Georgia Bio Sign-on to State Medical Technology Alliance HHS & CMS Letter

Georiga Bio sign-on to the State Medical Technology Alliance (SMTA) letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid. Please see the language below.


The Honorable Alex M. Azar II
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

The Honorable Seema Verma
Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244


Dear Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma:

As members of the State Medical Technology Alliance (SMTA), we are state and regional life sciences associations representing biotechnology, medical device companies, universities, research institutions, and venture capital firms across the country, all dedicated to developing and delivering life-enhancing and life-saving products, we write to express our strong support for your leadership in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) efforts to provide coverage for transformative medical devices that are approved as breakthrough devices by the FDA.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for our nation’s health care system to better align care for patients.  We commend HHS for taking swift action to create appropriate waivers and incentives across different health care stakeholders to better address this devastating disease.  Providing patients with access to breakthrough devices would further this push to align care for patients by promoting innovation and providing patients with the latest in life-changing medical technology.

The medical technology industry is an important and thriving sector in the U.S. economy, creating jobs in all 50 states and representing a sizable portion of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.  The industry is responsible for about 1.9 million jobs in the U.S. and an economic output of approximately $381 billion annually.

Access to state-of-the art medical technology and diagnostics can help to improve care and patient outcomes, and CMS has acknowledged the value of breakthrough products by including a Breakthrough Product Pathway for new technology add-on payments (NTAP) in the Final Rule on the FY 2020 Inpatient Prospective Payment System. 

We commend HHS and CMS for these efforts and urge you to take the next step by providing coverage for all medical devices that are approved and cleared as FDA-designated breakthrough in all settings.  Providing this needed certainty will help ensure the next round of truly life-changing innovation can get to the patients who need them as quickly as possible.

As members of the SMTA, we look forward to working with the Administration to finalize this critical effort.



Sincerely,


Arizona BioIndustry Association (AZBio)

Biocom: Life Science Association of California

BioFlorida

BioForward Wisconsin

BioOhio

Bioscience Association of West Virginia (BioWV)

BioUtah

California Life Sciences Association (CLSA)

Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA)

Florida Medical Manufacturers Consortium (FMMC)

Georgia Bio

Healthcare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ)   

Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO)

Indiana Health Industry Forum (IHIF)

Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council (IMDMC)

Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio)

Kentucky Life Sciences Council

Life Sciences Pennsylvania

Life Science Tennessee

Life Science Washington

Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC)

Medical Alley Association

MedTech Association New York

Michigan Biosciences Industry Association (MichBio)

Mississippi Biotechnology Association

Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO)

NCBIO

SCBIO

Southeast Life Sciences

Texas Healthcare & Bioscience Institute (THBI)

Georgia Life Sciences Promotes Stacey Bowlin to Executive Vice President

June 5, 2026
 June 5, 2026 - Georgia Life Sciences is pleased to announce the promotion of Stacey Bowlin to Executive Vice President . Since joining Georgia Life Sciences in 2024, Stacey has played a central role in advancing the organization’s strategic visibility, industry partnerships, membership growth, and statewide engagement. Her leadership has helped strengthen Georgia Life Sciences’ position as a leading voice for Georgia’s biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and digital health sectors. “Stacey has made an extraordinary impact on Georgia Life Sciences in a very short period of time,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences . “She successfully led our transformation from Georgia Bio to Georgia Life Sciences, helping modernize our brand and better reflect the full breadth of Georgia’s life sciences industry. She has also strengthened our member recruitment and retention strategy, deepened engagement across the ecosystem, and brought a level of operational discipline that has helped position the organization for continued growth. I am thrilled to recognize Stacey’s leadership and contributions with this well-deserved promotion to Executive Vice President.” In her expanded role, Stacey will continue to lead key areas of organizational strategy, operational execution, member engagement, and long-term growth. She will work closely with the CEO to support financial and organizational performance, oversee key initiatives, and help translate Georgia Life Sciences’ long-term vision into actionable strategies that strengthen the state’s life sciences ecosystem. With more than two decades of experience in strategic engagement, marketing, operations, and industry development, Stacey brings a collaborative, mission-driven approach to leadership that aligns closely with Georgia Life Sciences’ vision for the future.

GLS Highlights the Power of Collaboration at EBRC Annual Meeting

June 2, 2026
June 2, 2026, North Carolina - This week, Georgia Life Sciences' Phil Gibson joined leaders from across the engineering biology ecosystem at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) Annual Meeting at North Carolina State University, where he delivered a flash talk on "Advancing the Bioeconomy Industry Ecosystem." The future of the bioeconomy depends on more than breakthrough discoveries—it requires strong connections between academia, industry, and government to move innovation from the laboratory into real-world applications. At Georgia Life Sciences, we are committed to breaking down traditional silos and building pathways for collaboration among researchers, trainees, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors, and policymakers. By strengthening these connections, we help accelerate the translation of engineering biology innovations into new products, companies, manufacturing opportunities, and economic growth. Thank you to EBRC for convening this important conversation on the future of engineering biology and the bioeconomy.

Life Sciences Industry Partners Host Interns from Athens Community Career Academy Biomanufacturing Program.

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