Game changing ideas can result from diversity of perspective, and Georgia Tech is setting the gold standard for public-private partnerships. In 2013, Georgia Tech had 930 research contracts with large and small companies spanning the research spectrum.

The partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta was recently highlighted for federal policymakers in a roundtable discussion on driving innovation in pediatric healthcare in Washington D.C. to inform policymakers of challenges and successes in research partnerships.

Panelists shared their perspectives on what it takes to make such partnerships successful and urged congressional staffers to refresh their thinking about healthcare delivery.

An afternoon faculty briefing from the Georgia Congressional Delegation about the status of health information technology in our state was conducted by Kim Isett, associate professor in the School of Public Policy; Beth Mynatt, director of the Georgia Tech Institute for People and Technology; Sherry Farruggia, Georgia Tech strategic partners officer; and Margarita Gonzales, principal investigator for the Georgia Tech-Georgia Department of Community Health research program.

“In Georgia, we are in a good position to do advance health IT innovation and the industry quickly,” said Georgia Tech executive vice president for research Stephen Cross, who facilitated the discussion. “Our state has been called ‘the nation’s health IT capitol’ with over 200 companies that employ nearly 16,000 people.”

Kim Isett discussed the necessity of working with legislators provide the information they need in a usable and understandable way to make informed decisions on technology, its costs, and distributional.

The afternoon panel described a successful pilot health information exchange for cancer patients in Rome, Ga., which served as a case in point for the powerful model of partnership between state, federal, and university entities.

Panelists underscored the importance of addressing challenges related to interoperability and access to data. Additionally, the panel encouraged staffers to consider Georgia Tech a partner for decision support, and to think about the format and type of data that would be helpful as they develop new policies.

The Washington, D.C. roundtables are part of an ongoing advocacy campaign supporting Georgia Tech’s strategic plan. “Our presence in D.C. has never been greater,” said Georgia Tech director of federal relations Robert Knotts, “It is important to continue to show our leaders in the federal government that when they ask, ‘what does Georgia Tech think,’ they will receive information and testimony exactly appropriate to helping them address major issues facing our state and nation.”