A Conversation with Robert Wilkie, Secretary, US Department of Veterans Affairs

This session will open with a conversation with Robert Wilkie, Secretary, US Department of Veterans Affairs, followed by a panel discussion.

The mental health system we have is a shadow of the system we need. It is estimated that one out of five Americans lives with a diagnosable mental health condition, and only 40 percent are receiving treatment. As a result, they die an average of 25 years earlier than other people. Unaddressed serious mental health conditions cost the country nearly $200 billion in lost earnings and productivity annually. Globally, it's more than $2.5 trillion.

Shockingly, there have been very few medical innovations to address mental health needs in recent decades; the number of active programs in biopharma companies has declined 70 percent over the last ten years. The session will address issues related to the research and development pipeline, open science that can democratize breakthroughs, the promise of early intervention, building supportive communities, and how the mental health parity law can be a tool for unlocking new pathways to treatments.

Guest
Robert Wilkie, Secretary, US Department of Veterans Affairs

Moderator
Michael Milken, Chairman, Milken Institute


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