Launching the GoldLab Foundation

I am thrilled to introduce the GoldLab Foundation, an outgrowth of the annual GoldLab Symposium, which brings together a wild combination of critical thinkers, medical researchers, scientists, humorists, and historians involved in some aspect of health care.

Our symposium in May is unique. It’s designed to be educational, interesting, and understandable by a general and engaged audience. It’s free and open to the public, and it requires all 16 presenters to commit to being active and present for the entire two days. Our presenters tell me it’s their favorite conference to attend. For the past five years, we’ve learned and shared a lot of fascinating information. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, and we’ve built a highly energetic community of passionate people. But up until now, we’ve not been able to do anything, collectively, to make a difference. To make an impact on how health care is understood, delivered, and accessed.

Now we can. Our vision for the GoldLab Foundation is to keep the passion, the energy, and the conversations about health care from each symposium alive throughout the year. We’ve posted every presentation—80 and counting—and we invite you to explore what’s been presented, engage with the presenters, and engage in our book group discussions, too. Those who know me, know how much I love to read, especially books that address the more human and social aspects—the personal side—of health care.

Our mission for the GoldLab Foundation, though, goes beyond the sharing of this great wealth of information. We want to make a significant impact on improving health care and the quality of life for everyone in the U.S. As we begin, we recognize that we have a lot to explore and a lot to do to realize these lofty goals. We plan to collaborate with established organizations, initiatives, and individuals in the specific areas of beginning and end-of-life care, helping them do what they do, better. Most important, we are committed for the long haul—whatever that means and wherever it takes us—and we hope you are, too.

Larry Gold