Cohera Medical President and CEO Patrick Daly Named Chairman of AdvaMed Accel

AdvaMed Accel—the division within AdvaMed dedicated to addressing the unique needs and challenges of smaller medical technology manufacturers—announced that Patrick Daly, president and CEO of Cohera Medical Inc., has been named chairman of the Accel Board of Directors for a two-year term.
 
Daly has served on the Accel Board since 2012 and has been an active member of AdvaMed’s Board of Directors since 2014, advocating on behalf of smaller manufacturers.
 
“Smaller and emerging medical technology companies are a cornerstone of the innovation ecosystem and the source of so many cutting-edge medical advances,” said Daly. “I know firsthand the challenges these companies face first to obtain the necessary funding to get their products off the drawing board and then to navigate the complex regulatory pathways at FDA and CMS. I am honored to be leading AdvaMed Accel, which is doing so much to help smaller companies get their innovative technologies to patients and physicians.”
 
“Accel will benefit immensely from Patrick’s experience and commitment to patient care,” said Ashley Wittorf, executive director and senior vice president, AdvaMed Accel. “From his years of leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson, he knows what it’s like to work for one of the world’s most successful multinationals. But he also brings the perspective of an entrepreneur who’s had to secure private funding and steer his products to market.”
 
As Accel chairman, Daly will work to enact policies that improve the efficiency and predictability of processes at both CMS and FDA, in addition to other policies to encourage capital formation, including changes to the tax code and expansion and enhancement of public funding available for translational research.
 
Daly succeeds CVRx president and CEO Nadim Yared, who served as chair of the Accel Board since 2014.
 
“Nadim has been a tireless advocate for Accel companies during his tenure as chair,” said Wittorf. “He has worked to increase the engagement of small companies in the association’s advocacy work—and bring companies of all sizes together—to improve the medtech innovation ecosystem.”
 
“Under Nadim’s leadership, Accel companies have played an increasingly important role in AdvaMed’s outreach efforts to key stakeholders, including Capitol Hill, FDA, CMS and the investment community,” added Wittorf.
 
AdvaMed Accel also announced that Lisa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Intersect ENT, would be joining the Accel Board.