Medical expo coming to Cd'A

COEUR d’ALENE — Twenty-three companies creating cutting-edge technology in the health care sector will take part in the inaugural Medical Advancement Expo here Oct. 6-7. The expo will be hosted by Northwest Specialty Hospital.

Darron Rock, Northwest Specialty’s director of marketing, said the event is the result of conversations spurred by last year’s Think Big Festival. He cold-called 130 organizations and got favorable responses from major CEOs and directors such as Peter Cho of the Disney Institute, Michael Meline of Cyber Self-Defense, Adam Jakus of Dimension Inx, Viome founder Naveen Jain, and Kevin Nielsen of Blue Cross of Idaho. These speakers and others will discuss radical new technologies such as 3D bioprinting of human bones and organs, apps to get bids from multiple surgeons akin to what Orbitz and Kayak do in travel, and much more.

MAX is intended to improve medical care, improve public transparency in health care, and to introduce large corporations to local leaders and educational institutions, Rock said. He hopes the event will foster dialogue so companies can “develop the level of talent here that they need and want to recruit.”

Another goal of MAX is to address the opioid epidemic in new ways. One of them is Geneus Health’s GARS test, which uses DNA from a cheek swab to determine if a person is inclined toward addictions, he explained. Another is a new line of bioelectronics called electroceuticals that send electrical signals that eliminate pain.

The event, which will bring innovators from all segments of the health care industry together under one roof, is the only one of its kind in the Northwest, Rock said.

He explained that organizers “want as many people to access this information as possible,” including but not limited to health care providers, local and state government officials, and higher education administrators. The event is free to the public.

Rock said speakers will have 15-20 minutes each on Oct. 7. They have been asked to speak so everyone can understand them rather than in highly technical language, he added. The “display day” Oct. 6 will be a great opportunity for participants to ask about internships, employment, to see how the tech works, and to connect with the people behind the products, Rock said.

“We hope it’ll be the biggest event in North Idaho for medical advancement,” he said.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Idaho Make-A-Wish Foundation, Rock said.

The Medical Advancement Expo takes place Oct. 6-7 in Coeur d’Alene and is free of charge to the public. Display Day on Saturday, Oct. 6 will take place at The Coeur d’Alene Resort from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A series of talks will take place at North Idaho College Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, go to: maxhealthexpo.com