SAN FRANCISCO — After hearing in a keynote presentation from former CMS administrator Tom Scully that the pain of healthcare reform would be delayed for some time (Medical Device Daily, Jan. 14, 2010) and that hospitals would be the chief winners in the new healthcare bill, it was an interesting contrast to hear Chas Roades, chief research officer of the performance improvement firm Advisory Board (Washington) discuss what he sees as the potentially bleak times ahead for the hospital industry in the coming years during a late afternoon presentation, particularly with the prospect of a jobless economy. (Medical Device Daily)

SAN FRANCISCO – Looking back on what he called the "golden era" of private equity funding that ran from about 2004 to 2007, Larry Alletto, global head of the financial sponsor group at J.P. Morgan, and panel moderator for a discussion on that sector at this year's healthcare meeting, recalled a time that was characterized by ever larger deals fueled by cheap money and the ability to acquire very large market leading businesses that would have normally been off limits to that type of funding. (Medical Device Daily)

SAN FRANCISCO – Fearing all the dire changes coming to the healthcare sector with the Congressional winds of change stirring in Washington? No need to be afraid in the short term, unless you pay taxes or happen to be an insurance agent that is. (Medical Device Daily)

Is history doomed to repeat itself? That notion was not lost on Jamie Dimon, chairman/CEO of J.P. Morgan in his keynote remarks Monday at this year's healthcare conference as he attempted to sort out what went wrong with the financial system in the U.S., and determine what can be done to prevent a similar or worse event in the future. (Medical Device Daily)

SAN FRANCISCO — In his opening remarks at this, the 28th edition of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Doug Braunstein, head of investment banking for the firm, briefly waxed nostalgic with a look back at the first edition of the conference back in 1983. He noted that that first edition of the conference had only 21 presenting companies and the U.S. spent about $350 million on healthcare. (Medical Device Daily)