Sunday, August 19, 2012

Nicholas Valeriani Named to West Health

Gary and Mary West have announced that Nicholas J. Valeriani, with Johnson & Johnson for 34 years has been appointed Chief Executive of the collective West Health effort and CEO of the West Health Institute formerly called the West Wireless Health Institute. West Health brings together the Institute, West Health Policy Center, West Health Investment Fund, and West Health Incubator.

Valeriani as Chair the Executive Committee of the West Health Initiative will direct West Health’s efforts to lower healthcare costs through innovative, cost-effective technologies, and address medical research, policy issues, investments, and entrepreneurship.

The newly launched West Health Incubator located in La Jolla provides infrastructure, strategic guidance, and access to an extensive network of key partners, to permit the transfer to industry of research technologies developed at the Institute and elsewhere. Prior to acceptance or admission, companies in the Incubator must receive an investment commitment from the West Health Investment Fund.

“Early stage healthcare companies face multiple challenges in their efforts to develop and deploy innovative technologies,” said Gary West. “We are offering both significant intellectual and economic capital through our investment fund. At the same time, we are de-risking technologies and creating a lunch pad for disruptive cost-lowering technologies so they can reach the public.”

For more information, go to www.westhealth.org.