Recently, I was struck by the following quote from Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University: “Women run for office to do something, and men run for office to be somebody.  Women run because there is some public issue that they care about, some change they want to make, some issue that is a priority for them, and men tend to run for office because they see this as a career path.”  Given the recent debt ceiling debacle that took place in our nation’s capital, I think we can all agree that we need our elected officials to do more of the former if we want to solve our nation’s problems.

Today, I look around and I am inspired by the women I see trying to solve real problems.  I am inspired by the recent selection of Christine Lagarde as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and I am anxious to see how she will try to solve the debt crises around the world.  Likewise, I admire our First Lady Michelle Obama who is trying to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity with her “Let’s Move” campaign.

Within our own industry, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg faces an array of challenges as her agency makes efforts to promote “the development of innovative new diagnostics and treatment that will help solve the complex public-health challenges of the 21st century,” as stated in her recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

And this brings me to one of the key reasons why I am so excited about MedtechVISION 2011, which I believe will be a gathering of those who are invested in wanting to do something about the issues facing our industry today.

From our accomplished keynote speakers to our seasoned panelists, we have assembled a group of individuals who collectively have done so much: advocated for patients, forged relationships between researchers and clinicians, and introduced innovative technologies to address unmet needs.

And most importantly, I am excited to have YOU take your seat at the table and participate in the discussion.  Together, I have great confidence that we can get MUCH accomplished at this event!