West Wireless Health Institute
The West Wireless Health Institute(WWHI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent medical research organization located in San Diego, California. Founded by the Gary and Mary West Foundation with a $45 million grant in March 2009.[1] WWHI's mission[2] is to lower health care costs by accelerating the availability of wireless health solutions.
Engineering and clinical research
The Institute’s research is led by an interdisciplinary group of engineers and clinicians in medicine, science and technology. Researchers are trained in microsystems, bioengineering, analytics, biomedical circuitry, nanotechnology, user experience and software, novel technology-enabled products, wireless communications, and additional disciplines. All engineering research at WWHI is patient-centered and is guided by needs identified by clinicians, hospitals, and/or health care systems. The Institute focuses on the research and development of low-cost solutions that meet these needs, including reducing hospital readmissions and ensuring patients have access to the right care at the right time, wherever they live.
Headquarters
The WWHI is headquartered in San Diego, California. In December 2009, it opened its 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) research facility, which contains a classroom for workshops and seminars; an Innovation Showcase space to display wireless health technologies under development around the world; and five clinical and engineering labs, including:
- Electronics Laboratory – used for designing, fabricating and testing biomedical instruments for monitoring, diagnostics and therapy.
- Human Experience Laboratory – used to evaluate prototypes in a variety of environments.
- Biosensors Laboratory – used for research at the interface of biology and sensor technology to develop assays and electrical detection methods.
History
2009
- March 30 – West Wireless Health Institute is launched in San Diego, California with a $45 million grant from the Gary and Mary West Foundation.
- April 2 – Eric J. Topol, M.D. delivers keynote address on wireless health at CTIA International Wireless Show.
- July 23 – WWHI is acknowledged as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
- October – San Diego hosts CTIA's Wireless IT & Entertainment show and TEDMED, with Eric J. Topol, M.D. as a speaker on wireless health.
- December – WWHI moves to headquarters on San Diego's Torrey Pines Research Mesa.
2010
- March 9 – Donald M. Casey named WWHI's Chief Executive Officer.
- April 5 – Eric J. Topol, M.D., assumes role on WWHI Board of Directors as Vice Chairman. Joseph M. Smith, M.D., Ph.D. named WWHI's Chief Medical and Science Officer.
- May 12 – Gary and Mary West Foundation grants an additional $20 million to WWHI for internal research and development.[3]
- June 17 – Gary and Mary West Foundation commits another $25 million to expand engineering capacity.[4]
- June 24 – Joseph M. Smith, M.D., Ph.D. testifies before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Health[5] during a hearing titled, “Overcoming Rural Health Care Barriers: Use of Innovative Wireless Technology Solutions.”
- July 26 and July 27 – Joseph Smith, M.D., Ph.D. participates as panelist at the joint Federal Communications Commission - Food and Drug Administration Public Meeting[6] on converged communications and medical devices.
- September 23, 2010 – In collaboration with Rep. Michael Michaud and the Veterans Affairs Committee, WWHI hosts Congressional Demo Day in Washington D.C. for members, legislative staff and industry leaders. 16 companies demonstrated innovations in wireless and mobile health.
- October 12, 2010 – WWHI hosts Heath Care Innovation Day – DC (HCI-DC). The event had 300 participants. Speakers included W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; federal CTOs Aneesh Chopra,[7] and Todd Park; and Dr. Adam Darkins,[8] Dr. Peter Levin, and Jonah Czerwinski from the VA. WWHI announced a new developer challenge with VAi2 targeting veterans’ health conditions like polytrauma, and 30 companies demonstrated their innovations.[9]
- November 8, 2010 – WWHI develops its first engineered prototype, Sense4Baby, a non-invasive wireless device designed to make fetal and maternal monitoring more readily available to expectant mothers.[10]
Leadership
Donald M. Casey was named the CEO[11] of the WWHI in March 2010. Members of the Board of Directors are Gary West (Founder, Chairman); Eric J. Topol, M.D. (Vice Chairman); Donald Casey; Jim Hasson; and Charles Sederstrom.
WWHI is an independent, nonprofit medical research organization, whose sole source of funding is the Gary and Mary West Foundation. WWHI neither accepts funding from any corporate or government source, nor joins any external trade or membership association or organization. WWHI does not make grants and does not sponsor events.
References
External links