Northwell Health, a leading U.S. medical care provider and the largest health system in New York State, has signed a collaborative agreement with Business France, the trade and investment arm of the French government supporting the growth and expansion of French companies.
Northwell Health notes that the goal of the alliance is to enable collaboration opportunities for French companies and Northwell Health through Business France’s infrastructure. French companies benefit from access to Northwell’s leaders, scientists and clinical experts for opportunities for sales, co-development and pilots or venture investment. For Northwell, it expands the reach and access to innovative solutions that enhance patient care.
Senior leaders from Northwell Health and Business France executed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Consulate General of France in New York City this month at a reception hosted by Consul General Jérémie Robert. In addition to the formal MOU signing, Northwell hosted a delegation of more than 30 C-level executives from hospitals and healthcare organizations across France visiting New York. The most senior member of the delegation was Mr. Martin Hirsch, CEO of Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), the largest health system in France. The delegates were treated to informative presentations by top Northwell leaders, as well as to a tour of the ER, radiological suite and telepsychiatry center of Lenox Health Greenwich Village, one of Northwell’s flagship Manhattan sites.
“The alliance with Business France is an integral part of Northwell’s continuous efforts to identify breakthrough healthcare innovations, invest in novel technologies, and advance the overall future of health care,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “We look forward to a long, mutually beneficial, collaborative relationship with Business France and the organizations they support.”
Northwell Health has been developing a relationship with Business France and their companies for the past year through the health system’s Global Strategic Partnerships (GSP) International Program, an initiative to establish alliances with government-supported trade agencies as a centralized access point to innovative businesses and technologies. GSP was created to help position Northwell nationally and internationally as a leading destination for partnership, collaboration and innovation. In addition to this latest affiliation, Northwell has forged formal alliances with Enterprise Ireland in 2016 (and renewed in November 2021) and Israel Economic Mission in 2017.
As a means of initiating the organizations’ collaborative relationship, GSP participated in the Business France NEXT French Healthcare accelerator program last October, screening 10 companies, and subsequently meeting and providing insight and guidance to six of those companies. Northwell plans to continue participating in upcoming accelerator programs throughout 2022. Furthermore, GSP leadership engaged with Business France executives at last year’s annual Prix Galien Conference, a life science forum of leading biomedical experts and executives focusing on global healthcare challenges and industry innovations.
“As a business facilitator for both American and French companies, we are always looking to build new bridges between both ecosystems. Today, we are proud to count New York’s largest healthcare provider as a new partner. We are convinced that this new agreement will contribute to accelerating innovation in healthcare, helping us all tackle current and upcoming health challenges,” said Frédéric Rossi, Managing Director, Business France North America.
In addition to delivering healthcare to more than two million people annually and serving as the largest private employer in New York, Northwell Health focuses on a wide range of additional enterprises, including research and innovation, holdings and ventures, and medical educational programs. The health system’s mission includes cultivating innovative ideas and advancing medical technology across the health care landscape in order to transform medical care and improve patient experience.