Expo brings innovators, patients to Coeur d'Alene
The goal of the Medical Advancement Expo is to bring together innovators in health care and improve medicine, said Darron Rock, Northwest Specialty’s director of marketing.
Photos by JUDD WILSON/Press The first Medical Advancement Expo, sponsored by Northwest Specialty Hospital, kicked off Saturday at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
By JUDD WILSON
Staff writer
COEUR d’ALENE — The Medical Advancement Expo brought innovators from multiple fields together at The Coeur d’Alene Resort on Saturday.
The weekend-long event is the only one of its kind in the Inland Northwest, said Darron Rock, Northwest Specialty Hospital director of marketing. Rock said the purpose of MAX is to improve transparency, improve patient care, and bring large corporations together with local leaders and educators.
Sree Koneru came all the way from Frederick, Md., to show off Bioelectronic Corporation’s ActiPatch device. Koneru explained that it is a substitute pain relief device that offers an alternative to opioids. The tiny electronic device emits high-frequency electromagnetic impulses that are undetectable to the human ear or skin. However, they are picked up by the sensitive nerve endings of chronic pain patients. Koneru said the new information retrains the nerves of many patients within three days. Koneru was impressed with Northwest Specialty Hospital for its willingness to take a shot with the latest FDA-approved technologies. That’s rare among top-ranked hospitals, he said. “They put patients first.”
Nikos Anastassiades heads up Spokane-based NEA Medical Technologies. The company offers autologous adult stem cell therapy which, Anastassiades said, leads to great results. It can slow degeneration, start regeneration, and even result in cartilage growth he said, though pointing out that results vary by person. In addition, he said the injection of one’s own stem cells is far cheaper than surgeries such as a knee replacement. He said he came to MAX in part to engage in conversations with insurers, who don’t cover the FDA-approved technology.
Marissa Hudson came to represent Phoenix-based Solera, which deals primarily with diabetes prevention. The Solera vice president said her company looks to “address chronic disease before it happens.”
David Pobran, a semi-retired chiropractor from Calgary, Alberta, said he came to MAX to meet with people who design and test technologies for medical care. He said Coeur d’Alene is a good venue for bringing together innovators, and was looking forward to the MAX Chat at North Idaho College today.
MAX Chat will introduce speakers from nearly two dozen companies to local audiences at North Idaho College today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to maxhealthexpo.com.