cancer immunotherapy (told in the inspirational documentary Jim Allison: Breakthrough) is now saving lives formerly lost to lung, bladder, and skin cancers.
During our Discussion, we’ll look to hear about the “Miracles” that research has produced in your area of the healthcare continuum – as success stories from one field may well stimulate emulation in another!
RSVP today for this inspiring discussion and presentation.
2023: JAN 20 FEB 17 MAR 17 APR 21 MAY 19 JUN 16 JUL 21 AUG 18 SEP 15 OCT 20 NOV 17 Dec 6 – Combined Session for the Innovations In Healthcare Awards Event
Our Los Angeles Healthcare Round Table meets on the third Friday of each month.
Meetings are held via Zoom with an In-Person session held quarterly.