Dr. Richard Deslauries, graduate of UNH, presented a lecture entitled “The Healthcare System: Change and Challenges” on February 15 in the Schumann Auditorium of Tagliatelia College of Engineering. Invited by the University of New Haven’s Alvine Engineering Professional Effectiveness and Enrichment Program, Dr. Desluaries discussed his path to success and the innovative medical technologies he has aided in producing.
Deslauriers received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of New Haven and went on to work for companies such as Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc. and Medtronic Interventional Vascular before founding Doctors Research Group, Inc. where he currently serves as president, CEO, and chairman of the Board of Directors.
One of his greatest achievements at Doctors Research Group, Inc. is the development of “kryptonite,” a surgical glue that bonds bone together. Patients who are treated with kryptonite see on average a 50% reduction in pain, even when moved from morphine to the much less powerful Tylenol. The easily applicable glue also benefits surgeons. “I tell my surgeons if you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you can learn the technique,” Deslauries told the crowd of about 30.
He went on to explain the growth of generic drugs and the benefits for engineers and entrepreneurs. On average, Americans spend approximately $8,000 per patient on healthcare costs, which doubles at the age of 64. Generic drugs provide on average a 72 percent discount to manufacturers, hospitals, and patients by cutting out the pharmaceutical giant middlemen.
Deslauries offered the audience his pearls of wisdom which included: do what you enjoy, life is not a dress rehearsal, and the crowd pleaser “GSD” or “Get Sh*t Done” which he has prominently displayed on all of his employees screensavers. He concluded with fielding questions from the audience and savvy business advice for all in attendance. “In the beginning, it’s all about the money, but once you get the money it’s not important anymore….I don’t need to work anymore. I get up every day and what I do, I do because I love and enjoy it.
