Award Will Raise Sanford's Profile, Foster Connections
The million dollar medical award that Sanford plans to give to a pioneering researcher or innovator at the end of the year will likely pay significant dividends in terms of recognition for Sanford, too. At least, that is the hope of those who helped establish the Lorraine Cross Award, announced in November.
“As we establish our global brand, this positions us in a unique light,” says Micah Aberson, Sanford’s chief global brand officer. “We have aspirations that the attention of the medical and research institutions will be focused on South Dakota where this important decision will be made at Sanford Health. The media exposure will elevate the attention.”
“Sanford already has a national and international reputation for developing treatments and innovations,” says Sanford David Pearce, PhD, executive vice president of Sanford Research. “Our idea was, let’s see if we can find and reward others like ourselves who are pushing the limits. The process will probably bring more individuals to us that need someone like us to help push their project across the finish line.”
Beyond brand recognition, another big goal is connection. The application process alone will bring the work of some of the biggest medical innovators to Sanford’s doorstep, so to speak, creating the potential for synergies and collaborations that might never have happened otherwise.
“We will also be going out and sourcing developments and breakthroughs that we find to be particularly attractive,” says Aberson. “The ultimate winner will be mankind.”
The Lorraine Cross Award at a Glance
* Award amount: $1 million
* Funding through $10 million endowment
* Nominations accepted through February 2018
* 12-person panel of physicians and researchers to choose 3 finalists
* Winner to be named by Sanford International Board
* Finalists honored and winner announced in December 2018
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